Located to the south of Mount Heng (Nanyue), Hengyang derives its name from the principle that “yang” refers to the southern side of a mountain and the northern side of a river. It is also poetically known as “Yan City” because migratory geese flying south are said to rest their wings here. Covering a total area of 15,300 square kilometers, Hengyang had a permanent population of 6.497 million at the end of 2023, including 3.7036 million urban residents, with an urbanization rate of 57.00%, up 1.22 percentage points from the previous year. The built-up area of the central urban district spans 137 square kilometers. Hengyang is the second-largest city in Hunan Province, a birthplace of Huxiang culture, the central city of southern Hunan, a national base for old industries, a nationally recognized city for commemorating the War of Resistance against Japanese Aggression, and an excellent tourist city in China. It is also a pilot demonstration city for “Made in China 2025,” a national comprehensive reform pilot for the service industry, a national demonstration zone for ecological civilization, a national-level demonstration zone for industrial transfer, and a pilot city for comprehensive reform of the service industry. Hengyang houses Hunan’s first comprehensive bonded zone and a national high-tech industrial development zone. It has been identified as the best investment city for modern service industries in China, a major destination for processing trade relocation, a national logistics hub, and a regional logistics center in Central-Southern China.

Hengyang administers 5 districts, 2 county-level cities, and 5 counties: Yanfeng District, Shigu District, Zhuhui District, Zhengxiang District, Nanyue District, Leiyang City, Changning City, Hengyang County, Hengnan County, Hengshan County, Hengdong County, and Qidong County.