Twin towers in the Wuyi business district
Changsha IFS is at 188 Jiefang West Road in Furong District, at the junction of Huangxing Road and Jiefang Road. Developed by Hong Kong's Wharf group, it opened on 7 May 2018 with an investment of about 20 billion yuan. The project has about 1.02 million square metres of gross floor area, the main tower is 452 metres tall, and the mall covers about 240,000 square metres; the two towers are of different heights, the main one holding offices and a hotel above the mall podium. It is one of five IFS projects Wharf has in mainland China and the tallest and largest by commercial area.
Metro Lines 1 and 2 interchange at Wuyi Square station, and the mall connects underground to the station and Guojin Street, so you can walk north to Wuyi Square or south to Huangxing Road Pedestrian Street underground or at street level. The mall shares its podium with offices and hotels and has more than one entrance; the project includes the mall, offices and three hotels. For visitors, it is the most recognisable indoor refuge in the Wuyi business district.
Positioning and how to visit
Changsha IFS leans international and fashionable: the mall concentrates international fashion, beauty and restaurant brands, and reports note that many brands put their first Hunan store here. The project also includes hotels, offices and restaurants, so you can eat and rest after shopping; the mall often hosts public art exhibitions, concerts and brand launches. Specific brands and shops change, so check the mall's official information before you go.
The seventh-floor sky garden has a giant KAWS sculpture and is a popular photo spot; public art installations may change, so check official information before entering. Eating, resting and sheltering from rain are all easy here. The mall has many floors and entrances and is easy to get lost in on a first visit, so look at the floor directory first. Shoppers can treat it as the upmarket indoor option in the Wuyi district; those who only want street views can photograph the towers and the night scene from outside.
Connecting with the pedestrian street
IFS is on one side of the northern stretch of Huangxing Road Pedestrian Street; cross the road at the street entrance or take the underground passage into the mall. To the south is Huangxing Road South Pedestrian Street, to the west is Taiping Old Street, and to the southwest is Pozi Street. All are walkable, but the junctions are busy, so watch the lights. Guojin Street underground links the mall and the metro station, and there are many exits, so it is easy to go wrong on a first visit; from Wuyi Square station, follow the signs towards Guojin Center and you can enter the mall without coming up to the street.
Leaving IFS, walk south along Huangxing Road to Pozi Street, or turn west into Taiping Old Street; the three are close, and street signs are enough. If you only want photos, you need not go in: the junction of Huangxing Road and Jiefang West Road shows both towers, which are lit at night and visible from far away. Holidays bring big crowds to the Wuyi district and the mall and station get busy, so avoid the evening peak with children or heavy luggage.
Useful official references
Check the relevant official service before making arrangements. These links are references, not a guarantee of current services.
