Hunan is an inland
province
A province is an administrative division within a country or sovereign state, state. The term derives from the ancient Roman , which was the major territorial and administrative unit of the Roman Empire, Roman Empire's territorial possessions ou ...
in
Central China
Central China () is a List of regions of China, region in China. It mainly includes the provinces of China, provinces of Henan, Hubei and Hunan. Jiangxi is sometimes also regarded to be part of this region. Central China is now officially par ...
. Located in the middle reaches of the
Yangtze
The Yangtze or Yangzi ( or ) is the longest river in Eurasia and the third-longest in the world. It rises at Jari Hill in the Tanggula Mountains of the Tibetan Plateau and flows including Dam Qu River the longest source of the Yangtze, i ...
watershed, it borders the
province-level divisions of
Hubei
Hubei is a province of China, province in Central China. It has the List of Chinese provincial-level divisions by GDP, seventh-largest economy among Chinese provinces, the second-largest within Central China, and the third-largest among inland ...
to the north,
Jiangxi
; Gan: )
, translit_lang1_type2 =
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, image_map = Jiangxi in China (+all claims hatched).svg
, mapsize = 275px
, map_caption = Location ...
to the east,
Guangdong
) means "wide" or "vast", and has been associated with the region since the creation of Guang Prefecture in AD 226. The name "''Guang''" ultimately came from Guangxin ( zh, labels=no, first=t, t= , s=广信), an outpost established in Han dynasty ...
and
Guangxi
Guangxi,; officially the Guangxi Zhuang Autonomous Region, is an Autonomous regions of China, autonomous region of the China, People's Republic of China, located in South China and bordering Vietnam (Hà Giang Province, Hà Giang, Cao Bằn ...
to the south, and
Guizhou
)
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, image_map = Guizhou in China (+all claims hatched).svg
, mapsize = 275px
, map_alt = Map showing the location of Guizhou Province
, map_caption = Map s ...
and
Chongqing
ChongqingPostal Romanization, Previously romanized as Chungking ();. is a direct-administered municipality in Southwestern China. Chongqing is one of the four direct-administered municipalities under the State Council of the People's Republi ...
to the northwest. Its capital and largest city is
Changsha
Changsha is the capital of Hunan, China. It is the 15th most populous city in China with a population of 10,513,100, the Central China#Cities with urban area over one million in population, third-most populous city in Central China, and the ...
, which abuts the Xiang River.
Hengyang
Hengyang (; ) is the second largest city of Hunan Province, China. It straddles the Xiang River about south of the provincial capital of Changsha. As of the 2020 Chinese census, Its total population was 6,645,243 inhabitants, of whom 1,290,71 ...
,
Zhuzhou
Zhuzhou ( zh, c=株洲, p=Zhūzhōu, ), formerly Jianning (建宁), is a prefecture-level city of Hunan Province, China, straddling the Xiang River southeast of the provincial capital, Changsha, and bordering Jiangxi province to the east. It is ...
, and
Yueyang
Yueyang, formerly known as Yuezhou or Yochow, is a prefecture-level city on the eastern shores of Dongting Lake and the Yangtze river in the northeastern corner of Hunan Province in the People's Republic of China.
Yueyang has an administrative ...
are among its most populous urban cities.
With a population of just over 66 million residing in an area of approximately , it is China's
7th-most populous province, the third-most populous among landlocked provinces (after
Henan
Henan; alternatively Honan is a province in Central China. Henan is home to many heritage sites, including Yinxu, the ruins of the final capital of the Shang dynasty () and the Shaolin Temple. Four of the historical capitals of China, Lu ...
and
Sichuan
Sichuan is a province in Southwestern China, occupying the Sichuan Basin and Tibetan Plateau—between the Jinsha River to the west, the Daba Mountains to the north, and the Yunnan–Guizhou Plateau to the south. Its capital city is Cheng ...
), the third-most populous in
South Central China
South Central China, South-Central China or Central-South China ( zh, c = 中南, p = Zhōngnán, l = Central-South), is a List of regions of China, region of China. It consists of eight provincial administrative regions, namely Henan, Hubei, ...
(after Guangdong and Henan), and the second-most populous province in
Central China
Central China () is a List of regions of China, region in China. It mainly includes the provinces of China, provinces of Henan, Hubei and Hunan. Jiangxi is sometimes also regarded to be part of this region. Central China is now officially par ...
. It is the largest province in South Central China and the fourth-largest landlocked province.
Hunan's
nominal GDP
Gross domestic product (GDP) is a monetary measure of the total market value of all the final goods and services produced and rendered in a specific time period by a country or countries. GDP is often used to measure the economic performance ...
was US$747 billion (CN¥5.32 trillion) as of 2024, appearing in the world's top 20
largest sub-national economies, with its
GDP (PPP)
GDP (PPP) means gross domestic product based on purchasing power parity.
This article includes a list of countries by their forecast estimated GDP (PPP). Countries are sorted by GDP (PPP) forecast estimates from financial and statistical ...
being over US$1.55 trillion.
Hunan is the
9th-largest provincial economy in China, the fourth-largest in South Central China, the third-largest in Central China, and the fourth-largest among landlocked provinces. Its nominal GDP per capita exceeded US$11,405 (CN¥81,225), making it the
third-richest province in South Central China, after Guangdong and Hubei.
As of 2020, Hunan's nominal GDP reached $605 billion (CN¥4.18 trillion),
exceeding that of Poland, with a GDP of US$596 billion, and Thailand, with a GDP of US$501 billion, the
22nd- and 25th-largest in the world, respectively.
The name ''Hunan'' literally means "south of the lake". The lake in question is
Dongting Lake
Dongting Lake () is a large, shallow lake in northeastern Hunan Province, China. It is a flood basin of the Yangtze River, so its volume depends on the season. The provinces of Hubei and Hunan are named after their location relative to the la ...
, in the northeast of the province.
Vehicle license plates from Hunan are marked (), after the
Xiang River
The Xiang River is the chief river of the Lake Dongting drainage system of the middle Yangtze, the largest river in Hunan Province, China. It is the second-largest tributary (after the Min River) in terms of surface runoff, the fifth-largest ...
, which runs from south to north through Hunan and forms part of the province's largest drainage system. The area of Hunan was under Chinese rule as far back as 350 BC. Hunan was the birthplace of communist revolutionary
Mao Zedong
Mao Zedong pronounced ; traditionally Romanization of Chinese, romanised as Mao Tse-tung. (26December 18939September 1976) was a Chinese politician, revolutionary, and political theorist who founded the People's Republic of China (PRC) in ...
, who became the
Chairman of the Chinese Communist Party
The chairman of the Central Committee of the Chinese Communist Party ( zh, s=中国共产党中央委员会主席, p=Zhōngguó Gòngchǎndǎng Zhōngyāng Wěiyuánhuì Zhǔxí) was the party leader, leader of the Chinese Communist Party. The ...
and the
founding father
The following is a list of national founders of sovereign states who were credited with establishing a state. National founders are typically those who played an influential role in setting up the systems of governance, (i.e., political system ...
of the
People's Republic of China
China, officially the People's Republic of China (PRC), is a country in East Asia. With population of China, a population exceeding 1.4 billion, it is the list of countries by population (United Nations), second-most populous country after ...
. Hunan today is home to some ethnic minorities, including the
Tujia Tujia may refer to:
*the Tujia people
*the Tujia language
The Tujia language (; zh, s=土家语 , t=土家語 , p=Tǔjiāyǔ) is a Sino-Tibetan language spoken natively by the Tujia people in Hunan Province, China. It is unclassified within t ...
and
Miao Miao may refer to:
* Miao people, linguistically and culturally related group of people, recognized as such by the government of the People's Republic of China
* Miao script or Pollard script, writing system used for Miao languages
* Miao (Unicode ...
