An important ancient city, Changsha was the capital of the Chu Kingdom until the unification of China under the Qin in 280 BC. Much later, the city’s profile was raised once more when in 1903 it became a treaty port, open to foreign trade. The city is associated with Mao Zedong, who attended college here from 1912 to 1918.

The excellent Hunan Provincial Museum houses many items of interest, including a collection of painted neolithic pottery and bronzes from the Shang and Zhou eras. However, the principal displays were excavated from three Han-dynasty tombs at Mawangdui, to the east of the city. The first tomb belonged to the wife of the Marquis of Dai, the second was that of the Marquis himself, while the third contained their son. The Marquis, Li Cang, became prime minister in 193 BC, and died in 186. The tombs contained a wooden outer coffin, surrounded by a protective layer of clay and charcoal, within which were four other coffins, lacquered and handsomely painted. The bodies had been dressed in several layers of silk. His wife’s body (on display in a liquid-filled tank) was so well preserved that her skin retained a certain amount of elasticity. Amazingly scientists were able to determine that she died at 50, and was suffering from tuberculosis and arthritis. According to the customs at the time, the tombs were filled with foods and furnishings to comfort that part of the soul that remains on earth, and a silk banner that mapped the Han belief system. Close by is the pleasantly landscaped Martyrs’ Park.

Among the numerous sites related to Mao Zedong, the most interesting is the Hunan No. 1 Teachers’ Training College, where he studied from 1913, when he was 19, until 1918. Although he famously failed his art exam, by drawing a circle and calling it an egg, he was declared student of the year in 1917. At college, he devoted much of his time in organizing student societies, a useful practice for his future role as leader. Mao returned as a teacher between 1920 and 1922. Visitors can follow a self-guided route through the rebuilt college, which is still active, visiting the dormitories, the well where Mao bathed in cold water, and the halls where he held political meetings.