Hunan

Hu'nan's primeval forests were first occupied by the ancestors of the modern Miao, Tujia, Dong and Yao peoples. The province entered written Chinese history around 350 BC, when the province became part of the Zhou dynasty. After Qin conquered the Chu in 278 BC, the region came under the control of Qin, and then the Changsha Kingdom during the Han dynasty. At this time, and for hundreds of years thereafter, the province was a magnet for settlement of Han Chinese from the north, who displaced and assimilated the original indigenous inhabitants, cleared forests and began farming rice in the valleys and plains.^[19] The agricultural colonization of the lowlands was carried out in part by the Han people, which managed river dikes to protect farmland from floods.^[20] To this day, many of the small villages in Hu'nan are named after the Han families who settled there. Migration from the north was especially prevalent during the Eastern Jin dynasty, Sixteen Kingdoms and the Northern and Southern dynasties periods, when the north was mostly ruled by non-Han ethnic groups (Five Barbarians) and in perpetual disorder.

During the Five Dynasties and Ten Kingdoms period, Hu'nan was home to its own independent regime, Ma Chu.

Hu'nan and Hubei became a part of the province of Huguang until the Qing dynasty. Hu'nan province was created in 1664 from Huguang, renamed to its current name in 1723.

Hu'nan became an important communications center due to its position on the Yangzi River. It was an important centre of scholarly activity and Confucian thought, particularly in the Yuelu Academy in Changsha. It was also on the Imperial Highway constructed 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 nineteenth century, Hu'nan 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 began in the south in Guangxi Province in 1850. The rebellion spread into Hu'nan and then further eastward along the Yangzi River valley. Ultimately, it was a Hu'nanese army (Xiang Army) under Zeng Guofan who marched into Nanjing to put down the uprising in 1864.

In 1920, a famine raged throughout Hu'nan and killed an estimated 2 million Hu'nanese civilians.^[21] This sparked the Autumn Harvest Uprising of 1927. It was led by Hu'nanese native Mao Zedong, and established a short-lived Hu'nan Soviet in 1927. The Communists maintained a guerrilla army in the mountains along the Hu'nan-Jiangxi border until 1934. Under pressure from the Nationalist Kuomintang (KMT) forces, they began the Long March to bases in Shaanxi Province. After the departure of the Communists, the KMT army fought against the Japanese in the second Sino-Japanese war. They defended Changsha until it fell in 1944. Japan launched Operation Ichigo, a plan to control the railroad from Wuchang to Guangzhou (Yuehan Railway). Hu'nan was relatively unscathed by the civil war that followed the defeat of the Japanese in 1945. In 1949, the Communists returned once more as the Nationalists retreated southward.

In the 1950s General Wang Zhen coerced thousands of Hu'nanese women into sexual servitude at PLA units in Xinjiang.^[22]

As Mao Zedong's home province, Hu'nan supported the Cultural Revolution of 1966–1976.^{[citation needed]} However, it was slower than most provinces in adopting the reforms implemented by Deng Xiaoping in the years that followed Mao's death in 1976.

In addition to CCP Chairman Mao Zedong, a number of other first-generation communist leaders were also from Hu'nan: Chinese President Liu Shaoqi; CCP Secretary-generals Ren Bishi and Hu Yaobang; Marshals Peng Dehuai, He Long, and Luo Ronghuan; Wang Zhen, one of the Eight Elders; Xiang Jingyu, the first female member of the CCP's central committee; Senior General Huang Kecheng; and veteran diplomat Lin Boqu. An example of a more recent leader from Hu'nan is former Chinese Premier Zhu Rongji.

Hu'nan is located on the south bank of the Yangtze River, about half way along its length, situated between 108° 47'–114° 16' east longitude and 24° 37'–30° 08' north latitude. Hu'nan covers an area of 211,800 square kilometres (81,800 square miles), 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 to the northwest, the Xuefeng Mountains to the west, the Nanling Mountains to the south, and the Luoxiao Mountains to the east. Mountains and hills occupy more than 80% of the province, and plains less than 20%. At 2115.2 meters above sea level, the highest point in Hu'nan province is Lingfeng (酃峰).^[23][24][25]

The Xiang, the Zi, the Yuan and the Lishui Rivers converge on the Yangtze River at Lake Dongting in the north of Hu'nan. 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 Hu'nan lies in the basins of four major tributaries of the Yangtze River.