, along with the
Han Chinese
The Han Chinese, alternatively the Han people, are an East Asian people, East Asian ethnic group native to Greater China. With a global population of over 1.4 billion, the Han Chinese are the list of contemporary ethnic groups, world's la ...
, who make up a majority of the population. Varieties of Chinese spoken include
Xiang,
Gan
The word Gan or the initials GAN may refer to:
Places
* Gan, a component of Hebrew placenames literally meaning "garden"
China
* Gan River (Jiangxi)
* Gan River (Inner Mongolia),
* Gan County, in Jiangxi province
* Gansu, abbreviated '' ...
, and
Southwestern Mandarin
Southwestern Mandarin (), also known as Upper Yangtze Mandarin (), is a Mandarin Chinese dialect spoken in much of Southwestern China, including in Sichuan, Yunnan, Chongqing, Guizhou, most parts of Hubei, the northwestern part of Hunan, the nor ...
.
Wulingyuan
Wulingyuan (, zh, c=武陵源) is a scenic and historical site in the Wulingyuan District of South Central China's Hunan Province. It was inscribed as a UNESCO World Heritage Site in 1992. It is noted for more than 3,000 quartzite sandstone ...
was inscribed as a
UNESCO
The United Nations Educational, Scientific and Cultural Organization (UNESCO ) is a List of specialized agencies of the United Nations, specialized agency of the United Nations (UN) with the aim of promoting world peace and International secur ...
World Heritage Site
World Heritage Sites are landmarks and areas with legal protection under an treaty, international treaty administered by UNESCO for having cultural, historical, or scientific significance. The sites are judged to contain "cultural and natural ...
in 1992.
Changsha
Changsha is the capital of Hunan, China. It is the 15th most populous city in China with a population of 10,513,100, the Central China#Cities with urban area over one million in population, third-most populous city in Central China, and the ...
, the capital, is in the eastern part of the province; it is an important commercial, manufacturing, and transportation center. The
busiest airports serve domestic and international flights for Hunan, including
Changsha Huanghua International Airport
Changsha Huanghua International Airport is an international airport serving Changsha, the capital of South Central China’s Hunan province, and the Greater Changsha Metropolitan Region comprising the nearby cities of Zhuzhou and Xiangtan.
...
,
Zhangjiajie Hehua International Airport
Zhangjiajie Hehua International Airport is an international airport serving the city of Zhangjiajie in South Central China’s Hunan province. It is located in Huhua village in Yongding District of Zhangjiajie. It is the second largest airpor ...
, and
Changde Taohuayuan Airport.
Hunan is the seat of the
Yuelu Academy
The Yuelu Academy (also known as the ''Yuelu Academy of Classical Learning'', ) is on the east side of Yuelu Mountain in Yuelu District, Changsha, Hunan province, on the west bank of the Xiang River.
As one of the four most prestigious academ ...
(later
Hunan University
Hunan University (HNU; ) is a national public university in Yuelu, Changsha, Hunan, China. It is affiliated with and funded by the Ministry of Education. The university is part of Project 211, Project 985, and the Double First-Class Construction ...
), one of the four major academies over the last 1,000 years in ancient China. As of 2023, Hunan hosts 137
institutions of higher education
Tertiary education (higher education, or post-secondary education) is the educational level following the completion of secondary education.
The World Bank defines tertiary education as including universities, colleges, and vocational school ...
, ranking fifth among all Chinese provinces,
and it houses five
Double First-Class Universities of
Hunan
Hunan is an inland Provinces of China, province in Central China. Located in the middle reaches of the Yangtze watershed, it borders the Administrative divisions of China, province-level divisions of Hubei to the north, Jiangxi to the east, Gu ...
,
Defense Technology
Military technology is the application of technology for use in warfare. It comprises the kinds of technology that are distinctly military in nature and not civilian in application, usually because they lack useful or legal civilian application ...
,
Central South,
Hunan Normal and
Xiangtan
Xiangtan ( zh, s=湘潭) is a prefecture-level city in east-central Hunan province, south-central China. The hometowns of several founding leaders of the Chinese Communist Party, including Chairman Mao Zedong, President Liu Shaoqi, and Marshal P ...
. As of 2024, two major cities in Hunan (Changsha 23rd and
Xiangtan
Xiangtan ( zh, s=湘潭) is a prefecture-level city in east-central Hunan province, south-central China. The hometowns of several founding leaders of the Chinese Communist Party, including Chairman Mao Zedong, President Liu Shaoqi, and Marshal P ...
199th) ranked in the world's top
200 cities by scientific research outputs.
History
Hunan's primeval forests were first occupied by the ancestors of the modern
Miao Miao may refer to:
* Miao people, linguistically and culturally related group of people, recognized as such by the government of the People's Republic of China
* Miao script or Pollard script, writing system used for Miao languages
* Miao (Unicode ...
,
Tujia Tujia may refer to:
*the Tujia people
*the Tujia language
The Tujia language (; zh, s=土家语 , t=土家語 , p=Tǔjiāyǔ) is a Sino-Tibetan language spoken natively by the Tujia people in Hunan Province, China. It is unclassified within t ...
,
Dong and
Yao people
The Yao people () or Dao () is a classification for various ethnic minorities in China and Vietnam. Their majority branch is also known as Mien. They originated in the areas around Changsha, which today is the capital of Hunan province. They s ...
s. The province entered written
Chinese history
The history of China spans several millennia across a wide geographical area. Each region now considered part of the Chinese world has experienced periods of unity, fracture, prosperity, and strife. Chinese civilization first emerged in the Y ...
around 350 BC, when it became part of the
Zhou dynasty
The Zhou dynasty ( ) was a royal dynasty of China that existed for 789 years from until 256 BC, the longest span of any dynasty in Chinese history. During the Western Zhou period (771 BC), the royal house, surnamed Ji, had military ...
. After
Qin conquered the Chu in 278 BC, the region came under the control of Qin, and then the
Changsha Kingdom
The Changsha Kingdom was a kingdom within the Han Empire of China, located in present-day Hunan and some surrounding areas. The kingdom was founded when Emperor Gaozu granted the territory to his follower Wu Rui in 203 or 202 BC, around the s ...
during the
Han dynasty
The Han dynasty was an Dynasties of China, imperial dynasty of China (202 BC9 AD, 25–220 AD) established by Liu Bang and ruled by the House of Liu. The dynasty was preceded by the short-lived Qin dynasty (221–206 BC ...
. At this time, and for hundreds of years thereafter, the province was a magnet for settlement of
Han Chinese
The Han Chinese, alternatively the Han people, are an East Asian people, East Asian ethnic group native to Greater China. With a global population of over 1.4 billion, the Han Chinese are the list of contemporary ethnic groups, world's la ...
from the north, who displaced and assimilated the original indigenous inhabitants, cleared forests and began farming rice in the valleys and plains. The agricultural colonization of the lowlands was carried out in part by the Han people, who managed river dikes to protect farmland from floods. To this day, many of Hunan's small villages are named after Han families who settled there. Migration from the north was especially prevalent during the
Eastern Jin dynasty
Eastern or Easterns may refer to:
Transportation
Airlines
*China Eastern Airlines, a current Chinese airline based in Shanghai
* Eastern Air, former name of Zambia Skyways
*Eastern Air Lines, a defunct American airline that operated from 192 ...
