Could Hunan Be Home to China's Fifth County?

In the 2022 national top 100 counties (cities) comprehensive strength ranking, the top 20 positions were dominated by 19 powerhouse towns from eastern coastal provinces, such as Yiwu, Kunshan, and Zhangjiagang.

But tracing upstream along the Yangtze River, from Dongting Lake straight into the Xiang River, in the vast central and western regions, a small county in Hunan emerged as a dark horse, securing the title of "China's Fifth County"—this is the so-called "First Town of Three Xiangs":

Xingsha Subdistrict, Changsha County, encircled by the Laodao River.

The Changsha we know is the entertainment capital, from "Super Girl" to the Golden Eagle Arts Festival, and the new consumer city sweeping the nation with brands like Tea Yan Yuese, Wenheyou, and Baman Rice Noodles... This is Side A of Changsha.

But behind this Changsha lies another side—Side B—supporting the development of all Hunan. It is the "earthly paradise" east of Changsha's urban area, the capital of China's construction machinery, and the birthplace of modern luminaries like Yang Kaihui, Huang Xing, and Tian Han.

Just how formidable is Changsha County, this "China's Fifth County"?

Shield tunneling machine manufacturing was once a technology where China was strangled by foreign restrictions.

Today, China is the world's top producer of shield tunneling machines,

and Changsha County's heavy industry enterprises have contributed to this achievement.

Mountains and rivers converge, shaping China's "Fifth County."

Changsha County, a county situated at the confluence of the Xiang River, Liuyang River, and Laodao River, is like a jewel embedded in the heart of the Changsha Basin. Surrounded by mountains, historically only the Xiang River and its adjacent roads connected the Changsha Basin to the outside world, linking it to the Dongting Lake Plain to the north and the hilly basin clusters of central Hunan.

The Eye of Changsha, located at Mopan Island Ecological Park on the Liuyang River.

Photo/Wait a Moment 322, Image/Tuchong Creative

The Xiang River and Liuyang River flow leisurely from south to north like two dragons, passing through Changsha County and leaving countless historical imprints. The Laodao River, like a babbling stream, winds through Changsha County's urban area, flowing onward until it merges with the Xiang River. These three rivers converge in Changsha, painting a magnificent natural landscape.

Nestled between mountains and rivers, Changsha County has been a vital transportation hub in Hunan since ancient times and served as the administrative center of the Changsha region for centuries, earning the reputation of "First Town of Three Xiangs, Key Stronghold of Chu." In 2022, with a resident population of about 1.4 million, Changsha County generated a GDP of 200.3 billion yuan, surpassing that of Estonia, a developed country in Eastern Europe with a similar population.

Changsha County lies beyond Changsha city.

Graphic/Liu Yunshuo

Hunan's mountainous character is perfectly mirrored in Changsha County. The county's plains are concentrated along the Liuyang and Laodao Rivers, with mountains to the north, east, and south. The entire county resembles a winnowing basket, tilting toward Changsha's urban area. This terrain integrates Changsha County seamlessly with the city, blurring boundaries and preserving many natural scenic spots.

The wise delight in mountains, the benevolent in waters—vast water bodies are the soul of an eco-city. Changsha's urban area and Changsha County each possess distinct temperaments: the former is animated by the flowing Xiang River, while the latter exudes tranquility and elegance with its serene lakes.

Above Songya Lake...

Photo by Chen Minjie

The character of Changsha County stems from its serene lakes, including the Songya Lake National Wetland Park, Shiyan Lake, and Yinshan Lake Park.

Songya Lake National Wetland Park is the only national wetland park in Changsha City, home to a variety of migratory birds and fish. The lake spans over 3,800 acres, surrounded by lush forests and green belts, offering breathtaking scenery. Its name derives from the pine groves along its shores and the lake's elegant charm, hence the name "Songya Lake."

Shiyan Lake is encircled by dense primitive secondary forests, with a forest coverage rate exceeding 98% beyond the water surface, earning it the titles "Hunan's Jiuzhai" and "Mortal World's Jade Pool." Local records also note it as the historic battleground between Guan Yu and Huang Zhong.

