This was wonderful to read. I am teaching English at Changsha University this summer with my eight-year-old daughter in tow. This post encourages me that it will be a comfortable stay. We will be staying on campus, but I'm sure we will become intimate with the entire city. Thanks! (I would love to correspond and hear more via e-mail if you're game.)

TO: Ms. Heather K. Yes, I will be happy to correspond by email. I am only now checking the site, that's why I didn't know I had a reply & then didn't know how to reply to a comment! Hopefully the site will allow me to give my email address: yahoo.com|grandude1. You might also want to get a QQ account to chat with family and friends. But the registration page is in Mandarin, so I had a friend in Changsha set it up for me. Looking forward to corresponding. I also plan to be back in Changsha soon.

Ms. Heather, I could not agree more with Mr. Dardar. Changsha is a wonderful place and the people are friendly, kind, gentle and considerate. You will find both the city and the surrounding countryside (you MUST go to Pingjiang) the authrnetic, traditional China. Tourists and foreigners, for that matter, are few and far between. Unlike westernized cities like Shanghai, Changsha and Hunan Province is real China. I'd like to take a moment and share my story with you; Chinese girls, especially those in the east, are the most beautiful in the world. I met my girl in Changsha last October and proposed in January. I also find it so very hard to leave. She is 47 (widowed)and has her own home and a wonderful, supportive 23 year old son on his own. We have become good friends and her family and friends are all excited about our marriage. I have a job opportunity Chief Representative for a U.S. based company and will open the first office in Changsha by August 2009, so we will live there. Changsha is a great place to visit; the people are kind and gentle and the food is wonderful. Hunan Province is quite traditional and many historical and interesting places to visit especially once you get out of the city. ALthough I must say I love Changsha and very luch look forward to living there with my bride to be. By the way, she looks like she's in her early 30's, 5'5" and only 110 lbs. Chinese girls are truly the most beautiful and I found my angel quite by accident - the best accident of my life. Visit Changsha and the surrounding countryside for a good view on what traditional China is really like. You just might meet the girl of your dreams and, like the rest of us, find it so very hard to leave. If you'd care to communicate I'd be happy to. My email is gmail.com|chbroker96.
Kind regards - you will love Changsha, I am sure.
gene

Dear Ms. Heather - sorry - I meant to say the MAN of your dreams!

Hello Michael, I am going to visit for a month or so come this June. I met a very nice profesional lasy and we want to explore some ideas for the future. I am a world traveler and now teach at the university level. Looking forward to my trip...anything you can suggest will be appreciated...Joe

Mr. Joe Hooton. Please see my reply to Mr.Kevin Wong above. Also, you might enjoy my review of my stay at the Dolton Hotel on my first visit to Changsha. I actually left the review and photos on a few sites, but here are a couple: virtualtourist.com & tripadvisor.com. I'm sure you will have a wonderful visit. Still kind of rainy now though. Hoping to be there soon.

Ms. Heather,

Our family lives in Changsha for many years. I have three children. Changsha University is in Changsha, with bus lines -- to the heart of the city, but note that you will have to plan outing. Taxis are available, except from 4:30pm to 6:30pm -- shift changes -- taxi drivers DO NOT like to pick up passengers -- a Changsha rudeness! Changsha food is very spicy -- and the people here have a spicy flare as well. Hunan people are known to be cunning. College students for the most part are naive until they hit the real world! Overall, I love Changsha! Most people either hate it or love it.

If you have more questions I will try to answer as best as I can.

Bravo Michael on your response to Mr. Vinod, this will be my 2nd visit to China and I plan to stay much longer this time, my fiance is also happy with this so we do not have to worry about coming back to the states but actualy plan to live in Changsha. So as far as his negative views I can only imagine what he was up to while there. Being a Viet vet myself and disabled, I have found that I left my heart in Asia and am happy to be going back again, I also would like to teach English and am not worried about the pay since I get my disabilty from uncle sam, just something for me to do since I cannot work as a hard-hat diver any more. I will be in Changsha in mid July of this year 09 the best to you and may you also find your heart in Changsha as I did :)

How far (miles) is Los Angeles, USA from Changsha? ...How many hours via Airplane?

Hi Mr Darder
My young daughter is going on a school trip to Changsha next week. How cold does it get at this time of the year, esp now that there's early snow in the north? Would she need winter coat? Thank you for your attention.

Hi All,

I extend my greetings from Australia and thank you for your informative notes. Does anybody know whether foreigners are allowed to open a business in China (in particular I refer to Changsha). What is the maximum period a foreigner can stay on a work visa? I read Gene Mack's note with delight. I am currently corresponding through chnlove.com with a beautiful woman from Changsha. Not meaning to be disrespectful to Western women, I agree with Mack that Chinese women are the most beautiful in the world.
Regards, Tayfun Akyalcin