,
Sixteen Kingdoms
The Sixteen Kingdoms (), less commonly the Sixteen States, was a chaotic period in Chinese history from AD 304 to 439 when northern China fragmented into a series of short-lived dynastic states. The majority of these states were founded b ...
and the
Northern and Southern dynasties
The Northern and Southern dynasties () was a period of political division in the history of China that lasted from 420 to 589, following the tumultuous era of the Sixteen Kingdoms and the Eastern Jin dynasty. It is sometimes considered a ...
periods, when the north was mostly ruled by non-Han ethnic groups (
Five Barbarians
The Five Barbarians, or Wu Hu (), is a Chinese historical exonym for five ancient non- Han ''" Hu"'' peoples who immigrated to northern China in the Eastern Han dynasty, and then overthrew the Western Jin dynasty and established their own king ...
) and in perpetual disorder.
During the
Five Dynasties and Ten Kingdoms period, Hunan was home to its own independent regime,
Ma Chu
Chu (), known in historiography as Ma Chu () or Southern Chu (), was a Dynasties of China, dynastic state of China that existed from 907 to 951. It is counted as one of the Five Dynasties and Ten Kingdoms period#Ten Kingdoms, Ten Kingdoms during ...
.
Hunan and
Hubei
Hubei is a province of China, province in Central China. It has the List of Chinese provincial-level divisions by GDP, seventh-largest economy among Chinese provinces, the second-largest within Central China, and the third-largest among inland ...
became a part of the province of
Huguang
Huguang was a province of China during the Yuan and Ming dynasties. It was founded by the Yuan dynasty in 1274. During the Yuan dynasty it included the areas of modern Hubei south of the Yangtze river, Hunan, Guizhou, and Guangxi. During the Min ...
until the
Qing dynasty
The Qing dynasty ( ), officially the Great Qing, was a Manchu-led Dynasties of China, imperial dynasty of China and an early modern empire in East Asia. The last imperial dynasty in Chinese history, the Qing dynasty was preceded by the ...
. Hunan province was created in 1664 from Huguang and renamed in 1723.
Hunan became an important communications center due to its position on the
Yangzi River
The Yangtze or Yangzi ( or ) is the longest river in Eurasia and the third-longest in the world. It rises at Jari Hill in the Tanggula Mountains of the Tibetan Plateau and flows including Dam Qu River the longest source of the Yangtze, i ...
. It was an important centre of scholarly activity and
Confucian
Confucianism, also known as Ruism or Ru classicism, is a system of thought and behavior originating in ancient China, and is variously described as a tradition, philosophy, religion, theory of government, or way of life. Founded by Confucius ...
thought, particularly in the
Yuelu Academy
The Yuelu Academy (also known as the ''Yuelu Academy of Classical Learning'', ) is on the east side of Yuelu Mountain in Yuelu District, Changsha, Hunan province, on the west bank of the Xiang River.
As one of the four most prestigious academ ...
in
Changsha
Changsha is the capital of Hunan, China. It is the 15th most populous city in China with a population of 10,513,100, the Central China#Cities with urban area over one million in population, third-most populous city in Central China, and the ...
. It was also on the Imperial Highway between northern and southern China. The land produced grain so abundantly that it fed many parts of China with its surpluses. The population continued to climb until, by the 19th century, Hunan became overcrowded and prone to peasant uprisings. Some of the uprisings, such as the ten-year
Miao Rebellion of 1795–1806, were caused by ethnic tensions. The
Taiping Rebellion
The Taiping Rebellion, also known as the Taiping Civil War or the Taiping Revolution, was a civil war in China between the Qing dynasty and the Taiping Heavenly Kingdom. The conflict lasted 14 years, from its outbreak in 1850 until the fall of ...
began in
Guangxi
Guangxi,; officially the Guangxi Zhuang Autonomous Region, is an Autonomous regions of China, autonomous region of the China, People's Republic of China, located in South China and bordering Vietnam (Hà Giang Province, Hà Giang, Cao Bằn ...
Province in 1850, then spread into Hunan and further eastward along the Yangzi River valley. A Hunanese army (
Xiang Army
file:Zeng Guofan.png, 150px, Zeng Guofan, the leader of the Xiang Army
The Xiang Army or Hunan Army () was a standing army organized by Zeng Guofan from existing regional and village militia forces called ''tuanlian'' to contain the Taiping Rebel ...
) under
Zeng Guofan
Zeng Guofan, Marquis Yiyong (; 26 November 1811 – 12 March 1872), birth name Zeng Zicheng, courtesy name Bohan (), was a Chinese statesman and military general of the late Qing dynasty. He is best known for raising and organizing the Xiang ...
marched into
Nanjing
Nanjing or Nanking is the capital of Jiangsu, a province in East China. The city, which is located in the southwestern corner of the province, has 11 districts, an administrative area of , and a population of 9,423,400.
Situated in the Yang ...
to put down the uprising in 1864.

In 1920, a famine raged throughout Hunan and killed an estimated 2 million Hunanese civilians. This sparked the
Autumn Harvest Uprising
The Autumn Harvest Uprising was an insurrection that took place in Hunan and Jiangxi provinces of China, on September 7, 1927, led by Mao Zedong, who established a short-lived Hunan Soviet.
After initial success, the uprising was brutally ...
of 1927. It was led by Hunanese native
Mao Zedong
Mao Zedong pronounced ; traditionally Romanization of Chinese, romanised as Mao Tse-tung. (26December 18939September 1976) was a Chinese politician, revolutionary, and political theorist who founded the People's Republic of China (PRC) in ...
, and established a short-lived Hunan Soviet in 1927. The Communists maintained a guerrilla army in the mountains along the Hunan-
Jiangxi
; Gan: )
, translit_lang1_type2 =
, translit_lang1_info2 =
, translit_lang1_type3 =
, translit_lang1_info3 =
, image_map = Jiangxi in China (+all claims hatched).svg
, mapsize = 275px
, map_caption = Location ...
border until 1934. Under pressure from the Nationalist
Kuomintang
The Kuomintang (KMT) is a major political party in the Republic of China (Taiwan). It was the one party state, sole ruling party of the country Republic of China (1912-1949), during its rule from 1927 to 1949 in Mainland China until Retreat ...
(KMT) forces, they began the
Long March
The Long March ( zh, s=长征, p=Chángzhēng, l=Long Expedition) was a military retreat by the Chinese Red Army and Chinese Communist Party (CCP) from advancing Kuomintang forces during the Chinese Civil War, occurring between October 1934 and ...
to bases in
Shaanxi
Shaanxi is a Provinces of China, province in north Northwestern China. It borders the province-level divisions of Inner Mongolia to the north; Shanxi and Henan to the east; Hubei, Chongqing, and Sichuan to the south; and Gansu and Ningxia to t ...
Province. After the Communists departed, the KMT fought the Japanese in the
second Sino-Japanese war
The Second Sino-Japanese War was fought between the Republic of China (1912–1949), Republic of China and the Empire of Japan between 1937 and 1945, following a period of war localized to Manchuria that started in 1931. It is considered part ...
. It defended Changsha until it fell in 1944. Japan launched
Operation Ichigo, a plan to control the railroad from
Wuchang
Wuchang is one of 13 urban District (China), districts of the prefecture-level city of Wuhan, the capital of Hubei, Hubei Province, China. It is the oldest of the three cities that merged into modern-day Wuhan, and stood on the right (southea ...
to
Guangzhou
Guangzhou, Chinese postal romanization, previously romanized as Canton or Kwangchow, is the Capital city, capital and largest city of Guangdong Provinces of China, province in South China, southern China. Located on the Pearl River about nor ...
