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Hunan province
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Hunan is an area that is dominated, like its neighbor Jiangxi, by mountainous rural areas and flat, fertile, well watered plains. Most settlement, started over 2000 years ago, occurred on this latter geographical feature, and it is the water here that had a major influence on the provinces early history. Dongting Lake, far in the north, gives Hunan, literally translated as "south of the lake", its name, while the Xiang River, that snakes south of the Dongting to cut through the capital Changsha, gives the region its abbreviation, Xiang. |
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Changsha| The city first came into being as a small town, over 3000 years ago, when it was known as Qinyang, and was initially established for its excellent location. Lying on the banks of the Xiang River (Xiang jiang), a tributary of China's "snaking dragon", the Yangtse (Chang jiang), and surrounded by the most fertile of the Hunan plains, the town was to flourish through river trade and the production of bountiful crops. By the Warring States Period (475-221 BC), the city had grown enough to become the southern, and main, capital of the Chu Kingdom, when the city was renamed Chu. Infractions and rebellions were rife in this period (the fiery Hunanese again) and it was not until the Qin Dynasty (221-206 BC), swept through here, that the city returned to any form of stability. The Qin were to name the city Changsha, literally Long Sands, after the Island of Oranges (Juzi zhou), a long sandy spit that dominates the river in this section....... |
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| Zhangjiajie| Wulingyuan scenic area, better known as Zhangjiajie after a neighbouring city, lies in northwest Hunan Province. China's "Yellow Stone Park" can be divided into four regions: Zhangjiajie National Park, Suoxiyu Nature Reserve, Tianzishan Nature Reserve and Yangjiajie Scenic Area. The whole area is a primitive limestone landscape, home to more than 500 species of trees and animals. Rare trees include the gingko, dove tree and dawn redwood; fauna ranges from civet cats and monkeys to gamebirds and salamanders. It is also home to three ethnic minorities - Tujia, Bai and Miao, which together make up 70% of the local population. Though influenced by China's dominant Han culture, these groups maintain much of their traditional culture, including the language, festivals, clothing and architectural styles. ...... |
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