Chuanshan Institute is situated at the junction of Zhongshan E. Road and Cai'e N. Road. The four characters "Chuan Shan Xue She" over the gate were inscribed by Mao Zedong (Mao Tse-tung) in 1950. It is the former site of Hunan Self-Study Institute.

First built in the early period of Guang Xu reign of the Qing Dynasty, the former site of Hunan Self-Study Institute was a one-storey quadrangle with three yards facing south. It was a house with brick-wood structure and Chinese-style tile roof. Doors and windows were painted in vermilion and the floor was paved with square bricks.

In 1938, the original building was destroyed in "Wenxi Fire". In 1954, parts of the house were rebuilt according to its original appearance with an area of 991.l4㎡. In the offices of Mao Zedong and He Shuheng, the beds they once slept on and desks they once used are exhibited. The office of Hunan Students' Federation is also restored to its original appearance.