(
Yuehan Railway). Hunan was relatively unscathed by the civil war that followed the Japanese defeat in 1945. In 1949, the Communists returned as the Nationalists retreated southward.
In the 1950s,
General Wang Zhen coerced thousands of Hunanese women into sexual servitude at PLA units in Xinjiang.
As Mao's home province, Hunan supported the
Cultural Revolution
The Cultural Revolution, formally known as the Great Proletarian Cultural Revolution, was a Social movement, sociopolitical movement in the China, People's Republic of China (PRC). It was launched by Mao Zedong in 1966 and lasted until his de ...
of 1966–1976, but it was slower than most provinces to adopt the reforms
Deng Xiaoping
Deng Xiaoping also Romanization of Chinese, romanised as Teng Hsiao-p'ing; born Xiansheng (). (22 August 190419 February 1997) was a Chinese statesman, revolutionary, and political theorist who served as the paramount leader of the People's R ...
implemented in the years after Mao's death in 1976.
In addition to Mao, several other first-generation communist leaders were from Hunan:
Chinese President Liu Shaoqi
Liu Shaoqi ( ; 24 November 189812 November 1969) was a Chinese revolutionary and politician. He was the chairman of the Standing Committee of the National People's Congress from 1954 to 1959, first-ranking Vice Chairman of the Chinese Communis ...
;
CCP Secretaries-General Ren Bishi
Ren Bishi (; 30 April 1904 – 27 October 1950) was a military and political leader in the early Chinese Communist Party (CCP).
In the early 1930s, Ren commanded the Fifth Red Army and was a central figure in the Hunan-Jiangxi Soviet, but he ...
and
Hu Yaobang
Hu Yaobang (20 November 1915 – 15 April 1989) was a Chinese politician who was a high-ranking official of the People's Republic of China. He held the Leader of the Chinese Communist Party, top office of the Chinese Communist Party (CCP) from ...
; Marshals
Peng Dehuai
Peng Dehuai (October 24, 1898November 29, 1974; also spelled as Peng Teh-Huai) was a Chinese general and politician who was the Minister of National Defense (China), Minister of National Defense from 1954 to 1959. Peng was born into a poor ...
,
He Long
He Long (; March 22, 1896 – June 9, 1969) was a Chinese Communist revolutionary and a Marshal of the People's Republic of China. He was from a poor rural family in Hunan, and his family was not able to provide him with any formal education. H ...
, and
Luo Ronghuan
Luo Ronghuan (; November 26, 1902 – December 16, 1963) was a Marshal of the People's Republic of China. He served as a Vice Chair of the Standing Committee of the National People's Congress.
Biography
Luo was born in a village in Hengsh ...
;
Wang Zhen, one of the
Eight Elders
The Eight Great Eminent Officials (), abbreviated as the Eight Elders (), were a group of elderly members of the Chinese Communist Party (CCP) who held substantial power in the last two decades of the 20th century. In the English-speaking world, ...
;
Xiang Jingyu
Xiang Jingyu (, – , ''née'' Xiang Junxian), was one of the earliest female members of the Chinese Communist Party (CCP), widely regarded as a pioneer of the women's movement of China.
Xiang sought to unite the various women's movements in ...
, the first female member of the CCP's central committee; Senior General
Huang Kecheng
Huang Kecheng () (October 1, 1902 – December 28, 1986) was a senior general (大将) in the People's Liberation Army.
Biography
Huang Kecheng was born in Yongxing, Hunan Province, and he was the third of four children. His father ...
; and veteran diplomat
Lin Boqu
Lin Boqu (; Pinyin: ''Lín Bóqú''; Wade-Giles: ''Lin Po-ch'u''; March 20, 1886 – May 29, 1960) was a Chinese politician and poet. An early supporter of Sun Yat-sen and member of the Tongmenghui, as well as a later participant in the Na ...
. A more recent leader from Hunan is former
Chinese Premier
The premier of China, officially the Premier of the State Council of the People's Republic of China, is the head of government of the People's Republic of China (PRC) and leader of the State Council. This post was established in 1911 near the e ...
Zhu Rongji
Zhu Rongji ( zh, s=朱镕基; IPA: ; born 23 October 1928) is a retired Chinese politician who served as the 5th premier of China from 1998 to 2003. He also served as member of the Politburo Standing Committee of the Chinese Communist Party (CCP ...
.
Geography
Hunan is on the south bank of the
Yangtze River
The Yangtze or Yangzi ( or ) is the longest river in Eurasia and the third-longest in the world. It rises at Jari Hill in the Tanggula Mountains of the Tibetan Plateau and flows including Dam Qu River the longest source of the Yangtze, i ...
, about halfway along its length, situated between 108° 47'–114° 16' east
longitude
Longitude (, ) is a geographic coordinate that specifies the east- west position of a point on the surface of the Earth, or another celestial body. It is an angular measurement, usually expressed in degrees and denoted by the Greek lett ...
and 24° 37'–30° 08' north
latitude
In geography, latitude is a geographic coordinate system, geographic coordinate that specifies the north-south position of a point on the surface of the Earth or another celestial body. Latitude is given as an angle that ranges from −90° at t ...
. Hunan covers an area of , making it the
10th largest provincial-level division. The east, south, and west sides of the province are surrounded by mountains and hills, such as the
Wuling Mountains
The Wuling Mountains () are a mountain range located in Central China, running from Chongqing Municipality and East Guizhou to West Hunan. They are home to many ethnic groups, including the Tujia, Han, Miao, Dong, and Bai.
Wulingyuan
T ...
to the northwest, the
Xuefeng Mountains
The Xuefeng Mountains () are a mountain range of China in western Hunan
Hunan is an inland Provinces of China, province in Central China. Located in the middle reaches of the Yangtze watershed, it borders the Administrative divisions of Chi ...
to the west, the
Nanling Mountains
The Nanling (), also known as the Wuling (), is a major mountain range in Southern China that separates the Pearl River Basin from the Yangtze Valley and serves as the dividing line between south and central subtropical zones. The main rang ...
to the south, and the
Luoxiao Mountains
The Luoxiao Mountains () are a system of mountain ranges in the People's Republic of China that straddle Jiangxi, Hubei, and Hunan provinces.
Subranges
Among other smaller ranges, the Luoxiao Mountains include the following subranges:
* Wugong Mo ...
to the east. Mountains and hills occupy more than 80% of the province, and plains less than 20%. At 2,115.2 meters above sea level, Hunan's highest point is Lingfeng ().
The
Xiang, the
Zi, the
Yuan, and the
Lishui
Lishui (; Lishuinese: ''li⁶ syu³'' ) is a prefecture-level city in the southwest of Zhejiang province, People's Republic of China. It borders Quzhou, Jinhua and Taizhou to the north, Wenzhou to the southeast, and the province of Fujian to ...
Rivers converge on the Yangtze River at
Lake Dongting
Dongting Lake () is a large, shallow lake in northeastern Hunan Province, China. It is a flood basin of the Yangtze River, so its volume depends on the season. The provinces of Hubei and Hunan are named after their location relative to the la ...
in the north of Hunan. The center and northern parts are somewhat low and a U-shaped basin, open in the north and with Lake Dongting as its center. Most of Hunan lies in the basins of four major tributaries of the Yangtze River.
Lake Dongting
Dongting Lake () is a large, shallow lake in northeastern Hunan Province, China. It is a flood basin of the Yangtze River, so its volume depends on the season. The provinces of Hubei and Hunan are named after their location relative to the la ...
is the largest lake in the province and the second largest freshwater lake of China.
