Fun Facts about Hunan - A Treasury of Chinese Tourism and Culture Fun Facts (A Treasury of Chinese Tourism and Culture Fun Facts)

Author: Chen Fuyi
Publisher:
Publish Date: 2006-07-01
Features: Ancient Changsha is a beautiful place. She has weathered many vicissitudes and carries countless magical legends. According to archaeological discoveries, as early as 7,000 years ago, the ancestors of the Chinese people began to settle, thrive, and live on the alluvial plains along the Xiang River and Liuyang River in the Changsha region, forming tribal confederacies and crafting simple stone tools and pottery utensils. By the late Shang Dynasty, bronze smelting emerged in the Changsha region, and its craftsmanship reached a high level. In the early Western Zhou Dynasty, the name "Changsha" came into being. The Book of the Lost Zhou (Yizhou Shu) mentions that various regions presented tribute to King Cheng of Zhou, including "Changsha Turtle." Changsha is a historically renowned city both in China and abroad, with a history of over 4,000 years. During the Spring and Autumn and Warring States periods, the King of Chu built a city here, making Changsha a key southern stronghold of Chu. In 221 BC, after Qin Shi Huang unified the country, he established the Changsha Commandery, making Changsha a major city in the southern frontier of the Qin Empire. In 206 BC, Liu Bang established the Han Dynasty and enfeoffed Wu Rui, who had joined him in rebelling against the Qin, as the King of Changsha, founding the State of Changsha. From then on, Hunan's history saw the rise of a vassal state. Changsha became the capital of this kingdom and evolved from a "key southern stronghold of Chu" into the capital of a Han vassal prince. Changsha began to gain fame as a "city of Chu and Han." Wu Rui and his sons expanded the original Chu city site, building Changsha with rammed earth. The Wu Clan's State of Changsha lasted for five generations and spanned 46 years (202 BC–157 BC). At this time, the State of Changsha governed 13 counties. Later, as the Wu Clan had no heir, the state was abolished. In 155 BC, Emperor Jing of Han enfeoffed his illegitimate son Liu Fa as the King of Changsha, restoring the State of Changsha. The Liu Clan's State of Changsha lasted for seven generations and eight kings, spanning 164 years. In 8 AD, Wang Mang, a member of the imperial family, usurped the throne and established the Xin Dynasty, replacing the Liu Clan. The King of Changsha thus lost his title and ended his reign. Later, Liu Fa's descendant Liu Xiu seized the opportunity of the peasant uprising against Wang Mang, gathered an army, and declared himself emperor, restoring the Han Dynasty. He then re-established the Changsha Commandery. In the late Eastern Han Dynasty, during the Three Kingdoms period, Sun Quan's father, Sun Jian, once served as the Commandery Governor of Changsha. During the Three Kingdoms period, with the country divided among Wei, Shu, and Wu, Changsha became a contested battleground, changing hands several times. From 219 AD, when Sun Quan seized Changsha, to 280 AD, when the Western Jin Dynasty conquered Wu, the Sun-Jia (Sun Quan and his family) ruled Changsha for 60 years. During the Northern and Southern Dynasties period, Changsha Commandery saw little change. In the Sui Dynasty, Emperor Yang established the Changsha Commandery. In the Tang Dynasty, Changsha was renamed as the seat of the Tancheng Prefecture. In the third year of the Wude era (620 AD), Emperor Gaozu of Tang enfeoffed Li Ke, son of Li Shi, as the King of Changsha. In the third year of the Qianning era (896 AD) of Emperor Zhaozong of Tang, Ma Yin seized Tancheng and was enfeoffed as the King of Chu (907 AD), making Changsha the capital of Ma Yin's State of Chu. In 926 AD, Ma Yin renamed Tancheng as the Changsha Prefecture. In the fifth year of the Hongwu era (1372 AD) of the Ming Dynasty, Tancheng was again renamed as the Changsha Prefecture, a name that was maintained through the Qing Dynasty. This shows that rulers of all dynasties attached great importance to Changsha's strategic location and never relaxed their vigilance. As a culturally rich city, Changsha has been a gathering place for renowned scholars and philosophers since ancient times, earning the title "Hometown of Qu Yuan and Jia Yi." The immortal poet Qu Yuan, the Han Dynasty prose master Jia Yi, the Tang Dynasty poet-sage Du Fu, and the poet Liu Zongyuan all praised Changsha's customs and culture, leaving behind timeless literary masterpieces. Changsha is also a revolutionary city where talents emerged one after another. In the turbulent history of modern times, Changsha became one of the birthplaces of the Chinese revolution, giving rise to a large number of outstanding figures, including Mao Zedong, who dedicated their lives to saving the nation.