Yueyang, an ancient city founded in Three Kingdoms period, is located at the lower reaches of the Xiangjiang River, the northeast of Hunan Province, where Dongting Lake and the Yangtze River converge. The Notes on Yueyang Tower, written by Fan Zhongyan, a great man of letters in the Northern Song Dynasty, introduces Yueyang to the world.

Located in the northwest of Hunan Province, Zhangjiajie is in the hinterland of Wuling Mountains. It covers a total area of 9,516 square kilometers, with the jurisdiction over 2 districts and 2 counties. According to the seventh national census, the permanent population of the city reached 1.52 million.

Changde, known as “Wuling” and “Langzhou” in ancient times, is situated in the northwest of Hunan Province, adjacent to the Yangtze River and Dongting Lake. The city has a total area of 18,200 square kilometers, with 9 districts and counties (cities) and 6 administrative districts. By November 2020, the city’s resident population had reached 5.27 million, ranking fifth in Hunan.

To the south of Dongting Lake, Yiyang is located in the north of Hunan Province. It is known as the northwestern gate of Changsha (the provincial capital of Hunan) in terms of transportation and one of the core cities of Changsha metropolitan area in economic development.

Xiangxi Tujia and Miao Autonomous Prefecture is located on the border of Hunan Province, Hubei Province, Chongqing Municipality and Guizhou Province. It governs 115 townships (streets), seven counties and one city. Covering an area of 15,500 square kilometers, it has a total population of 2.948 million, of which 80.5% are ethnic minorities dominated by Tujia and Miao.

As the capital of Hunan Province and the provincial center of politics, economy, culture, education and trade, Changsha is an indispensable city along the “Belt and Road” and the central city of the Yangtze River Economic Zone. In 2020, permanent residents of Changsha exceeded 10 million and its GDP reached 1.2 trillion yuan.

Located in the central part of Hunan Province, Xiangtan City is in the middle reaches of Xiangjiang River, with a total area of 5,006 square kilometers and a resident population of 3 million. It now has five counties (cities) under the jurisdiction, including Xiangtan County, Xiangxiang City, Shaoshan City, Yuhu District and Yuetang District. It forms with Changsha and Zhuzhou the most politically, economically and culturally developed area in Hunan Province.

Zhuzhou is a blessed land of Shennong and a city of power, as well as an important pole of Changsha-Zhuzhou-Xiangtan City Cluster. It has a total area of 11,200 square kilometers and a total population of 4.08 million. Yan Emperor, the earliest ancestor of the Chinese nation, was buried in Yanling County of Zhuzhou where 6 million Chinese from home and abroad come to seek their roots and worship ancestors every year.

Loudi, known as the pearl of Central Hunan, is the youngest prefecture-level city of the province and one of the most important cities among Changsha-Zhuzhou-Xiangtan urban agglomeration. With a total area of 8,117 square kilometers and a total population of 4,545,500, it has jurisdiction over Louxing District, Lengshuijiang City, Lianyuan City, Shuangfeng County, Xinhua County, Loudi Economic Development Zone and Wanbao New District.

Huaihua is the largest prefecture-level city in Hunan and a national comprehensive transportation hub. It has won many titles like New Energy Model City and One of the National Top 10 Eco-civilized Cities.

Shaoyang is a prefecture-level city under the jurisdiction of Hunan Province, historically known as “Baoqing”. It is situated in the central part of Hunan Province and 191 kilometers away from Changsha, the provincial capital. With a total area of 20,824 square kilometers, Shaoyang City has three urban districts, six counties, one autonomous county and two county-level cities.

Hengyang City is located to the south of Mount Heng and renowned as the Wild Goose City. It has 5 counties (Hengnan, Hengyang, Hengshan, Hengdong and Qidong), 2 county-level cities (Leiyang and Changning) and 5 districts (Nanyue, Yanfeng, Zhuhui, Shigu, and Zhengxiang) under its administration.

Yongzhou is located in the south of Hunan Province, with a total land area of 22,400 square kilometers and a population of 6.45 million, ranking second and fourth in the province respectively. It’s a national historical and cultural city, a national health city and a national forest city.

Chenzhou City is located in the southeast of Hunan Province, bordering Jiangxi Province’s Ganzhou in the east, Guangdong Province’s Shaoguan in the south, Hunan Province’s Yongzhou in the west as well as Hengyang and Zhuzhou in the north.