The
Xiaoxiang
Xiaoxiang (), also transliterated ''XiaoXiang'', ''Hsiao Hsiang'', and ''Chiu Chiang'', in some older sources, refers to the "lakes and rivers" region in south-central China south of the middle-reaches of the Yangtze River and corresponding, more ...
area and Lake Dongting figure prominently in Chinese poetry and paintings, particularly during the Song dynasty when they were associated with officials who had been unjustly dismissed.
Changsha (which means "long sands") was an active ceramics district during the
Tang dynasty
The Tang dynasty (, ; zh, c=唐朝), or the Tang Empire, was an Dynasties of China, imperial dynasty of China that ruled from 618 to 907, with an Wu Zhou, interregnum between 690 and 705. It was preceded by the Sui dynasty and followed ...
, its tea bowls, ewers and other products mass-produced and shipped to China's coastal cities for export abroad. An Arab dhow dated to the 830s and today known as the
Belitung Shipwreck
The Belitung shipwreck (also called the Tang shipwreck or Batu Hitam shipwreck) is the wreck of an Arabian dhow that sank around 830 AD. The ship completed its outward journey from Arabia to China but sank on the return voyage from China, approx ...
was discovered off the small island of Belitung, Indonesia with more than 60,000 pieces in its cargo. The salvaged cargo is today housed in Singapore.
Hunan's climate is
subtropical
The subtropical zones or subtropics are geographical zone, geographical and Köppen climate classification, climate zones immediately to the Northern Hemisphere, north and Southern Hemisphere, south of the tropics. Geographically part of the Ge ...
; under the
Köppen climate classification
The Köppen climate classification divides Earth climates into five main climate groups, with each group being divided based on patterns of seasonal precipitation and temperature. The five main groups are ''A'' (tropical), ''B'' (arid), ''C'' (te ...
, it is classified as
humid subtropical
A humid subtropical climate is a subtropical -temperate climate type, characterized by long and hot summers, and cool to mild winters. These climates normally lie on the southeast side of all continents (except Antarctica), generally between la ...
(Köppen ''Cfa''), with short, cool, damp winters, very hot and humid summers, and plenty of rain. January temperatures average , while July temperatures average around . Average annual precipitation is . The
Furongian
The Furongian is the fourth and final epoch and series of the Cambrian
The Cambrian ( ) is the first geological period of the Paleozoic Era, and the Phanerozoic Eon. The Cambrian lasted 51.95 million years from the end of the preceding ...
Epoch in the
Cambrian
The Cambrian ( ) is the first geological period of the Paleozoic Era, and the Phanerozoic Eon. The Cambrian lasted 51.95 million years from the end of the preceding Ediacaran period 538.8 Ma (million years ago) to the beginning of the Ordov ...
Period of geological time is named for Hunan; Furong () means "
lotus" in Mandarin and refers to Hunan, which is known as the "lotus state".
Administrative divisions
Hunan is divided into fourteen
prefecture-level divisions: thirteen
prefecture-level cities
A prefecture-level city () or prefectural city is an administrative division of the China, People's Republic of China (PRC), ranking below a province of China, province and above a Counties of the People's Republic of China, county in China's ...
and an autonomous prefecture:
The fourteen prefecture of China, prefecture-level divisions of Hunan are subdivided into 122 County (People's Republic of China), county-level divisions (35 District of China, districts, 17 county-level cities, 63 counties, 7 autonomous counties). Those are in turn divided into 2587 Townships of the People's Republic of China, township-level divisions (1098 Town (China), towns, 1,158 Townships of the People's Republic of China, townships, 98 ethnic townships, 225 Subdistricts of China, subdistricts, and eight district public offices). At the year end of 2017, the total population is 68.6 millio
Urban areas
Politics

The politics of Hunan is structured in a dual party-government system like all other governing institutions in mainland China.
The Governor of Hunan is the highest-ranking official in the People's Government of Hunan. However, in the province's dual party-government governing system, the Governor has less power than the Hunan Chinese Communist Party Provincial Committee Secretary, colloquially termed the "Hunan Chinese Communist Party Committee Secretary, CCP Party Chief".
Economy
As of the mid-19th century, Hunan exported rhubarb, musk, honey, tobacco, hemp, and birds.
The
Lake Dongting
Dongting Lake () is a large, shallow lake in northeastern Hunan Province, China. It is a flood basin of the Yangtze River, so its volume depends on the season. The provinces of Hubei and Hunan are named after their location relative to the la ...
area is an important center of ramie production, and Hunan is also an important center of tea cultivation.
Hunan was a major recipient of China's investment in industrial capacity during the Third Front (China), Third Front campaign.
In recent years, Hunan has grown to become an important center for steel, machinery and electronics production, especially as China's manufacturing sector moves away from coastal provinces such as
Guangdong
) means "wide" or "vast", and has been associated with the region since the creation of Guang Prefecture in AD 226. The name "''Guang''" ultimately came from Guangxin ( zh, labels=no, first=t, t= , s=广信), an outpost established in Han dynasty ...
and Zhejiang.
The Lengshuijiang area is noted for its stibnite mines, and is one of the major centers of antimony extraction in China.
Hunan is also well known for a few global makers of construction equipment such as concrete pumps, crane (machine), cranes, etc. These companies include Sany Group, Zoomlion and Sunward Intelligent Equipment, Sunward. Sany is one of the world's major players. The city of Liuyang is the world's top center for manufacturing fireworks.
Hunan is the
9th-largest provincial economy of China, the third largest in the
Central China
Central China () is a List of regions of China, region in China. It mainly includes the provinces of China, provinces of Henan, Hubei and Hunan. Jiangxi is sometimes also regarded to be part of this region. Central China is now officially par ...
region after
Henan
Henan; alternatively Honan is a province in Central China. Henan is home to many heritage sites, including Yinxu, the ruins of the final capital of the Shang dynasty () and the Shaolin Temple. Four of the historical capitals of China, Lu ...
and
Hubei
Hubei is a province of China, province in Central China. It has the List of Chinese provincial-level divisions by GDP, seventh-largest economy among Chinese provinces, the second-largest within Central China, and the third-largest among inland ...
, the fourth largest in the
South Central China
South Central China, South-Central China or Central-South China ( zh, c = 中南, p = Zhōngnán, l = Central-South), is a List of regions of China, region of China. It consists of eight provincial administrative regions, namely Henan, Hubei, ...
region after
Guangdong
) means "wide" or "vast", and has been associated with the region since the creation of Guang Prefecture in AD 226. The name "''Guang''" ultimately came from Guangxin ( zh, labels=no, first=t, t= , s=广信), an outpost established in Han dynasty ...
, Henan and Hubei and the fourth largest among inland provinces after Henan,
Sichuan
Sichuan is a province in Southwestern China, occupying the Sichuan Basin and Tibetan Plateau—between the Jinsha River to the west, the Daba Mountains to the north, and the Yunnan–Guizhou Plateau to the south. Its capital city is Cheng ...
and Hubei.
As of 2024, Hunan's
nominal GDP
Gross domestic product (GDP) is a monetary measure of the total market value of all the final goods and services produced and rendered in a specific time period by a country or countries. GDP is often used to measure the economic performance ...
was US$747 billion (CN¥5.32 trillion), appearing in the world's top 20
largest sub-national economies, with its
GDP (PPP)
GDP (PPP) means gross domestic product based on purchasing power parity.
This article includes a list of countries by their forecast estimated GDP (PPP). Countries are sorted by GDP (PPP) forecast estimates from financial and statistical ...
being over US$1.55 trillion.
Its nominal GDP per capita exceeded ¥81,225 (US$11,405 or US$ 23,665 in PPP), making it the
third-richest province in South Central China, after Guangdong and Hubei.
