One of the sites I went to was Orange Island, which is located in the middle of the Xiang River. Since the river splits the city into two, Changsha city sprawls across both banks. The island was formally home to many orange trees but those trees are long gone. However what remains is a picturesque and relaxing perspective from the middle of the river. Orange Island is home to several music festivals and a nightly fireworks show. If you go see the fireworks, I would suggest not viewing them from the island but from the city banks. It is very slow to get off the island after the fireworks because the subway station on the island closes. The vantage point to see the fireworks from the city bank is probably better anyway. The island is quite long so bring some comfortable shoes and water. At the south end of the island lies a large statue of Chairman Mao.
For me, I really enjoyed the food, which is quite well known to be spicy and delicious. I was not let down. Hunan food is spicy and flavorful but without the fiery heat of Szechuan food, for example. I would even dare to say the food is better than Szechuan food (gasp!). Other than the usual restaurants, we sat outside eating a late night meal of crabs. We also enjoyed a delicious buffet with many delightful dishes. Changsha is also the home of "stinky tofu" which you can smell through the streets from the vendors.
I stayed with a dear friend while I was here and we had good quality time catching up. I was looking for a relatively calm visit for a usually crazy National Holiday and Changsha was more than willing to accommodate me. I would love to come back.