Meaning of the name
"Lake South", from its position south of Lake Dongting. Hunan is sometimes called "Xiang" for short, after the Xiangjiang River which runs through the province.

Geographical location
Hunan, abbreviated as "Xiang", lies at 1080 47' to 114045' east longitude, and 24039' to 30028' north latitude; it is 667 km wide and 774 km long. As an inland province adjacent to the coastal areas, Hunan has an area of 211,800 square km, 2.2 percent of the national total, ranking 11th largest in China.

Capital: Changsha

Major Cities: Changsha, Zhuzhou, Hengyang, Yueyang, Xiangtan, Shaoyang, Lengshuijiang, Zhangjiajie

Neighboring Areas: Jiangxi, Guangdong, Guizhou, Sichuan, and Hubei provinces; Guangxi Zhuang Autonomous Region

Attractions in Hunan

Population:
By the end of 2002, Hunan had a total population of 66 million. Among them, 21 million are urban residents, and 45 million are rural residents.

Population growth rate:
The birth rate of the province in 2002 was 11.56¡ë, and death rate was 6.7¡ë. The natural population growth rate was 4.86¡ë.

Life expectancy: 69 years.

Ethnicity:
Hunan Province has a total of 41 ethnic groups including Han, Tujia, Miao, Yao, Dong, Bai, Hui and Uygur. According to the fifth census in 2000, the Han population was 57.8 million, 89.79 percent of the provincial total, while minorities are 6.58 million or 10.21 percent. Compared with the fourth census in 1990, the number of ethnic minority people has increased 2.26 percentage points. The majority of local minorities live in the mountainous regions of west, south and east Hunan.

History
Hunan enters the written history of China around 350 BC, when under the emperors of the Zhou dynasty it became part of the state Chu Empire. Until then Hunan was a land of primeval forests, occupied by the Miao, Tujia, Tung and Yao peoples, but starting at this time and for hundreds of years thereafter it was a magnet for migration of Han Chinese from the north, who cleared most of the forests and began farming rice in the valleys and plains. To this day, many of the small villages in Hunan are named after the Han families which originally settled there.

Hunan became an important communications center from its position on the Yangzi River (Chang Jiang) and on the Imperial Highway constructed between northern and southern China, and its 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 was overcrowded and prone to peasant uprisings. The Taiping rebellion which began to the south in Guangxi Province in 1850 spread into Hunan and then further eastward along the Yangzi River valley, but ultimately it was a Hunanese army under Zeng Guofan which marched to Nanjing and put down the uprising in 1864. Hunan was relatively quiet until 1910 when there were uprisings against the crumbling Qing dynasty, which were followed by the Communist's Autumn Harvest Uprising of 1927 led by Hunanese native Mao Zedong. The Communists maintained a guerilla army in the mountains along the Hunan-Jiangxi border until 1934, when under pressure from the Nationalist (Guomindang) forces they began the famous Long March to bases in Shaanxi Province. After the departure of the Communists, the Nationalist army fought against the Japanese, defending the capital Changsha until it fell in 1944. Hunan was relatively unscathed by the civil war that followed the defeat of the Japanese in 1945, and in 1949 the Communists returned once more as the Nationalists retreated southward.

Being Mao Zedong's home province, Hunan supported the Cultural Revolution of 1966-1976, and was slower than most provinces in adopting the reforms implemented by Deng Xiaoping in the years that followed Mao's death in 1976. Hunan remains mostly dependent on agriculture, but mining and industry have been gradually developing since 1949. Hunan produces more rice than any other province in China, but is also a major producer of sweet potatoes, corn (maize), barley, potatoes, sorghum, rape, ramie, cotton and jute. Various fruits are grown, the most famous of which are sweet seedless Hunan tangerines. Tung trees and tea seed shrubs are grown in the highlands, along with both red and black varieties of tea. Hunan's mineral wealth is cheifly non-ferrous: tin, manganese, antimony, lead, zinc, tungsten and molybdenum. Large coal mines serve the iron and steel works at Wuhan, Hubei Province, and some iron ore deposits support local specialized industries in Hunan such as iron cookware. The major urban centers of Changsha, Xiangtan and Zhuzhou support industries as diverse as aluminum smelting, machine tools, textiles and food processing.

Culture
Famous handicrafts produced in Hunan include Xiang embroidery, duck-down quilts and bamboo items.

Food
Hunan cooking is known for its use of hot chilli peppers, like neighboring Sichuan Province. Famous dishes include Dongan Chicken, Gualiang Fen (cold rice noodles in spicy sauce), and Chou Dofu ("stinking" tofu)

Folklore
Children adopted from Hunan are often jokingly called "spicy babies", for the food they are supposedly given, and for the alleged effect it has on their personalities.

Educational level
The fifth census reveals that 1.885 million residents are in higher education (junior college and above), accounting for 10.21 percent; those receiving high school education (including secondary professional education) are 7.164 million, 11.84 percent; youngsters receiving junior high school education total 22.96 million, 37.95 percent of the total; while there are 24.68 million at elementary school level or 40.8 percent. Of the total population, 2.995 million are illiterate, accounting for 5.98 percent of the province¡¯s population above the age of 15.

