Changsha (capital of Hunan province in the People's Republic of China) has a history going back over 3000 years. It has grown to an important town of economy, culture and garrison in the southern area of Chu State (1115 B.C.-223 B.C.). In the Later Tang dynasty (923-936), the king of Chu, Ma Yin, founded the Chu Kingdom (927-963) and set it as the capital, the city quickly became the largest and most important population, commercial and financial center in southern China. It was devastated by the Second Sino-Japanese War and the Wenxi Fire in 1938 but was quickly rebuilt. As of 2016, Changsha was ranked 13th of cities of China by comprehensive strength in 2016.