As an ancient cultural midpoint, Changsha used to be home to a great number of literati in the past dynasties, including such famous figures in Chinese history as Qu Yuan, Jia Yi, Li Yong, Li Bai, DuFu, Han Yu, Liu Zongyuan, liu Changqing, Du Mu, Li Shangyin, Du Xunhe, Ouyang Xiu, Fan Chengda, Yang Wanli and yuan Mei, All these masters left their literary creations and calligraphy in the city.
Changsha was also the cradle of development of the Confucian school in Chinese history and in particular during the Song and Ming dynasties. Many famous scholars who made great contributions to the philosophical development made their home here, including Hu Anguo, Zhang Shi and Zhu Xi in the Song Dynasty, Wang Shouren, Zhang Yuanbian in the Ming Dynasty, and Wang Fuzhi in the Qing Dynasty. It was recorded in history that Zhang Zhongjing, one of the founding fat hers of the Chinese medicine theory, used to be the appointed government head of Changsha, and Sun Simiao, the famous pharmacist, lived in the city for a long time. Changsha was the home town of countless accomplished writers, artists and scholars in both ancient and modern times, including Deng Can, Ouyang Xuan, Wang Xianqian, Ouyang Xun, Huai Su, Qi Ji, Li Dongyang, Feng Zizhen, Yi Yuanji, Qi Baishi, Yi Ba, Wang Kaiyun, Yang Enshou, Ouyang Yuqiang and TianHan.