As of 2020, Hunan's GDP (nominal) was US$605 billion,
List of countries by GDP (nominal), making it larger than the economies of Poland (the 22nd biggest in the world), Thailand (the 2nd largest in ASEAN), and Nigeria (the largest in Africa).
Economic and technological development zones
*
Changsha
Changsha is the capital of Hunan, China. It is the 15th most populous city in China with a population of 10,513,100, the Central China#Cities with urban area over one million in population, third-most populous city in Central China, and the ...
National Economic and Technical Development Zone
The Changsha National Economic and Technology Development Zone was founded in 1992. It is located east of Changsha. The total planned area is and the current area is . Near the zone is National Highways G319 and G107 as well as Jingzhu Highway. Besides that, it is very close to the downtown and the railway station. The distance between the zone and the airport is . The major industries in the zone include high-tech industry, biology project technology and new material industry.
* Changsha National New & Hi-Tech Industrial Development Zone
* Chenzhou Export Processing Zone
Approved by the State Council, Chenzhou Export processing Zone (CEPZ) was established in 2005 and is the only export processing zone in Hunan province. The scheduled production area of CEPZ covers 3km2. The industrial positioning of CEPZ is to concentrate on developing export-oriented hi-tech industries, including electronic information, precision machinery, and new-type materials. The zone has good infrastructure, and the enterprises inside could enjoy the preferential policies of tax-exemption, tax-guarantee and tax-refunding. By the end of the "Eleventh Five-Year Plan (People's Republic of China), Eleventh Five-Year Plan", the CEPZ achieved a total export and import volume of over US$1 billion and provided more than 50,000 jobs. It aimed to be one of the first-class export processing zones in China.
*
Zhuzhou
Zhuzhou ( zh, c=株洲, p=Zhūzhōu, ), formerly Jianning (建宁), is a prefecture-level city of Hunan Province, China, straddling the Xiang River southeast of the provincial capital, Changsha, and bordering Jiangxi province to the east. It is ...
National New & Hi-Tech Industrial Development Zone
Zhuzhou Hi-Tech Industrial Development Zone was founded in 1992. Its total planned area is . It is very close to National Highway G320. The major industries in the zone include biotechnology, food processing and heavy industry. In 2007, the park signed a cooperation contract with Beijing Automobile Industry, one of the largest auto makers in China, which will set up a manufacturing base in Zhuzhou HTP.
Demographics

As of the 2000 census, the population of Hunan is 64,400,700 consisting of forty-one List of Chinese ethnic groups, ethnic groups. Its population grew 6.17% (3,742,700) from its 1990 levels. According to the census, 89.79% (57,540,000) identified themselves as
Han Chinese
The Han Chinese, alternatively the Han people, are an East Asian people, East Asian ethnic group native to Greater China. With a global population of over 1.4 billion, the Han Chinese are the list of contemporary ethnic groups, world's la ...
and 10.21% (6,575,300) as minority groups. The minority groups are
Tujia Tujia may refer to:
*the Tujia people
*the Tujia language
The Tujia language (; zh, s=土家语 , t=土家語 , p=Tǔjiāyǔ) is a Sino-Tibetan language spoken natively by the Tujia people in Hunan Province, China. It is unclassified within t ...
, Hmong people, Miao,
Dong, Yao people, Yao, Bai people, Bai, Hui people, Hui, Zhuang people, Zhuang, Uyghur people, Uyghurs and so on.
In Hunan, ethnic minority languages are spoken in the following prefectures.
*Xiangxi Tujia and Miao Autonomous Prefecture: Qo Xiong language, Tujia language
*Huaihua: Qo Xiong language, Dong language (China), Dong language, Hm Nai language, Hmu language
*Shaoyang: Maojia dialect, Maojia language, Hm Nai language, Pa-Hng language, Badong Yao language
*Yongzhou: Iu Mien language, Mien language, Biao Min language
*Chenzhou: Dzao Min language
Hunanese Uyghurs
Around 5,000 Uyghurs live around Taoyuan County, Hunan, Taoyuan County and other parts of Changde. Hui people, Hui and Uyghurs have intermarried in this area. In addition to eating pork, the Uygurs of Changde practice other Han Chinese customs, like Ancestor veneration in China, ancestor worship at graves. Some Uyghurs from Xinjiang visit the Hunan Uyghurs out of curiosity or interest. The Uyghurs of Hunan do not speak the Uyghur language, instead, Mandarin Chinese is spoken as their native language.
Religion
The predominant religions in Hunan are Chinese Buddhism, Taoism, Taoist traditions and Chinese folk religions. According to surveys conducted in 2007 and 2009, 20.19% of the population believes and is involved in Chinese ancestral religion, ancestor veneration, while 0.77% of the population identifies as Christian.
The reports didn't give figures for other types of religion; 79.04% of the population may be either irreligious or involved in Chinese folk religion, worship of nature deities, Buddhism, Confucianism, Taoism, Chinese salvationist religions, folk religious sects.
In 2010, there are 118.799 Muslims in Hunan.
File:Puguang chansi 0152.jpg, Puguang Buddhist Temple in Zhangjiajie.
File:Confucius Temple of Liuyang 01.jpg, Temple of Confucius in Liuyang.
File:Hunan traditional temple front.jpg, An ancestral shrine in the province.
Notable people
During the late Qing dynasty, late Qing Era, Hunan emerged as the epicenter of revolution and reform in China, giving rise to many of the nation’s most renowned scholars, politicians, and military leaders, including the most influential and controversial figure of China in the 20th century,
Mao Zedong
Mao Zedong pronounced ; traditionally Romanization of Chinese, romanised as Mao Tse-tung. (26December 18939September 1976) was a Chinese politician, revolutionary, and political theorist who founded the People's Republic of China (PRC) in ...
.
Hunanese were pioneers in embracing foreign ideas, as seen in the works of 19th-century thinkers like Wei Yuan (魏源). As the saying goes among Chinese historians: "Hunanese shaped half of modern Chinese history" (一部中国近代史,半部由湖南写就). Their profound and enduring influence on China’s politics and society persisted well into recent times.
* Zhou Dunyi (1017–1073), Chinese scholar and philosopher
* Wang Fuzhi (1619–1692), Chinese essayist, historian, and philosopher of the late Ming, early Qing dynasties.
*
Zeng Guofan
Zeng Guofan, Marquis Yiyong (; 26 November 1811 – 12 March 1872), birth name Zeng Zicheng, courtesy name Bohan (), was a Chinese statesman and military general of the late Qing dynasty. He is best known for raising and organizing the Xiang ...
(1811–1872)
* Zuo Zongtang (1812–1885), or General Tso, Chinese statesman and military leader of the late Qing dynasty.
* Taqibu (1816–1855)
* Huang Xing (1874–1916)
* Cai E (1882–1916), Chinese revolutionary leader, General and Governor of Yunnan (1911–1913)
* Jiang Xiaowan (?–1922), interpreter
*
Mao Zedong
Mao Zedong pronounced ; traditionally Romanization of Chinese, romanised as Mao Tse-tung. (26December 18939September 1976) was a Chinese politician, revolutionary, and political theorist who founded the People's Republic of China (PRC) in ...
(1893–1976)
*
He Long
He Long (; March 22, 1896 – June 9, 1969) was a Chinese Communist revolutionary and a Marshal of the People's Republic of China. He was from a poor rural family in Hunan, and his family was not able to provide him with any formal education. H ...
