Changsha

Changsha, the capital of Hunan province, is known for chili-heavy Hunan cooking, a walk on Orange Island and the Hunan Provincial Museum, with intercity trains to Zhuzhou and Xiangtan in under an hour.

Find a room in Changsha Start with the essentials Plan a trip to Changsha

We may earn a commission. It never decides our picks.

Changsha is the capital of Hunan province in south-central China, on the lower Xiang River. The city has more than 2,400 years of urban history, but a fire in 1938, deliberately set by Nationalist forces, burned most of the old city, so little historic architecture survives. Hunan cuisine is hot and spicy and remains the most popular style here. Chopped chili fish head, smoked cured pork and Tanzhou clay-pot dishes are classic orders, and stinky tofu and sugar-oil glutinous cakes are common snacks.

Orange Island, a sandbar in the middle of the Xiang River, is a popular walk and is best seen from across the river in the city. Yuelu Mountain rises on the west bank, with Yuelu Academy, founded in 976, at its foot. The Hunan Provincial Museum holds about 180,000 artifacts, and its Mawangdui Han tomb displays are internationally famous. Autumn is the most comfortable and driest season, while summer is very hot and rainy. Trains to Zhuzhou and Xiangtan take under an hour.

Changsha in five

Reserve the provincial museum aheadMajor provincial museums in China often sell timed tickets against passport details. Check the museum's official booking channel a few days before your visit rather than relying on walk-up entry.
Order spicy food on purposeXiang cuisine is heavy on chili. Ask for a milder dish by saying wei la, meaning slightly spicy, and keep rice or tea at hand. Night markets and snack streets are the easy way to sample.
Walk Orange Isle at the end of the dayOrange Isle is a long river island in the Xiang, popular for evening walks. Go in the late afternoon for cooler air and better light over the river.
Use rail to reach Zhangjiajie and GuangzhouChangsha is a high-speed rail hub on the Beijing to Guangzhou line, with onward trains to Zhangjiajie in northwest Hunan. Book on 12306 with your passport.Zhangjiajie
Keep a hot-weather plan indoorsSummers are hot and humid, so keep a museum or covered market in reserve. Spring and autumn are better for river walks.

Things to do in Changsha

See all attractions in Changsha

Sight · ChangshaHu'Nan Provincial Museum

Sight · ChangshaTianxin Pavilion Community Comprehensive Treatment Maintain Stability Work Station

Sight · ChangshaYuelu Mountain

Free trip plannerPlan a trip to ChangshaPut the places you like in Changsha on a map, give them days, and let one button order each day. Free, with no account.Plan a trip

Need to know

Airport: Changsha Huanghua (CSX)
Getting there: High-speed rail from Guangzhou and Beijing; flights
Getting around: Metro, buses and taxis; pay by QR code
Best base: Near the river and the metro, close to the main shopping streets
Time needed: 2 days; more if you continue to Zhangjiajie

Weather by month

Rainy days
Snowy days
Days with storms

Best
Good
Mixed
Poor

JanuaryPartly cloudy11 rainy days1 snowy dayHigh11°Low4°Cold, damp
FebruaryRain14 rainy days1 snowy dayHigh12°Low5°Cold, drizzle
MarchRain18 rainy daysHigh18°Low10°Mild, damp
AprilRain17 rainy daysHigh23°Low15°Spring, mild
MayRain17 rainy daysHigh27°Low19°Warm
JuneRain19 rainy daysHigh30°Low23°Hot, rain
JulyRain14 rainy days1 day with stormsHigh34°Low26°Hot, humid
AugustPartly cloudy12 rainy days1 day with stormsHigh34°Low26°Hot, humid
SeptemberPartly cloudy10 rainy days1 day with stormsHigh30°Low22°Warm, clearer
OctoberPartly cloudy9 rainy daysHigh23°Low16°Clear, mild
NovemberPartly cloudy9 rainy daysHigh19°Low11°Cool
DecemberPartly cloudy7 rainy daysHigh13°Low6°Cold, damp

Average daily high and low in Changsha, 2016–2025. Rainy day: 1 mm of rain or more.

