Your City Match: Changsha

  Population: 7.6 million

  Average Wage: $12,153/year

  Air Quality Index: 34 (Good)

  Migrant Percentage: 34.5%

The provincial capital of Hunan, Changsha is located on the Xiang River and is a major stop on the Hangkou–Guangzhou rail route. Its geographic location makes the city an important logistics hub for transporting agricultural products from central China to coastal cities. The city is also home to major manufacturers, such as the Sany Group, one of the world’s largest heavy machinery manufacturers that has also invested in a factory in the US state of Georgia. The city also has a burgeoning entertainment industry. Hunan Television, the second most watched TV channel in China that carries the immensely popular show “China’s Got Talent,” is headquartered in Changsha.

One of the top attractions in the city is Yuelu Mountain, where visitors can take in panoramic views of the city. In the mountain lies the Yuelu Academy, an institution over 1,000 years old and is dedicated to studying and preserving Chinese classics. To get around the city, Changsha has a basic two-line metro covering 30 miles. The city’s cuisine is famous for its spiciness and fatty braised pork, a favorite dish of Chairman Mao Zedong, who famously remarked, “You can’t be a revolutionary if you don’t eat chilies.”