(1896–1969)
*
Peng Dehuai
Peng Dehuai (October 24, 1898November 29, 1974; also spelled as Peng Teh-Huai) was a Chinese general and politician who was the Minister of National Defense (China), Minister of National Defense from 1954 to 1959. Peng was born into a poor ...
(1898–1974)
*
Liu Shaoqi
Liu Shaoqi ( ; 24 November 189812 November 1969) was a Chinese revolutionary and politician. He was the chairman of the Standing Committee of the National People's Congress from 1954 to 1959, first-ranking Vice Chairman of the Chinese Communis ...
(1898–1969)
* Ma Ying-jeou (born 1950)
* Yuet-ching Lee (1918–1997), Hong Kong actress
* Ted Hui (born 1982), Hong Kong politician
* Martin Cao (born 1993), racing driver
* Zhou Chengzhou (born 1982), Chinese film director and artist
* Lexie Liu (born 1998), singer
* Jackson Yee (born 2000), actor and singer
Culture
As of 2022, Hunan's culture and related industries achieved an added value of CN¥250.65 billion (US$37.27 billion), accounting for 5.27% of the province's GDP. Among them, the added value of cultural services was CN¥150.20 billion (US$22.33 billion), the added value of cultural manufacturing was CN¥78.28 billion (US$11.64 billion), the added value of cultural wholesale and retail was CN¥22.17 billion (US$3.30 billion).
In 2023, there are 655 art groups, 149 mass art galleries and cultural centers, 148 public libraries, 180 museums and memorial halls, 108 radio and television stations, 5.853 million cable TV users, and 27.441 million fiber optic Internet broadband users all connected to cable TV. The comprehensive population coverage rate of radio is 99.43%, and the comprehensive population coverage rate of television is 99.77%. There are 137 national intangible cultural heritage protection lists and 410 provincial intangible cultural heritage protection lists. 12,078 books, 235 periodicals, and 44 newspapers have been published, with a total print run of 590 million books, 80 million periodicals, and 500 million newspapers.
Language
Hunan is a region with complex dialects. The dialects in the province include
Xiang,
Southwestern Mandarin
Southwestern Mandarin (), also known as Upper Yangtze Mandarin (), is a Mandarin Chinese dialect spoken in much of Southwestern China, including in Sichuan, Yunnan, Chongqing, Guizhou, most parts of Hubei, the northwestern part of Hunan, the nor ...
,
Gan
The word Gan or the initials GAN may refer to:
Places
* Gan, a component of Hebrew placenames literally meaning "garden"
China
* Gan River (Jiangxi)
* Gan River (Inner Mongolia),
* Gan County, in Jiangxi province
* Gansu, abbreviated '' ...
, Hakka Chinese, Hakka, and some local dialects whose identities have not yet been determined, such as Xiangnan Tuhua and Waxiang Chinese, Waxiang dialect. In areas where ethnic minorities live, many people can speak their own ethnic language and communicate in Chinese.
Cuisine
Hunan cuisine, Hunanese cuisine is noted for its near-ubiquitous use of chili peppers, garlic, and shallots. These ingredients give rise to a distinctive dry-and-spicy () taste,
with dishes such as smoked cured ham and stir-fried spicy beef being prime examples of the flavor.
Music
Huaguxi is a local form of Chinese opera that is very popular in Hunan province.
Tourism
Located in the south central part of the Chinese mainland, Hunan has long been known for its natural environment. It is surrounded by mountains on the east, west, and south, and by the Yangtze River on the north. For thousands of years, the region has been a major center of agriculture, growing rice, tea, and oranges. China's first all glass suspension bridge was also opened in Hunan, in Shiniuzhai National Geological Park.
*
Wulingyuan
Wulingyuan (, zh, c=武陵源) is a scenic and historical site in the Wulingyuan District of South Central China's Hunan Province. It was inscribed as a UNESCO World Heritage Site in 1992. It is noted for more than 3,000 quartzite sandstone ...
is a
World Heritage Site
World Heritage Sites are landmarks and areas with legal protection under an treaty, international treaty administered by UNESCO for having cultural, historical, or scientific significance. The sites are judged to contain "cultural and natural ...
and a AAAAA Tourist Attractions of China, 5A Scenic Area. Located in south-central Hunan, Wulingyuan is noted for its thousands of quartzite sandstone pillars, caves, and waterfalls. The area also contains Zhangjiajie National Forest Park.
* Shaoshan, Shaoshan County, known for being the Mao Zedong's Former Residence, birthplace of Mao Zedong
* Yueyang Tower, on the shores of
Lake Dongting
Dongting Lake () is a large, shallow lake in northeastern Hunan Province, China. It is a flood basin of the Yangtze River, so its volume depends on the season. The provinces of Hubei and Hunan are named after their location relative to the la ...
, was built in the Han dynasty, Han and Jin dynasty (265–420), Jin dynasties, and has existed in its current state since the Qing dynasty, Qing Dynasty. Alongside the Pavilion of Prince Teng and Yellow Crane Tower, it is one of the Three Great Towers of Jiangnan.
* Mount Heng (Hunan), Mount Heng, in
Hengyang
Hengyang (; ) is the second largest city of Hunan Province, China. It straddles the Xiang River about south of the provincial capital of Changsha. As of the 2020 Chinese census, Its total population was 6,645,243 inhabitants, of whom 1,290,71 ...
, is one of the Sacred Mountains of China, Five Great Mountains of China, and is home to the Grand Temple of Mount Heng, largest temple in southern China.
* Fenghuang County, in Xiangxi Tujia and Miao Autonomous Prefecture, Xiangxi Prefecture, has been placed on the
UNESCO
The United Nations Educational, Scientific and Cultural Organization (UNESCO ) is a List of specialized agencies of the United Nations, specialized agency of the United Nations (UN) with the aim of promoting world peace and International secur ...
World Heritage Tentative List for its ancient town. Fenghuang is known for its incorporation of mountain features and water flow into city design, and the ancient syncretism between the local Han Chinese, Han and
Miao Miao may refer to:
* Miao people, linguistically and culturally related group of people, recognized as such by the government of the People's Republic of China
* Miao script or Pollard script, writing system used for Miao languages
* Miao (Unicode ...
cultures.
Education and research
As of 2023, Hunan hosts 137 institutions of higher education, ranking fifth together with
Sichuan
Sichuan is a province in Southwestern China, occupying the Sichuan Basin and Tibetan Plateau—between the Jinsha River to the west, the Daba Mountains to the north, and the Yunnan–Guizhou Plateau to the south. Its capital city is Cheng ...
(137) among all Chinese provinces after Jiangsu (168),
Henan
Henan; alternatively Honan is a province in Central China. Henan is home to many heritage sites, including Yinxu, the ruins of the final capital of the Shang dynasty () and the Shaolin Temple. Four of the historical capitals of China, Lu ...
(168),
Guangdong
) means "wide" or "vast", and has been associated with the region since the creation of Guang Prefecture in AD 226. The name "''Guang''" ultimately came from Guangxin ( zh, labels=no, first=t, t= , s=广信), an outpost established in Han dynasty ...
(162), and Shandong (156).
Hunan is also the seat of 12 adult higher education institutions.
Two major cities in Hunan (Changsha and
Xiangtan
Xiangtan ( zh, s=湘潭) is a prefecture-level city in east-central Hunan province, south-central China. The hometowns of several founding leaders of the Chinese Communist Party, including Chairman Mao Zedong, President Liu Shaoqi, and Marshal P ...
) were ranked in the top 200 List of cities by scientific output, cities in the world by scientific research output, as tracked by the Nature Index in 2024.
