ABriefIntroductiontoChangsha'sTouristIndustryChangsha

　　Changshaisrichintouristresourcesbecauseofitsuniquegeographicallocation.SurroundingthecityarethebeautifulYueluMountain,DaweiMountainandWeishanMountain,andtheXiangjiangRiverandLiuyangRiverflowacrossit.TheJuzizhouscenicspotinthecityisregardedasoneoftheeightmostcharmingplacesinHunanattractingbothdomesticandoverseasvisitors.

　　TherapidsocialandeconomicdevelopmentinChangshahaslaidthefoundationforthelocaltourismboom.In1998,thecityrealized54.285billionyuanofGNP,whichmeantithadreacheditsstrategicgoalaheadofscheduleandthatlocalresidentsenjoyahigherstandardofliving.Changshaisalsoamongthe50topChinesecitiesintermsofgeneraleconomicstrength.

　　Beingthepolitical,economic,scientificandtechnological,educational,culturalandtransportationcenterinHunan,Changshaisquitealargeplaceoccupyinglandof11,800sq.km.Withapopulationof5.63million.ChangshaisamongthefirstgroupofChinesecitieswhichwereselectedasfamoushistoricalandculturalcitiesinthecountryandallowedtoopen-upto

　　world.Thus,ithasbecomeanimportantcityincentralChinaenjoyingthefastesteconomicgrowthandimmensevitality.

　　AcradleoftheancientChuandXiangcivilizationsrootedincentralChina,ChangshawasthehometownofmanygreatfiguresinbothancientandmodernhistoryofChina,includingQuYuan,JiaYi,ZhuXi,ZengGuofan,MaoZedongandLiushaoqi.Thecityboastscountlessdiscoveriesofhistoricalandculturalvalues.Forexample,unearthedherewastheworld-famousMawangduiTomboftheHanDynasty,inwhichafemalemummyandherjewelry,whichare2,000yearsold,werediscovered.Recently,170,000bamboosticksthatwereusedforprintingbookswerefoundinanancienttombinChangsha.Thisdiscovery,harkingbacktotheperiodfrom220to280,isregardedasoneofthemostimportantarchaeologicaldiscoveriesinChinasofar.ChangshaisalsofamousforbeingthehomeofYueluShuyuan(anacademicinstitution)whichwasestablishedabout1,000yearsago.

　　In1998,Changshareceived25milliontouristsandrealizedaturnoverof4.7billionyuanThisincluded194,000foreignvisitorsthatcreatedprofitsforthesectortotaling$100million.Atpresent,Changshahas44hotelsincludingthreefive-star,onefour-starandeightthree-starones.Thecityalsohas78travelagenciesoperatingbothdomesticandforeignbusiness.Changshahas170popularscenicspotsincludingfivesummerresorts.

　　In1998,ChangshawonanawardasoneoftheTopTouristCitiesinChina.

　　TouristConsultingOfficesChangsha

　　TheChangshaAdministrationofTourismhasestablishedtouristconsultingofficesinvariousplacesincludingthewestern,easternandnorthernlongdistancebusstationsinChangsha,aswellasthedockswheretheboatsarrive,wheretouristinformationandbrochuresareavailable.Thecityhasalsoaspecialtelephonenumber(0731-2253935),throughwhichup-to-datetouristinformationcanbeobtained.

　　sinPublicPlacesChangsha

　　Accordingtointernationalpractice,themunicipaladministrationofChangshahasprovidedpublicinformationsignsinallmajorplacesincludingholidayvillages,hotels,theairport,therailwaystationandthedocks.Allthesesignsarestandard,ac