Right now in Changsha

Local time, today's weather and the exchange rate, refreshed through the day.

Feels like: 17°
Humidity: 75%
Wind: 4 km/h
Chance of rain: 98%

Hunan

04:40 AM

Tuesday, November 3

GMT+8

Today19°15°98%Tuesday: Rain. High 19°, Low 15°. Chance of rain 98%.
Wed18°15°100%Wednesday: Rain. High 18°, Low 15°. Chance of rain 100%.
Thu20°14°67%Thursday: Rain. High 20°, Low 14°. Chance of rain 67%.
Fri18°16°65%Friday: Rain. High 18°, Low 16°. Chance of rain 65%.
Sat20°16°88%Saturday: Rain. High 20°, Low 16°. Chance of rain 88%.
Sun16°14°100%Sunday: Rain. High 16°, Low 14°. Chance of rain 100%.
Mon16°12°49%Monday: Drizzle. High 16°, Low 12°. Chance of rain 49%.

Updated 01:27 AM local time · Powered by WeatherAPI.com · Weather data by Open-Meteo.com

Money

Mid-market rate1 USD = 6.661 CNY

Amount

Converted to

CNY · Chinese Yuan

Rates from Nov 2, 2026 · Rates By Exchange Rate API

Day trips by train

Zhangjiajieby high-speed railSandstone pillars of the Wulingyuan area, usually an overnight, not a day trip.Read the guide
Shaoshanregional bus or tourA village associated with a major historical figure, reached by road.
Yuelu Mountainwithin ChangshaA hillside park with temples and an old academy beside the river.

Before you go to Changsha

Changsha food and city toursGuided night-market and museum daysCompare tours

Hotels near the river and metroEasy bases for food and railCheck availability

eSIM for ChangshaMaps and rail tickets on the moveRead the guide

Insurance for ChangshaDelay and cancellation coverRead the guide

We may earn a commission. It never decides our picks.

Rules for Changsha, checked

Check visa and entry rules on the National Immigration Administration website, or with a Chinese embassy or consulate, before you fly.Source
Taxis accept cash, WeChat Pay and Alipay, so carry cash or set up one of these apps before you go.
Buses take the Xiangxing transit card and other city transit cards, but some routes run by one company accept cash only, so check the route's payment rule before you board.

Plan around Changsha

All of China

Visa-free entry, payments, trains and cities

Read the guide Hunan

Zhangjiajie, Wulingyuan and Fenghuang

Read the guide Guangzhou

Cantonese food, south by high-speed rail

Read the guide Guiyang

Guizhou's karst and villages to the west

Read the guide China visa-free entry

The 30-day list and the 240-hour transit

Read the guide Zhangjiajie

Wulingyuan pillars, usually an overnight

Read the guide Wuhan

Yangtze river city, north by rail

Read the guide

Changsha FAQ

Is Changsha worth visiting?

Yes for food and as a rail base. It has fewer headline sights than Beijing or Xi'an, but the cuisine, Orange Isle and the provincial museum fill a good two days.

How many days do you need in Changsha?

Two days cover the museum, Orange Isle and a night market. Add one or two more if you continue to Zhangjiajie. One night works if Changsha is just a rail connection.

How spicy is Hunan food?

Very. Ask for wei la (slightly spicy), and be careful with chili-heavy stir-fries. Tea and plain rice help. Night-market snacks are a good low-risk way to taste it.

When is the best time to visit Changsha?

April, May, October and November. Summers are hot and humid, winters are cold and damp, and spring and autumn are mild. Rain is common in spring.

Can I visit Zhangjiajie from Changsha?

Yes, by high-speed rail, but it is best as an overnight trip. Wulingyuan, the UNESCO-listed scenic area, needs at least a day inside the park.