Zhengxiang District is a new district formed in 2001 when the district was adjusted to the former suburban area as the main combination. With a total area of 110.52 square kilometers and a permanent resident population of 289,100, it governs two towns, namely Yumushan and Daiyingling, and four sub-districts, namely Zhengxiang, Hongxiang, Lianhe and Huaxing (the latter is under the jurisdiction of the High-tech Zone).

In recent years, it has successively won 130 national and provincial honorary titles including "National Science and Technology Progress Zone", "Comprehensively build counties, county-level cities and municipal districts to the well-off-society standard", "Achieve remarkable results in implementing policies and measures such as the opening up and rise of counties, county-level cities and municipal districts" and "Attain notable effects of high-quality development of counties, county-level cities and municipal districts".

Zhengxiang District has strategic location advantages. With the municipal Party committee and government as well as other major Party and government offices located here, Zhengxiang District serves as the political, economic and cultural center of Hengyang city. It boasts a well-connected and efficient transportation network, with National Highway G322, Provincial Highway S315, the western Outer Ring Road and the Hengyang-Zaomupu Expressway crisscrossing the area. The Tanhengxi (Xiangtan-Hengyang West) Expressway and Hengshao (Hengyang-Shaoyang) Expressway traverse the district, while major urban thoroughfares such as Jiefang Avenue, Chuanshan Avenue and Cailun Avenue run through its core, ensuring seamless regional access and intra-city mobility. 

Zhengxiang District has picturesque natural sceneries. Just 10 kilometers from the urban center lies the Yumu Mountain 3A-level Scenic Area, which is renowned as " the Green Lung of the City" and "Hengyang's Backyard Garden". The area features 16 natural attractions and 33 cultural heritage sites, including the nationally unique Diku (means Emperor Ku) Temple--a shrine dedicated to Emperor Ku. Legend traces its origins to Emperor Shun's southern tour over 4,000 years ago, when it was built to honor Emperor Ku. Additionally, the Chisong Taoist Temple and Yanyu Buddhist Temple serve as key venues for religious activities. 

Zhengxiang District has prosperous commerce and trade. It boasts 61 large-scale service enterprises with a combined 930,000 square meters of commercial complexes, along with 8 corporate headquarters and 11 specialized commodity markets. Landmark establishments such as Wanda Plaza, Taiyang Electric, Jingzhu Square, Rsun Mall, Red Star Macalline and Shanshan Outlets -- together with retail giants like Bubugao Square -- form the city's largest central business district. Further enhancing its prominence, the Yangliu Auto Sales Block stands as southern Hunan's largest automobile trade center. 

Zhengxiang District has thriving industries. It boasts over 10 agricultural product brands including Tuqiao Village's Cuiguan (a variety) pears and Linjiang Village's Jingxiang (also a variety) peaches. There are 35 large-scale industrial enterprises, with 42 companies in the steel pipe and deep-processing industry chain led by Hengyang Steel Pipe Group, employing over 30,000 people and generating 18 billion yuan in sales. The financial sector flourishes with 34 financial institutions clustered here.

Zhengxiang District has habitable environment. As the city's first provincial-level civilized urban district, it boasts a rich cultural atmosphere with six general colleges and universities including University of South China and Hunan Institute of Traffic Engineering. Over 30 high-quality residential communities are scattered throughout the area, enhancing living standards and getting the favor of countless people. The district offers abundant cultural tourism resources, with popular destinations like the Wonder Stones Cultural Museum, Artists' Village and Ten-mile Lotus Pond leisure bases.

According to preliminary calculations, Zhengxiang District achieved a gross regional product (GRP) of 30.868 billion yuan in 2024, marking a 3.8% year-on-year growth. The primary industry contributed 334 million yuan with 2.1% growth, the secondary industry 11.076 billion yuan with 5.2% growth, and the tertiary industry 19.458 billion yuan with 3.0% growth. These industries accounted for 1.1%, 35.9% and 63.0% of GRP respectively, with their contribution rate to economic growth of 0.7%, 50.2% and 49.1%, promoting economic growth of 0.03%,1.9% and 1.8%. Real GDP per capita reached 106,849 yuan based on the resident population.

The annual consumer price index (CPI) registered a 0.1% decline year-on-year, with food prices dropping 1.1% while prices in education, culture and recreation categories rose by 1.7%.