Lake Dongting is the largest lake in the province and the second largest freshwater lake of China.

The Xiaoxiang 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.^[26]

Changsha (which means "long sands") was an active ceramics district during the Tang dynasty, 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 was discovered off the small island of Belitung, Indonesia with more than 60,000 pieces in its cargo.^{[citation needed]} The salvaged cargo is today housed in nearby Singapore.

Hu'nan's climate is subtropical, and, under the Köppen climate classification, is classified as being humid subtropical (Köppen Cfa), with short, cool, damp winters, very hot and humid summers, and plenty of rainfall. January temperatures average 3 to 8 °C (37 to 46 °F) while July temperatures average around 27 to 30 °C (81 to 86 °F). Average annual precipitation is 1,200 to 1,700 millimetres (47 to 67 in).The Furongian Epoch in the Cambrian Period of geological time is named for Hu'nan; Furong (芙蓉) means "lotus" in Mandarin and refers to Hu'nan which is known as the "lotus state".^[27]

Hu'nan is divided into fourteen prefecture-level divisions: thirteen prefecture-level cities and an autonomous prefecture:

Administrative divisions of Hu'nan
Changsha Zhuzhou Xiangtan Hengyang Shaoyang Yueyang Changde Zhangjiajie Yiyang Chenzhou Yongzhou Huaihua Loudi Xiangxi Aut. Prefecture
Division code[28]	Division	Area in km2[29]	Population 2010[30]	Seat	Divisions[31]
					Districts	Counties	Aut. counties	CL cities
430000	Hu'nan Province	210,000.00	65,683,722	Changsha city	36	61	7	18
430100	Changsha city	11,819.46	7,044,118	Yuelu District	6	1		2
430200	Zhuzhou city	11,262.20	3,855,609	Tianyuan District	5	3		1
430300	Xiangtan city	5,006.46	2,748,552	Yuetang District	2	1		2
430400	Hengyang city	15,302.78	7,141,462	Zhengxiang District	5	5		2
430500	Shaoyang city	20,829.63	7,071,826	Daxiang District	3	6	1	2
430600	Yueyang city	14,897.88	5,477,911	Yueyanglou District	3	4		2
430700	Changde city	18,177.18	5,747,218	Wuling District	2	6		1
430800	Zhangjiajie city	9,516.03	1,476,521	Yongding District	2	2
430900	Yiyang city	12,325.16	4,313,084	Heshan District	2	3		1
431000	Chenzhou city	19,317.33	4,581,778	Beihu District	2	8		1
431100	Yongzhou city	22,255.31	5,180,235	Lengshuitan District	2	8	1
431200	Huaihua city	27,562.72	4,741,948	Hecheng District	1	5	5	1
431300	Loudi city	8,107.61	3,785,627	Louxing District	1	2		2
433100	Xiangxi Autonomous Prefecture	15,462.30	2,547,833	Jishou city		7		1

The fourteen prefecture-level divisions of Hu'nan are subdivided into 122 county-level divisions (35 districts, 17 county-level cities, 63 counties, 7 autonomous counties). Those are in turn divided into 2587 township-level divisions (1098 towns, 1158 townships, 98 ethnic townships, 225 subdistricts, and eight district public offices). At the year end of 2017, the total population is 68.6 million.[1]

