The Orange Isle, situated amidst the vast shimmering waters of the Xiang River, has been renowned for its exquisite tangerines since as early as the Tang Dynasty.
The Orange Isle was initially developed in 1960 and officially opened to the public in 1962. In August 2005, a comprehensive new planning and construction phase began for the area. The development centers on natural landscapes with a theme of “Ecology, Culture and Leisure” covering a total area of 93.94 hectares. In April 2009, integrating ecological tourism with cultural history, it was opened to visitors free of charge.
The scenic area boasts beautiful scenery featuring elegant and exquisite garden ornaments, tasteful pavilions and distinct seasonal views throughout spring, summer, autumn and winter. Standing at the head of the isle, visitors can gaze eastward at ancient city of Changsha, look westward to the famous Yuelu Mountain standing like a screen, and view outward where water and sky blend seamlessly.
This panoramic vista captures the quintessential beautify of Changsha. Natural landscapes, historical sites, and the cultural heritage of great figures constitute the unique resources of the Orange Isle. It is precisely this convergence of natural gifts and historical culture that has made it a cherished “Jewel” of Changsha, possessing unpatrolled charm. Today, the Orange Isle welcomes visitors from all corners of the world with its beautify, warmth and embracing spirit.
Changsha City, also known as Xingcheng, is a prefecture level city under the jurisdiction of Hunan Province, China. It is the capital of Hunan Province and is located in the northeast of Hunan Province, downstream of the Xiang River and on the western edge of the Changliu Basin, with a total area of 11819 square kilometers; Spoken Xiang dialect. As of 2023, Changsha City has 6 districts and 1 county under its jurisdiction, and manages 2 county-level cities.
The Municipal People’s Government is located at No. 218 Yuelu Avenue, Yuelu District. As of the end of 2024, the permanent population of Changsha City was 10.6165 million.
The terrain in Changsha city is undulating, with mountains, hills, and plains as the main features. The Xiang River runs through the city and belongs to a subtropical monsoon climate with distinct four seasons. Spring temperatures vary greatly, with more rainfall in early summer, high temperatures in late autumn, and less severe cold in winter.
In the Paleolithic era, there were primitive human activities in the Changsha area. During the Qin Dynasty, Changsha Commandery was established, and the Changsha region was included in the unified national vision. During the Southern Dynasty, Changsha was once known as the “Xiongjun County within the Sea”. In September 1920, Changsha officially became the provincial capital. Changsha has condensed the Hunan culture of “practicality and inclusiveness”, which is not only one of the origins of the late Qing Dynasty’s reform movement and the old democratic revolution, but also one of the birthplaces of new democracy.
Changsha is a central city in the middle reaches of the Yangtze River region approved by the State Council, a national historical and cultural city, a national comprehensive transportation hub city, a central advanced manufacturing base, a central modern service industry center, and a regional scientific and technological innovation highland.
In 2023, Changsha City was awarded the title of “China’s Happiest City” for the 16th consecutive year. In addition, Changsha is also known as the best city in China’s (mainland’s) international image, the capital of East Asian culture, and the world’s “capital of media and art”. In 2024, the gross domestic product of Changsha City was 1526.878 billion yuan, an increase of 5.0% over the previous year.
Hunan is located in the central part of China and in the middle reaches of the Yangtze River. Since most of its area is south of Dongting Lake, it is called “Hunan”. The Xiangjiang River, the largest river in the province, runs through the whole territory, so it is shortly named “ Xiang”.
Since ancient times, hibiscus has been widely planted in Hunan. Mao Zedong ever praised Hunan with the poem “The land of hibiscus is bathed in the morning sun”, so it is also known as the “Land of Hibiscus”. Hunan is the hometown of great men and a place that has produced numerous military leaders. It has magnificent mountains and rivers and profound cultural heritage.
With a total population of over 73 million, ranking 8th in China; its total area is 211,800 square kilometers, ranking 10th in China. In 2024, its regional GDP reached 5.3 trillion yuan ranking 10th in China, with a year-on-year growth of 4.8%. The economic development shows the characteristics of “overall stability, steady progress, structural optimization, and improved quality”.
Hunan has several characteristics: First, it faces unprecedented strategic opportunities. Since the 8th National Congress of the Communist Party of China, General Secretary Xi Jinping has visited Hunan 4 times. Strategic opportunities such as jointly building the Belt and Road Initiative, the Yangtze River Belt, and high-quality development in central China are intertwined.
National level platforms like the Hunan Pilot Free Trade Zone, the pilot Zone for In-depth China-Africa Economic and Trade Cooperation and the World Computing Conference are gathering momentum. Second, it has a solid industrial foundation. Hunan has 6 trillion-yuan industries, 16 hundred-billion-yuan industries, and 5 national advanced manufacturing clusters.
The “ 4 × 4” modern industrial system is being accelerated, the low-altitude economy has created the Hunan model, green intelligent computing is accelerating its layout and the “ Intelligent Empowerment for Ten Enterprises” initiative is helping ten thousand enterprises take off. Third, it has abundant innovation momentum. Hunan is home to 137 ordinary colleges and universities in Hunan, ranking 5th in China; the number of full-time students is 1.9million ranking 8th in China.
It boasts 3 “985 Project” universities, ranking 3rd in China. The “ 4 + 4 Science and Technology Innovation Project” is in full operation, the “1 +2” national laboratory system is being accelerated, the construction of Changsha as a global R & D hub and Xiangjiang Science City is in full swing.
The investment in R & D funds of the whole society ranks 9th in China and 2nd in central China. Fourth, its investment environment has been upgraded. Expressways from a network, high-speed railways form a loop, and transportation hubs have taken shape. Electricity, computing power and power are providing efficient support.
The “Five”-Good Parks” are full of vitality, the “Golden Hibisucs” fund is integrating forces and the “Send Policies, Solve Difficulties and Provide Services” action is helping enterprises wholeheartedly. The business environment has achieved a “three-year, three-level leap”. The whole province and Changsha City continue to rank among the top in China and first in central and western China.
BY ADDISALEM MULAT
THE ETHIOPIAN HERALD SUNDAY EDITION 22 JUNE 2025