By the end of 2002, Hunan had 60 colleges and universities, and 419,400 enrolled students. There are 16 graduate-level institutes, with 14,147 students enrolled and 24 adult colleges with an enrolment of 301,800. There are 113 secondary technical schools, with 223,700 students. Besides, Hunan has 4,712 middle schools, taking in 4.669 million students. Hunan¡¯s middle school education rate is 93 percent. Currently, the province has 27,243 primary schools, with 5.29 million pupils. Its primary education rate is 97.64 percent.

Topography:
The land in Hunan generally slopes from the east, south and west towards the north like the shape of a horse¡¯s hoof. Hunan is surrounded with mountains on three sides: Mufu and Luoxiao mountains in the east, Nanling Mountain in the south, and Wuling and Xuefeng mountain in the west. The northern part of the province is the Dongting Lake Plain, and central Hunan has wide areas of low hills, basins and valleys.

Among the total area of Hunan, mountainous regions account for 51.2 percent, while basins, plains and hilly areas account for 13.9 percent, 13.1 percent and 15.4 percent respectively. Areas below 50 meters altitude form 9.9 percent of the total, while areas above 1000 meters account for 4.3 percent. The majority of Hunan Province lies at altitudes between 100 meters and 800 meters.

Mountains: Wuling Mountains in the northwest; Xuefeng Mountains in the central west; Luoxiao Mountains in the east; Nanting Mountains in the south

Rivers: Xiangjiang, Yuanjiang, Zishui, Lishui Rivers and Yangtze River

Lakes: Dongting and Datong Lakes

Climate:
Hunan has a humid continental and subtropical monsoon climate. It has average annual sunshine of 1,300-1,800 hours, annual average temperature is 16¡ãC-18¡ãC, a frost-free period of 260-310 days, and a mean annual precipitation of 1,200-1,700 mm.

Its climate has three characteristics: first, it has abundant sunshine, heat and water resources, and they reach their peak synchronously. During the period from April to October, the total radiation amount is 70-76 percent of the whole year, and rainfall accounts for 68-84 percent of the total. Second, there are distinct seasonal climate changes, with a cold winter and hot summer. The temperature always changes in spring, but always declines abruptly in the autumn. There is much rainfall in spring and summer, while drought always appears in autumn and winter. Third, areas with an abruptly changeable climate are surrounded by mountains in three directions, especially in the mountainous regions in west and south Hunan.

Average Temperature: 1,250 - 1,750 mm; high precipitation on the seaward side of mountains; 40 percent of the rain falls from April to June

Land:
Hunan has a total cultivated area of 3.92 million hectares, 18.5 percent of the province¡¯s total area. Forest areas, 9.47 million hectares, account for 44.7 percent; deserted hilly areas where forestation is possible total 159,400 hectares, 0.8 percent of the total; the freshwater area is 1.353 million hectares, accounting for 6.4 percent. Over half of the soil in the province is red or yellow earth. Nearly 20 percent of the cultivated areas are suitable for paddy planting.

Water resources:
The province has a complete water system. Dongting Lake in northern Hunan, the second largest fresh water lake in China, has a water area of 2,691 square km. It takes the waters of the Xiangjiang River, Zishui River, Yuanjiang River and Lishui River from the southwest, and then flows into the Yangtze River at Chenglingji.

Xiangjiang River, Zishui River, Yuanjiang River and Lishui River have a total waterway length of 2,200 km in Hunan, with nearly 5,000 tributaries.

There are more than 5,341 rivers over 5 km in length, totaling 90,000 km, with annual runoff of 200.43 billion cubic meters.

The total surface water and total underground water are 175.92 billion cubic meters and 43.85 billion cubic meters respectively.

Minerals:
Hunan has various and abundant minerals. Of the over 140 kinds of minerals found nationwide, 111 kinds are found in the province; at least 83 of these are currently exploitable.

The province is known as the ¡°hometown of nonferrous metals¡±, with the presence of 37 types confirmed among them. Deposits of stibium rank largest in the world, while deposits of tungsten, bismuth and monazite rank first in China. There is also abundant lead and zinc.

Non-metallic minerals are the second largest group of resources. Deposits of jade-like stone, barite, feldspar and meerschaum, etc. are the largest in the country. Hunan has another 30-plus minerals like limestone, silica, dolomite, pyrite and phosphorite. Coal deposits rank first among the nine provinces in south China.

Energy:
The energy sector in Hunan includes production of coal, crude oil processing and power construction.

Currently, coal deposits totaling 3.4 billion tons have been confirmed. Oil is still under exploration, but Hunan has large-scale crude oil processing enterprises.