Urban areas

Most populous cities in Hunan Source: China Urban Construction Statistical Yearbook 2018 Urban Population and Urban Temporary Population[33]
	Rank		Pop.	Rank		Pop.
Changsha Hengyang	1	Changsha	3,744,300	11	Yongzhou	574,500	Zhuzhou Changde
	2	Hengyang	1,437,900	12	Leiyang	573,000
	3	Zhuzhou	1,152,600	13	Loudi	516,800
	4	Changde	997,900	14	Ningxiang	472,700
	5	Yueyang	892,000	15	Jishou	315,000
	6	Chenzhou	842,000	16	Changning	300,000
	7	Xiangtan	817,700	17	Wugang	290,000
	8	Shaoyang	712,300	18	Liuyang	260,100
	9	Yiyang	668,200	19	Liling	247,500
	10	Huaihua	624,000	20	Xiangxiang	235,000

The politics of Hu'nan is structured in a dual party-government system like all other governing institutions in mainland China.

The Governor of Hu'nan is the highest-ranking official in the People's Government of Hu'nan. However, in the province's dual party-government governing system, the Governor has less power than the Hu'nan Chinese Communist Party Provincial Committee Secretary, colloquially termed the "Hu'nan CCP Party Chief".

As of the mid-19th century, Hu'nan exported rhubarb, musk, honey, tobacco, hemp, and birds.^[34] The Lake Dongting area is an important center of ramie production, and Hu'nan is also an important center of tea cultivation. Aside from agricultural products, in recent years Hu'nan 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 and Zhejiang.^[35]

The Lengshuijiang area is noted for its stibnite mines, and is one of the major centers of antimony extraction in China. ^{[citation needed]}

Hu'nan is also well known for a few global makers of construction equipment such as concrete pumps, cranes, etc. These companies include Sany Group, Zoomlion and Sunward. Sany is one of the world's major players. The city of Liuyang is the world's top center for manufacturing fireworks.^[36]

Hu'nan is the 9th-largest provincial economy of China, the third largest in the Central China region after Henan and Hubei, the fourth largest in the South Central China region after Guangdong, Henan and Hubei and the fourth largest among inland provinces after Henan, Sichuan and Hubei.^[6] As of 2021, Hu'nan's nominal GDP was US$724 billion (CNY 4.6 trillion), appearing in the world's top 20 largest sub-national economies with its GDP (Purchasing Power Parity) being over US$1.1 trillion,^[6][7] and its GDP (nominal) per capita exceeded US$10,900 (69,300 CNY), making it the 2nd richest in the Central China region after Hubei and the 3rd richest in South Central China region after Guangdong and Hubei.^[6]

As of 2020, Hu'nan's GDP (nominal) was US$605 billion,^[8][9] 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).^[10]

Economic and technological development zones

• Changsha 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 38.6 km² (14.9 sq mi) and the current area is 14 km² (5.4 sq mi). 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 8 km (5.0 mi). The major industries in the zone include high-tech industry, biology project technology and new material industry.^[39]

• 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 Hu'nan 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", 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.^[40]

• Zhuzhou National New & Hi-Tech Industrial Development Zone

Zhuzhou Hi-Tech Industrial Development Zone was founded in 1992. Its total planned area is 35 km² (14 sq mi). 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.^[41]

As of the 2000 census, the population of Hu'nan is 64,400,700 consisting of forty-one 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 and 10.21% (6,575,300) as minority groups. The minority groups are Tujia, Miao, Dong, Yao, Bai, Hui, Zhuang, Uyghurs and so on.

In Hu'nan, 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, Hm Nai language, Hmu language
• Shaoyang: Maojia language, Hm Nai language, Pa-Hng language, Badong Yao language
• Yongzhou: Mien language, Biao Min language
• Chenzhou: Dzao Min language

Hu'nanese Uyghurs

Around 5,000 Uyghurs live around Taoyuan County and other parts of Changde.^{[53][54][55][56]} Hui and Uyghurs have intermarried in this area.^[57][58][59] In addition to eating pork, the Uygurs of Changde practice other Han Chinese customs, like ancestor worship at graves. Some Uyghurs from Xinjiang visit the Hu'nan Uyghurs out of curiosity or interest.^[60] The Uyghurs of Hu'nan do not speak the Uyghur language, instead, Mandarin Chinese is spoken as their native language.^[61]

Religion

The predominant religions in Hu'nan are Chinese Buddhism, Taoist traditions and Chinese folk religions. According to surveys conducted in 2007 and 2009, 20.19% of the population believes and is involved in ancestor veneration, while 0.77% of the population identifies as Christian.^[52] The reports didn't give figures for other types of religion; 79.04% of the population may be either irreligious or involved in worship of nature deities, Buddhism, Confucianism, Taoism, folk religious sects.

