Summary: An expat's heartfelt reflection on Changsha's unique charm, from its vibrant food scene and welcoming foreign community to its blend of tradition and modernity, making it a beloved "second hometown."
by
Chris Saunders
I know it's a bold claim. And true, I haven't visited all of China's 700 designated cities. I doubt many people have. But during my seven years in the PRC I had stints working not only in Changsha (CS) but also Beijing, Tianjin, Xiangtan, and Guangzhou, and visited Xian, Shanghai, Hong Kong, Baotau, Shenzhen, Suzhou, Jishou, Datong, Pingyao, Fenghaung, Anshun, and a bunch of other places, so I have a decent sample size. I still refer to CS as my second hometown, and I've been back several times since I officially returned to the UK simply because there aren't many places in the world I would rather go.
So what makes Changsha so special?
When I first moved there in 2009, it was a different place. Heck, it was a different world. Although it was the provincial capital, had a population of over 6 million, and an established infrastructure (except there was no Metro then!), it was still a second-tier city so it wasn't very widely known to foreigners. That gave it a bit of an edge. There was something alluring and mysterious about it, but at the same time welcoming and inviting. Intoxicating, even. It wasn't too big or too small, and had good transport links with several major train stations and an airport making national or international travel easier. In many ways it was a city of contradictions; a heady mixture of old and new, modern and traditional, intense and chilled.
The best thing about it was (and is) the vibe. The city has a unique energy that is hard to put into words. After spending the previous few years bouncing around, I finally found somewhere I wanted to stay. I know I wasn't the only one feeling that way, because some of the fellow wanderers I met in Changsha did stay. And are still there now.
In those days, before Covid and the education reforms, it was much easier for foreigners to find work in China, but most gravitated towards Tier 1 cities. Changsha was like an open secret. The number of laowai it supported, mostly English, American, French, and, weirdly, a sizeable population of Scots, was so small we all knew each other by name. Having spent most of the previous year a virtual recluse (if you had to spend a winter in Tianjin, you'd be a recluse, too) it was good to have a social circle again. The foreign contingent in Changsha formed a special bond. We looked after each other. It isn't easy living abroad, far away from family and friends, and it helps to have a support network. As you progress through life people come and go. I am proud to say, most of the CS people stayed.
I first went to Changsha almost by accident. As my year in Tianjin was coming to a end, I started looking around for a new adventure and asked a Chinese friend for some suggestions. It was him who told me to go to Changsha, because, in his words, "The girls there are very hot." Only later did I find out that he meant 'hot' in the fiery personality sense, rather than the attractive sense. Oops. Talking about fiery, you can't talk about CS and not mention the food. Every city in China has their own specialities. The cuisine is as varied as the landscape. And in Changsha, they like it hot. Very hot. Not just mildly spicy, but make-your-eyes-water-and-your-throat-close-up hot. Rumour has it that before the days of refrigeration, during the long, hot summers, meat would spoil quickly so locals added vast amounts of garlic and chilli peppers to disguise the taste. La Jiao Chao Rou (literally stir fried pork and green chill) and mi fen (Hunan rice noodles in soup) remain firm. I've tried to replicate them but the chilli peppers we get in the UK are nothing like the ones you get in Changsha and it's just not the same unless your eyes are watering.`
In the four years or so I spent in CS, I don't recall ever being bored. There are restaurants and noodle shops on almost every street, bars and clubs everywhere, and a plethora of museums, public parks, and historical sites to visit. There were two areas in particular I always felt drawn to. The first was Taiping Jie, the pedestrianised shopping street near the city centre which is great for browsing traditional craft shops, and HuaLongChi, a bar street, or more of a bar alley, hidden away in Tianxin district.
A bar called Hooligans was the unofficial meeting spot for foreigners most nights, a mantle later passed onto Crave, and most recently taken on by the Red Lion Pub. Another place not to be missed is Juzizhou (Orange Island). Not that you could miss it with its 105-foot high concrete representation of a Young Chairman Mao's head if you wanted to. Orange Island used to host an annual music festival, which had become a cornerstone of the Chinese indie and rock scene and attracts crowds of 20,000 a day.
Living in CS changed me forever, and I am a better person for it. I consider myself lucky to have stumbled across this hidden gem when I did. It's a little different now. That said, in keeping with its reputation as a city of contradictions, its nice to see the city benefitting from a profile boost and the increased tourism that comes with it if only because it means more people can experience it. In Welsh we have a word, hiraeth.
Probably the closest English translation would be 'homesickness' but it is slightly more than that. To feel the hiraeth means to feel a sense of nostalgia coupled with a deep yearning, or longing, for a specific time or place. That fits. The only things I don't miss about CS is fighting my way through rush hour traffic. Oh, and the stinky tofu.
Chris Saunders, who writes fiction as C.M. Saunders, is a writer and editor from Wales. He spent several years teaching English in China and has worked extensively in the publishing industry. He is currently employed at a trade publication. His fiction has appeared in numerous magazines, ezines and anthologies around the world, while his books have been both traditionally and independently published. His latest release is the horror western Blood Lake on Undertaker Books.
https://cmsaunders.wordpress.com/
https://twitter.com/CMSaunders01
https://www.facebook.com/CMSaunders01
WNIC provides FREE city information, FREE city guides and FREE advice to foreigners who need it.
WNIC provides extra services and social events, from low cost party nights to more exclusive activities. The Changsha Card is one of the cheapest city cards in China with a combined card+booklet value of more than 1500Yuan with discounts at dozens of city restaurants, bars and businesses.
We also run many interest groups and many more free and paid services. Contact us to join us, be a contributor or just join one of our many groups.
WNIC提供免费的城市资讯，免费的城市介绍和免费的英文旅行建议!
WNIC也提供低成本高效高格调运作的商业及社交活动的推广服务。 长沙卡就是我们的一款打折卡与优惠券结合的一项产品，它提供了全市上百家的餐厅及会所的优惠折扣，优惠金额过千.
WNIC自媒体旗下也有很多活动团体组织不同的社交活动，加入我们，联系我们，一起感受WNIC社交群带给你的精彩生活。
长沙'星'见闻
微信号 : WhatsNewInChangsha
www.wnichangsha.com