Huaihua City, also known as "Hecheng"（鹤城）, formerly known as "Hezhou" （鹤州）and "Wuxi"（五溪）, is a prefecture level city under the jurisdiction of Hunan Province. It is located in the southwestern part of Hunan Province, between the Wuling Mountains and the Xuefeng Mountains, and is situated at the transition between the subtropical climate zones of Sichuan, Hubei, Hunan, Guizhou, and Jiangnan. The city has distinct four seasons, with short periods of cold and hot summers, and a total area of 27564 square kilometers. As of March 2025, Huaihua City has jurisdiction over 1 municipal district, 10 counties, and manages 1 county-level city. As of the end of 2024, the permanent population of Huaihua City is 4.4159 million.
Famous memorial sites in Huaihua City include the Anti Japanese War Victory Surrender Memorial Hall in Zhijiang County, Comrade Su Yu Memorial Hall in Huitong County, and Comrade Xiang Jingyu Memorial Hall in Xupu County. There are a number of famous scenic spots and historical sites, such as Huaihua Ancient Village, Furong Tower in Qiancheng Ancient City, Hongjiang City, Anjiang Agricultural School Hybrid Rice Memorial Park, Huilong Bridge in Tongdao County, Taro Ancient Dong Village, Tongdao Military Transformation Site, Longxing Lecture Temple in Yuanling County, Zhonghua Book Mountain, Daqiao Creek Site in Xinhuang County, and Hongjiang Ancient Shopping Mall in Hongjiang District.