Bathed in the glow of the evening sunset, it appears exceptionally beautiful.

The most famous attraction in the lake is Golden Turtle Island. Shaped like an old turtle resting in the water, on clear days at sunrise, visitors can witness radiant sunlight bursting from the turtle's back when viewed from the island's front.

The fusion of city and water defines Changsha County's most distinctive urban character.

What sets Changsha County apart from the urban district is not just its bustling commercial streets and economic development zones but also its vast rural areas. The coexistence of town and countryside represents the county's dual development paths: advancing industry while preserving Hunan's long-standing agricultural traditions as a "land of fish and rice," maintaining stable double-cropping rice production—truly excelling in both fields.

With an annual grain output of 500,000 tons,

Changsha County lives up to its reputation as a land of fish and rice.

"When Hunan and Hubei flourish, the nation thrives." In Hunan, a historically agricultural province, Changsha County stands out as a major grain producer. In 2022, its total grain output reached 1.009 billion jin. The Tianda Agriculture Dendrobium and Yew Growth Base, located in Jiangbei Town, cultivates countless rare plants, serving both educational and medical research purposes.

Changsha County's favorable natural conditions also nurture another treasure: tea. As the saying goes, "Zhejiang has Longjing, Hunan has Jinjing." In Jinjing Town, 30,000 acres of tea plantations flourish, with spring breezes carrying the refreshing aroma of tea, propelling Hunan's tea culture nationwide.

Changsha County is a renowned hub of Hunan tea.

The diverse landscapes of urban and rural areas give Changsha County a vitality distinct from the concrete jungles of cities, forming the unique charm of this garden city as Changsha's "B-side."

This is how the No. 1 county in central and western China was forged!

The relationship between Changsha County and Changsha City is, like their names, "you in me, me in you."

Linking Changsha City and Changsha County.

Changsha County residents are not seen as "country bumpkins" by city dwellers for two reasons: the county's robust economic development and the blurred boundaries between urban and rural areas.

Changsha County's most shining accolade is its title as the "Capital of China's Construction Machinery."

During the 2011 Fukushima nuclear disaster, Japan requested China's assistance with a 62-meter concrete pump truck—which came from Sany Heavy Industry in Changsha County. Last year, Sany sold 98,000 excavators, surpassing U.S. giant Caterpillar to become the world's top excavator manufacturer.

Zoomlion Industrial Park and Sunward Intelligent production line.

Top photo by Chen Minjie, bottom photo/VCG.

Nearly half of the world's top 100 highest bridges are located in Guizhou Province, China. Among these astonishing engineering marvels, equipment such as elevators, shield tunneling machines, cranes, and pump trucks from Changsha County have played a significant role.

Among the world's top 50 construction machinery manufacturers, 11 are Chinese companies. Four of these are from Hunan Province, all based in Changsha County: Sany Heavy Industry, Zoomlion Heavy Industry Science & Technology, China Railway Construction Heavy Industry, and Sunward Intelligent. Additionally, three large host enterprises like XCMG, numerous small and medium-sized host enterprises, and over 200 supporting companies form the steel backbone of Changsha County's economy.

Participated in many of China's mega-projects.

Photo shows a shield tunneling machine operating in a tunnel.

Rapid economic development has established Changsha County as the "No. 1 County in Central and Western China." Today, the Xingsha Street area of Changsha County is almost indistinguishable from the urban districts in terms of urban appearance. Bustling commercial streets and skyscraper-filled cityscapes are no longer exclusive to the downtown area. Multiple subway lines traverse Changsha City and Changsha County, closely linking the two. As transportation hubs, Changsha South Railway Station and Huanghua International Airport serve as vital connections, granting Changsha County the transportation convenience of a provincial capital.

Changsha South Railway Station, located between Yuhua District and Changsha County.

Photo/VCG.

Leveraging this, Changsha County has built the largest highway logistics park in Hunan Province. The air logistics industry developed around Huanghua Airport has also become a new growth engine for the county's economy. Continuous integration and synergistic development with the urban districts have propelled Changsha County to rise at an astonishing pace, quickly ranking among the top five of China's 100 strongest counties.