In 2010, there are 118.799 Muslims in Hu'nan^[62]

• 
  Puguang Buddhist Temple in Zhangjiajie.
• 
  Temple of Confucius in Liuyang.
• 
  An ancestral shrine in the province.

Being the educational and political in the late Qing Era, Hu'nan became the center of revolution and reformation, and it was the birthplace of many famous Chinese scholars, politicians, and generals, including the most influential and controversial figure of China in the 20th century, Mao Zedong.

• 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 (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 (1893–1976)
• He Long (1896–1969)
• Peng Dehuai (1898–1974)
• Liu Shaoqi (1898–1969)
• Ma Ying-jeou (born 1950)
• Yuet-ching Lee (1918–1997), Hong Kong actress^{[citation needed]}
• Ted Hui (born 1982), Hong Kong politician^{[citation needed]}
• Martin Cao (born 1993), racing driver
• Zhou Chengzhou (born 1982), Chinese film director and artist

Hu'nan's culture industry generated 87 billion yuan (US$11.76 billion) in economic value in 2007,^[63] and is major contributor to the province's economic growth. The industry accounts for 7.5 percent of the region's GDP. ^{[citation needed]}

Language

Xiang Chinese (湘语) is the eponymous variety of Chinese spoken in Hu'nan. There are several varieties of Xiang Chinese, such as New Xiang, Old Xiang, and Hengzhou Xiang. In addition to Xiang Chinese, there are also other dialects and languages present, such as Southwestern Mandarin, Hakka, Waxiang, and Xiangnan Tuhua. Nü shu, a writing system for Xiangnan Tuhua, is used exclusively among women in Jiangyong County and neighboring areas in southern Hu'nan.

Cuisine

Hu'nanese cuisine is noted for its near-ubiquitous use of chili peppers, garlic, and shallots. These ingredients give rise to a distinctive dry-and-spicy (干辣; gānlà) taste,^[64] with dishes such as smoked cured ham, and stir-fried spicy beef being prime examples of the flavor.^[64]

Music

Huaguxi is a local form of Chinese opera that is very popular in Hu'nan province.

Located in the south central part of the Chinese mainland, Hu'nan 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 Hu'nan, in Shiniuzhai National Geological Park.^[65]

• Wulingyuan is a World Heritage Site and a 5A Scenic Area. Located in south-central Hu'nan, Wulingyuan is noted for its thousands of quartzite sandstone pillars, caves, and waterfalls. The area also contains Zhangjiajie National Forest Park.
• Shaoshan County, known for being the birthplace of Mao Zedong
• Yueyang Tower, on the shores of Lake Dongting, was built in the Han and Jin dynasties, and has existed in its current state since the Qing Dynasty. Alongside the Pavilion of Prince Teng and Yellow Crane Tower, it is one of the Three Great Towers of Jiangnan.
• Mount Heng, in Hengyang, is one of the Five Great Mountains of China, and is home to the largest temple in southern China.
• Fenghuang County, in Xiangxi Prefecture, has been placed on the UNESCO 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 and Miao cultures.^[66]

Panoramic view of Mount Heng

As of 2023, Hu'nan hosts 137 institutions of higher education, ranking fifth together with Sichuan (137) among all Chinese provinces after Jiangsu (168), Henan (168), Guangdong (162), and Shandong (156).^[17][67] Hu'nan is also the seat of 12 adult higher education institutions.^[68] Two major cities in Hu'nan (Changsha and Xiangtan) were ranked in the top 500 cities in the world by scientific research output, as tracked by the Nature Index in 2017.^[18] There are three national key universities under Project 985 (Hu'nan University, Central South University and the National University of Defense Technology) in Hu'nan, the third highest after Beijing and Shanghai. Hu'nan Normal University in Changsha is the key construction university of the national 211 Project, and Xiangtan University in Xiangtan is a key university jointly built by Hu'nan 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 Hu'nan Province.

