Cultural Experience

Changsha, the capital city of Hunan Province, is also called Star City, Capital City of Happiness, and Capital City of Chinese Power. It is also the political, economic, cultural, transportation, Science and Technology, Financial and Information Center of Hunan Province, the most competitive city in Middle and Western part of China, as well as one of the economic centers in middle part of China. Changsha has a history of 3000 years. Changsha is famous for its third industry, especially media and entertainment. Changsha had won the permanent title of Happiest City in China.  

Hunan University, situated at the foot of the picturesque Yuelu Hill and on the west bank of the rippling Xiang River in the historically and culturally renowned City of Changsha, capital city of Hunan Province, is honored as an "Ancient Millenarian Academy, Famous Centennial University". It is one of the key universities affiliated with the Ministry of Education and is included in the state's "Project 211" and "Project 985" for priority investment and construction.

As one of the four most prestigious academies over the last 1000 years in China, Yuelu Academy has been a famous institution of higher learning as well as a centre of culture and academic activities since it was formally set up in the ninth year of the Kai Bao Reign of the Northern Song Dynasty (976 AD). Yuelu Academy, surviving the Song, Yuan, Ming and Qing dynasties, was converted into Hunan Institute of Higher Learning in 1903, and Hunan Normal College, Hunan Public Polytechnic School in succession, and was finally named Hunan University in 1926. The Academy has witnessed a history of more than 1000 years without a break, so it is called a “one-thousand-year-old academy”. The historical transformation from Yuelu Academy to Hunan University is an epitome of the development of China’s higher education, which mirrors the vicissitudes of China’s education system.

Zhangjiajie is a prefecture-level city in the northwestern part of Hunan province, People's Republic of China. It comprises the district of Yongding and counties of Cili and Sangzhi. Within it is located Wulingyuan Scenic Area which was designated a UNESCO World Heritage Site in 1992 as well as an AAAAA scenic area by the China National Tourism Administration.

The city itself was previously named Dayong, and has a recorded history dating back to 221 BC. Humans lived here along both banks of the Lishui River (the mother river in Zhangjiajie), now within the boundaries of Zhanagjiajie City, very early during the Stone Age. Human settlement in this region dates back 100,000 years, rivaling such famous sites as Xi’an, Beijing and others. In 1986, the Academy of Chinese Social Science discovered Stone Age relics in Cili County, unearthing 108 articles of stoneware; mostly tapered-form, hacked-tamped and plate-shaped works. According to archaeological experts’ textual research, all of these wares were produced about 100,000 years ago. Shortly thereafter, in 1988, the Archaeological Institute of Hunan Province found other relics in Sangzhi County, including three pieces of stoneware which were estimated to have been fashioned over 100,000 years ago.