Changsha sits at the northeast of Hunan Province in south-central China. It’s known for having a warm climate and is the economic and political capital of Hunan province.

Zhangjiajie National Forest Park – Where the movie Avatar was filmed.

Spending some time here I found that the Autumn and Spring seasons in Changsha seem to be very short. Spring lasts around 2-3 weeks which I’ve never experienced before and then the Summer can be very warm and humid.  The autumn is also was pretty much the same as spring as it made a quick transition to winter. I found the Winter temperatures, while not as cold as the United Kingdom were cold relative to what I’d become used to in Changsha for the rest of the year.

Attractions

There is a fair bit to do inside Changsha so it tried to visit as many sites as possible on my time off: Kaifu Temple is beautiful, the Mao Zedong statue on Orange Island on the Xiang river is a must see and the Yuelu Mountain are definitely attractions I would recommend.

Shopping

For shopping, my go-to area is the Wuyi Square Shopping District. This is a shopper’s paradise for several generations in the city and also the barometer of fashion in Changsha. Wenmiaoping and Nanqiangwan is also a fantastic shopping street for getting some unique fashion as there are a variety of small shops in the alley that are strong in their own styles. This is where trendsetters go to find the latest fashions.

The night light of Phoenix City

Nightlife

The Changsha nightlife has an impressive variety of bars, clubs and exciting venues. My favourite area to visit was the West Jiefang Road as it’s one of the busiest areas in the city and when the night hits this is the home of some the oldest operating bars, hottest nightclubs and live gigs by popular bands. Sometimes when I want a more upmarket experience, Haulongchi is the place to go as it has a selection of unique bars dispersed between western restaurants and refined tailor shops. When I’m meeting up for a chat with friends West Renmin Road is an ideal area to catch up, it’s a great cafe area where it has kept old-style villas to give the area a more comfortable and chilled out night out.

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