Hu'nan University and Central South University are the only two Project 985 universities in Changsha, Hu'nan 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.^[69][70] Hu'nan 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.^[70]

Hu'nan Agricultural University in Changsha, the University of South China in Hengyang, Hu'nan University of Technology in Zhuzhou and Xiangtan University in Xiangtan were ranked in the top 801-900 globally by the Academic Ranking of World Universities.^{[71][72][73][74]} Hu'nan 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.^[69][75] As of 2023, Hu'nan University of Chinese Medicine in Changsha ranked the best in the Central China region and 26th nationwide among Chinese Medical Universities.^[76]

National key public universities

Changsha City

• Central South University (Project 211, Project 985, Double First Class University)
• Hu'nan University (Project 211, Project 985, Double First Class University)
• Hu'nan 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
• Hu'nan Agricultural University
• Hu'nan First Normal University
• Hu'nan University of Chinese Medicine
• Hu'nan University of Technology and Commerce

Hengyang City

• Hengyang Normal University
• University of South China

Jishou City

• Jishou University

Loudi City

• Hu'nan University of Humanities, Science and Technology

Shaoyang City

• Shaoyang University

Xiangtan City

• Hu'nan Institute of Engineering
• Hu'nan University of Science and Technology

Yueyang City

• Hu'nan Institute of Science and Technology

Zhuzhou City

• Hu'nan University of Technology

General undergraduate universities (public)

Changsha City

• Changsha Normal University
• Changsha University
• Hu'nan University of Finance and Economics
• Hu'nan Police Academy
• Hu'nan Women's University

Hengyang City

• Hu'nan Institute of Technology

Xiangtan City

• Xiangtan Institute of Technology

Yongzhou City

• Hu'nan University of Science and Engineering

Chenzhou City

• Xiangnan University

General undergraduate universities (private)

• Changsha Medical University
• Hu'nan International Economics University
• Hu'nan Institute of Information Technology
• Hu'nan Institute of Traffic Engineering
• Hu'nan Applied Technology University

Vocational and technical colleges/universities

• Changsha Aeronautical Vocational and Technical College
• Changsha Social Work College
• Hu'nan Mass Media Vocational and Technical College
• Changde Vocational and Technical College

Airports

There are several airports in Hu'nan provinces, including Changsha Huanghua International Airport, Zhangjiajie Hehua International Airport, 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 Hu'nan, including Changsha Huanghua International Airport, Zhangjiajie Hehua International Airport and Changde Taohuayuan Airport.^[15] Notably, as of 2021, Changsha Huanghua International Airport was one of the 50 busiest airports in the world,^[77] the 12th busiest civil airport in China, the second busiest in South Central China after Guangzhou Baiyun International Airport and the busiest in Central China.^[15]

Railways

The Beijing–Guangzhou high-speed railway passes through Hu'nan.

Professional sports teams in Hu'nan include:

• Chinese Football Association League One
  • Hu'nan Billows F.C.

• Major national historical and cultural sites in Hu'nan
• Xiaoxiang, the "lakes and rivers" region of south-central China
• State of Chu, ancient Chinese state partly in modern-day Hu'nan
• Hu'nanese people

Look up Hunan in Wiktionary, the free dictionary.

• Hunan travel guide from Wikivoyage
• Hu'nan Government website
• Chisholm, Hugh, ed. (1911). "Hu-nan" . Encyclopædia Britannica. Vol. 13 (11th ed.). Cambridge University Press. pp. 892–893.
• Economic profile for Hu'nan at HKTDC
• "History of Hu'nanese", the first book on the history of Hu'nanese(Phoelanese) civilization and nation from the perspective of we the Hu'nanese (phoelanese) people.