Hengyang City, also known as Yancheng and Hengzhou, is a prefecture-level city under the jurisdiction of Hunan Province. Located in southern China, in the south-central part of Hunan Province, it boasts a typical basin-like terrain, with high altitudes in the south and low altitudes in the north. Winters are mild, springs are hot, and precipitation is concentrated in spring, with abundant rainfall in summer and autumn. It covers a total area of 15,310 square kilometers. As of April 2024, Hengyang City governs five districts, five counties, and administers two county-level cities: Yanfeng District, Shigu District, Zhuhui District, Zhengxiang District, Nanyue District, Hengyang County, Hengnan County, Hengshan County, Hengdong County, Qidong County, Leiyang City, and Changning City. The Hengyang Municipal People's Government is located at 16 Jiefang Avenue, Zhengxiang District. By the end of 2024, Hengyang City's permanent population was 6.4343 million.
Hengyang is a national regional key city, a provincial sub-center city, a Type II large city, and a third-tier city. It is a key member of the Yangtze River Middle Reaches Urban Agglomeration and the political, economic, military, and cultural center of southern Hunan. Designated by the state as a key city in central China, its urban area straddles the Xiangjiang River and serves as a crucial transportation hub for Hunan Province and the central and southern regions. It is a major industrial city in central and southern China and a member of the "Made in China 2025" pilot demonstration city cluster. It boasts Hunan's first comprehensive bonded zone and a national high-tech zone, and is designated a national demonstration zone for industrial transfer and a key destination for processing trade. Hengyang is also a national pilot city for comprehensive reforms in the service industry, a national pilot demonstration zone for ecological civilization, a national sanitary city, and a national garden city. Furthermore, Hengyang boasts the Eight Scenic Spots of Hengzhou, including "Yanfeng Misty Rain," "Shigu Riverside," "Zhuling Back Cave," "Green Grass Fisherman's House," "Huayao Spring Creek," "Yueping Snow Clears," "Dongzhou Peach Waves," and "West Lake White Lotus."