There are three National Key Universities, national key universities under Project 985 (
Hunan University
Hunan University (HNU; ) is a national public university in Yuelu, Changsha, Hunan, China. It is affiliated with and funded by the Ministry of Education. The university is part of Project 211, Project 985, and the Double First-Class Construction ...
, Central South University and the National University of Defense Technology) in Hunan, the third highest after Beijing and Shanghai. Hunan Normal University in Changsha is the key construction university of the national Project 211, 211 Project, and Xiangtan University in
Xiangtan
Xiangtan ( zh, s=湘潭) is a prefecture-level city in east-central Hunan province, south-central China. The hometowns of several founding leaders of the Chinese Communist Party, including Chairman Mao Zedong, President Liu Shaoqi, and Marshal P ...
is a key university jointly built by Hunan Province and the Ministry of Education and a member of national Project 111. These five national key universities are included in the Double First-Class Construction of Hunan Province. As of 2024, they are ranked among the top 500 globally by the Nature Index. Among them, Hunan University and Central South University are in the top 50.
Hunan University and Central South University are the only two Project 985 universities in Changsha, Hunan to appear in the world's top 200 of the ''Academic Ranking of World Universities and the U.S. News & World Report Best Global University Ranking''.
Hunan Normal University, the National University of Defense and Technology and Changsha University of Science and Technology located in Changsha, were ranked in the world's top 701 of the ''Academic Ranking of World Universities''.
Hunan Agricultural University in Changsha, the University of South China in
Hengyang
Hengyang (; ) is the second largest city of Hunan Province, China. It straddles the Xiang River about south of the provincial capital of Changsha. As of the 2020 Chinese census, Its total population was 6,645,243 inhabitants, of whom 1,290,71 ...
, Hunan University of Technology in
Zhuzhou
Zhuzhou ( zh, c=株洲, p=Zhūzhōu, ), formerly Jianning (建宁), is a prefecture-level city of Hunan Province, China, straddling the Xiang River southeast of the provincial capital, Changsha, and bordering Jiangxi province to the east. It is ...
and Xiangtan University in
Xiangtan
Xiangtan ( zh, s=湘潭) is a prefecture-level city in east-central Hunan province, south-central China. The hometowns of several founding leaders of the Chinese Communist Party, including Chairman Mao Zedong, President Liu Shaoqi, and Marshal P ...
were ranked in the top 801–900 globally by the ''Academic Ranking of World Universities.'' Hunan University of Science and Technology in Xiangtan and Central South University of Forestry and Technology in Changsha were ranked number 988 and number 1429 respectively in the 2022 Best Global Universities by ''the U.S. News & World Report Best Global University Ranking.
'' As of 2023, Hunan University of Chinese Medicine in Changsha ranked the best in the
Central China
Central China () is a List of regions of China, region in China. It mainly includes the provinces of China, provinces of Henan, Hubei and Hunan. Jiangxi is sometimes also regarded to be part of this region. Central China is now officially par ...
region and 26th nationwide among Chinese Medical Universities.
National key public universities
Changsha City
* Central South University (Project 211, Project 985, Double First Class University)
*
Hunan University
Hunan University (HNU; ) is a national public university in Yuelu, Changsha, Hunan, China. It is affiliated with and funded by the Ministry of Education. The university is part of Project 211, Project 985, and the Double First-Class Construction ...
(Project 211, Project 985, Double First Class University)
* Hunan Normal University (Project 211, Double First Class University)
* National University of Defense Technology (Project 211, Project 985, Double First Class University)
Xiangtan City
* Xiangtan University (Project 111, Double First Class University)
Provincial key public universities
Changsha City
* Central South University of Forestry and Technology
* Changsha University of Science and Technology
* Hunan Agricultural University
* Hunan First Normal University
* Hunan University of Chinese Medicine
* Hunan University of Technology and Commerce
Hengyang City
* Hengyang Normal University
* University of South China
Jishou City
* Jishou University
Loudi City
* Hunan University of Humanities, Science and Technology
Shaoyang City
* Shaoyang University
Xiangtan City
* Hunan Institute of Engineering
* Hunan University of Science and Technology
Yueyang City
* Hunan Institute of Science and Technology
Zhuzhou City
* Hunan University of Technology
General undergraduate universities (public)
Changsha City
* Changsha Normal University
* Changsha University
* Hunan University of Finance and Economics
* Hunan Police Academy
* Hunan Women's University
Hengyang City
* Hunan Institute of Technology
Xiangtan City
* Xiangtan Institute of Technology
Yongzhou City
* Hunan University of Science and Engineering
Chenzhou City
* Xiangnan University
General undergraduate universities (private)
* Changsha Medical University
* Hunan International Economics University
* Hunan Institute of Information Technology
* Hunan Institute of Traffic Engineering
* Hunan Applied Technology University
Vocational and technical colleges/universities
* Changsha Aeronautical Vocational and Technical College
* Changsha Social Work College
* Hunan Mass Media Vocational and Technical College
* Changde Vocational and Technical College
Transport
Airports
There are several airports in Hunan provinces, including
Changsha Huanghua International Airport
Changsha Huanghua International Airport is an international airport serving Changsha, the capital of South Central China’s Hunan province, and the Greater Changsha Metropolitan Region comprising the nearby cities of Zhuzhou and Xiangtan.
...
,
Zhangjiajie Hehua International Airport
Zhangjiajie Hehua International Airport is an international airport serving the city of Zhangjiajie in South Central China’s Hunan province. It is located in Huhua village in Yongding District of Zhangjiajie. It is the second largest airpor ...
,
Changde Taohuayuan Airport, Chenzhou Beihu Airport, Huaihua Zhijiang Airport, Shaoyang Wugang Airport, Yongzhou Lingling Airport, and Yueyang Sanhe Airport. The
busiest airports serve domestic and international flights for Hunan, including Changsha Huanghua International Airport, Zhangjiajie Hehua International Airport and Changde Taohuayuan Airport.
Notably, as of 2021, Changsha Huanghua International Airport was one of the 50 List of busiest airports by passenger traffic, busiest airports in the world,
the List of the busiest airports in China#2016 preliminary statistics, 12th busiest civil airport in China, the second busiest in
South Central China
South Central China, South-Central China or Central-South China ( zh, c = 中南, p = Zhōngnán, l = Central-South), is a List of regions of China, region of China. It consists of eight provincial administrative regions, namely Henan, Hubei, ...
after Guangzhou Baiyun International Airport and the busiest in
Central China
Central China () is a List of regions of China, region in China. It mainly includes the provinces of China, provinces of Henan, Hubei and Hunan. Jiangxi is sometimes also regarded to be part of this region. Central China is now officially par ...
.
Railways
The Beijing–Guangzhou high-speed railway passes through Hunan.
Sports
Professional sports teams in Hunan include:
* China League One, Chinese Football Association League One
** Hunan Billows F.C.
See also
*Major national historical and cultural sites (Hunan), Major national historical and cultural sites in Hunan
*
Xiaoxiang
Xiaoxiang (), also transliterated ''XiaoXiang'', ''Hsiao Hsiang'', and ''Chiu Chiang'', in some older sources, refers to the "lakes and rivers" region in south-central China south of the middle-reaches of the Yangtze River and corresponding, more ...
, the "lakes and rivers" region of south-central China
*Chu (state), State of Chu, ancient Chinese state partly in modern-day Hunan
*Hunanese people
Notes
References
External links
*
Hunan Government website*
at Hong Kong Trade Development Council, HKTDC
History of Hunanese, the first book on the history of Hunanese(Phoelanese) civilization and nation from the perspective of we the Hunanese (phoelanese) people.
{{Authority control
Hunan,
Central China, .
Provinces of the People's Republic of China