The Genetic Code of "China's Fifth County."

If the geographical advantage of three rivers converging and serving as a gateway out of Hunan, along with the engineering machinery giants led by Sany Heavy Industry and Zoomlion, are the core competitiveness that made Changsha County "China's Fifth County," then the county's profound economic, cultural, and historical heritage is the fertile soil and inexhaustible spiritual source that nurtured this competitiveness.

Changsha County has long been a land of talent and culture, serving as the intersection of Chu and Xiang cultures and one of China's historically significant cradles of civilization. Ancient luminaries like Ouyang Xun hailed from here. During the Five Dynasties and Ten Kingdoms period, Changsha County even served as the capital of the Southern Chu Kingdom. Fewer know that the name "Changsha City" was "borrowed" from Changsha County.

During the Qin Dynasty, Emperor Qin Shi Huang established Changsha Commandery in central Hunan, with its seat at Xiang County, over 2,200 years ago. In the early Sui Dynasty, local administrative reforms replaced the commandery-county system with the prefecture-county system. The Tan Prefecture was established in Hunan, while the name "Changsha" was given to the county where the prefecture seat was located, hence the name Changsha County.

Langli Taogong Temple, a key cultural relic in Changsha County,

dedicated to Tao Yuanming and his nephew.

Photo by Xin Fan, image/IC.

In the third year of the Sui Dynasty's Daye era, the ambitious Emperor Yang of Sui reformed local administration again, reverting to the commandery-county system. As the seat of Tan Prefecture was in Changsha County, it was "restored" to the name Changsha Commandery, marking the beginning of an era where two administrative levels shared the same name. During the Ming and Qing dynasties, the Changsha Prefecture was established, with its seat spanning Changsha County and Shanhua County.

The urban area of Changsha City evolved from the historical Changsha County and Shanhua County. Today, Shanhua County no longer exists, but Changsha County remains, developing in synergy with the city.

Especially during the tumultuous modern era, figures like Zeng Guofan, Tan Sitong, and Cai E emerged from Hunan, writing grand chapters of history. As the saying goes, "Half of modern Chinese history was written by Hunanese," and among this illustrious list, Changsha County's contributions are undeniable.

Tian Han, the lyricist of "March of the Volunteers,"

His former residence has now been developed into a cultural park.

This place once bore the footprints of Zuo Zongtang and also became his final resting place. This outstanding military strategist and politician wrote a legendary chapter in modern Chinese history, enabling "Hunan's sons to fill the Tianshan Mountains." In his wake, Changsha County also gave rise to a group of exceptionally talented individuals. Yang Kaihui, Huang Xing, Tian Han, Xu Teli, and Li Weihan—amidst the chaos of their times, they were like China's version of "superheroes," igniting the torch for China's rise and development with their wisdom and brilliance.

Today, Changsha County remains a city rich in cultural heritage while continuously creating new culture and history.

The dragon boat races in Changsha County, where hundreds of boats compete.

Represented by companies like Sany Heavy Industry and Zoomlion, the engineering machinery sector, along with 84 automotive manufacturing enterprises clustered in Changsha County, is building a world-class industrial cluster, contributing to the advancement of China's manufacturing sector. After pollution control and the return of farmland to lakes, the shimmering waters of the Liuyang River and Songya Lake have shaped Changsha County's scenic landscape, becoming a cultural IP for this garden city.

Photo/VCG

Compared to the Jiangsu-Zhejiang region, the Xiang River basin where Changsha County is located is slightly more isolated, which is why Kunshan and Jiangyin rank higher among the top 100 counties. However, if one seeks to understand the code behind contemporary China's county-level economic development, Changsha County serves as an ideal window. Its geography of mountains and rivers, the path of heavy industrial development in the era of globalization, and its profound historical heritage make Changsha County resemble a "memorandum of Chinese counties"—its front pages carry memories, its present records achievements, and the remaining blank pages will be filled by the future.

Cover image | Xiao Nanbo