The province has a potential hydropower capability of 15.32 million kw, of which 10.84 million kw can now be exploited. Currently, some large hydropower generating plants like Fengtan, Dongjiang and Wuqiangxi have been set up. By 1998, the installed capacity had reached 5.1 million kw. After continuous construction and extension, the installed capacity of thermal power reached 4.82 million kw by the end of 1998. Several more hydropower generating plants and thermal power plants will be set up by 2010. Besides, Hunan is preparing for the establishment of nuclear power plants.

Hunan¡¯s electricity network now covers 90 percent of the province.

Biological resources:
Hunan has a variety of animals and wide range of distribution. Incomplete statistics show that the province has 70 kinds of mammals, 310 kinds of birds, over 70 kinds of creeping animals and over 160 kinds of fish. It has 44 rare and state-protected animals. Eighteen kinds of rare animals are under Class A protection, like the white-flag dolphin, South China tiger. Nineteen kinds of animals, like the macaque and short-tail monkey, are under Class B protection. The third category of protected animals includes seven species, such as bear.

Hunan, lying in a sub-tropical area, has a mild climate and flourishing plants. Forest cover totals 34.3 percent, and land used for forestry accounts for 57.4 percent of the province¡¯s total area. As an important timber base in South China, Hunan currently has 2,470 kinds of woody plants, with a total accumulated volume of 184 million cubic meters and annual growth of 11 million cubic meters.

In addition, it has abundant grassland resources.

Tourist resources:
Hunan has lots of elegant landscapes and numerous historic sites. It now has over 20,000 cultural remains, including 22 national-level key protection units and 211 provincial-level key protection units.

The province has four state-class natural reserves, 22 provincial-class natural reserves and 21 national forest parks. The total area of nature reserves is 7,260 square km, 3.43 percent of the province¡¯s total.

Hunan has developed 43 scenic areas. There are three national-level key scenic areas covering Mount Hengshan, WulinYuan, Yueyang Tower, Dongting Lake and Shaoshan, and 27 provincial¨Cclass scenic areas.

WulingYuan tourist area (including Zhangjiajie, Suoxi Valley and Tianzi Mountain and Mengdong River), with its unique physiognomy, limestone caves, brooks, hot springs, ancient trees and rare animals, has been placed by United Nations Educational, Scientific and Cultural Organization (UNESCO) on the World Natural Heritage List. Mount Hengshan is the famous sacred mountain of Buddhism and a summer resort. Yueyang Tower is also well known at home and abroad for its long history, folklore and grand architecture. Changsha, the provincial capital, is a historic and cultural city. Tourist sites there include Han Dynasty Tombs at Mawangdui, Yuelu Hill, Loving Youth Pavilion (Aiwanting), Orange Isle (Juzizhou), andYuelu Academy of Classical Learning.

Environment protection:
In 2002, Hunan established 149 environment-monitoring stations, with a staff of 2,498. It completed 374 pollution-prevention projects involving investment of 70.1 million yuan. The province also set up 1,072 square km of smog-control zones, 1,094 square km of noise-control zones. The comprehensive rectification of Dongting Lake has achieved much: its ecology is greatly improved, the water area is enlarged and floodwater storage is also strengthened.

But pollution and ecological breakages in some areas have not been effectively controlled.

Transportation
Railway
In Hunan, the Beijing-Guangzhou and Jiaozuo-Liuzhou railways run through from north to south China, while the Zhejiang-Jiangxi, Hunan-Guizhou, Hunan-Guangxi and Shimen-Changsha Railways cross from west to east China, totaling 2,275 kilometers in length. Besides, there are over 1,200 kilometers of local railways and special railways that connect to the national network. Zhuzhou and Huaihua railway stations are both large freight-marshalling yards. Railways run through all the 14 cities, autonomous prefectures and the majority of the counties in Hunan Province.

Highway
There are four national highways running north-south and three west-west connecting with over 70 provincial highways as well as lots of country roads.

Waterway
Hunan has some 15,000 kilometers of waterways, linking 95 percent of cities and over 30 percent of the towns in the province. Through the two 5,000-ton-level inland ports of Chenglingji, ships can reach the sea via the Yangtze River.

Aviation
Hunan has 56 air routes, linking 45 cities in China. Huanghua International Airport, as well as Zhangjiajie Airport and Changde Airport, have not only opened flight routes to major domestic cities, but also to Hong Kong, Bangkok and Seoul.

Telecommunications
Telephone users
Hunan had 7.95 million fixed-line telephone subscribers by the end of 2002, up 11.6 percent over previous year. The telephone subscriber rate was 12 percent. The number of mobile phone subscribers had reached 5.98 million, up 45.8 percent. Internet users were 1.267 million, up 16.4 percent. Turnover in the post and telecommunications industries reached 18.196 billion yuan, up 34.5 percent.

Radio and TV
By the end of 2002, the province had 11 radio stations, 25 medium-waved radio launch pad and relay stations, 15 TV stations, and 50 1,000-watts launch pad and relay stations. Television and radio cover 91.8 percent and 81.7 percent of the population respectively.