Hunan Province is located in the southern part of the middle reaches of the Yangtze River. Since it lies to the south of Dongting Lake, the second largest fresh water lake in China, it was given the name Hunan (literally meaning south of the lake). As the Xiangj iang River runs through the province from north to south, it has been shortened to Xiang. Hunan has a total area of 211,800 square km, a population of 65 million, and is home to the Tujia, Miao, Yso, Dong, Bai, Hui and Zhuang ethnic groups. The province governs 12 cities at the prefectural level, 11 administrative offices and one autonomous prefecture. The provincial capital is Changsha.

Hunan is in the continental sub-tropical monsoon humid climate zone. It has a short winter and a long frost-free period. The sunshine lasts for along period during the day and the four seasons are clearly distinguished. The annual average temperature is 16-18 'C, and the annual average rainfall is between 1,200 and 1,700 mm. The best tourism season is the fall, but traveling is pleasant from April to November.

Hunan has a long history, with abundant products, beautiful scenery and many places of interest. The historical and cultural cities of Changsha and Yueyang are located in the province. Also, there are 25 tourism areas at the State or provincial level, 22 nature reserves at or above the provincial level, 51 ancient or memorial buildings and more than 70 relics, ancient tombs or tablet inscriptions. Hunan is also the home of many famous people, including Mao Zedong, Liu Shaoqi and Hu Yaobang. Lots of tourists come here to track down their stories.

Hunan is "a land of fish and rice", teeming with delicacies, fruits and handicrafts of every kind. Its embroidery is known across the country and the ammonite stone carvings are famous throughout the world. Both artistic forms have won favor with tourists. Travelers cannot only taste the delicious Hunan dishes, but can also enjoy colorful festivals with minority nationalities. Various kinds of folk art are demonstrated here.

The southern holy mountain in China, Hengshan looks at once old, graceful, mysterious, breathtaking and exotic. Its 72 peaks form a range that serpentines for as far as 400km. Atop Zhurong, the major peak 1,290 metres above sea level, are Zhurong Hall, Southern Heavenly Gate and Moon Gazing Terrace. Nanyue Temple on Zhenbei Street at the entrance to the mountain is a giant 9,800-square-metre complex laid out in roughly the same way as the Former Imperial Palace of Beijing. Eight Taoist temples on the eastern side are arranged symmetrically with eight Buddhist temples on the western side to indicate equality between Buddhism and Taoism. This largest group of ancient structures in south China is the site of a grand temple fair every August.

Ming and Qing architecture remains large intact in the ancient city of Fenghuang (Phoenix) 53 km to the south of Jishou City. The streets are paved with slate, and most dwellings sit on stilts, looking classically elegant with flying eaves and curving roof corners. The former residence of Shen Congwen, a modern Chinese author, is in the city.

Covering an area of 2,820 square km, Dongting is the second largest freshwater lake which is connected with the mighty Yangtze. The lake's Junshan Island, looking magnificent with 72 peaks, is known for a kind of local tea.

It seemed Manwangdui, a place in the eastern suburb of Changsha, achieved world fame overnight in the 1970s with the discovery of precious cultural relics from three large Han tombs. Most eye-catching of these finds was a woman's corpse so well preserved that some of its bone joints could still be flexed, and some of its soft tissues were still elastic, despite the passage of 2,100 years. Among the other invaluable finds were 3,000 exquisite pieces of lacquer ware and paintings on silk. The corpse and the other artifacts are on display in Hunan Museum.

The Yueyang Tower, poised atop the western city gate of Yueyang, is one of the three major towers in south China. Construction of this tower began in 716, or the 4th year of Kaiyuan reign of the Tang. The fame of this tower stems largely from the essay "On Yueyang Tower" by Fan Zhongyan, a famed Song writer.