It lies in the south of Hunan, by the middle stretch of Xiangjiang River. With an area of 22,400 square kilometers and a population of 5,665,000, it consists of two districts (Zhishan, Lengshuitan) and nine counties (Dong’an, Qiyang, Shuangpai, Ningyuan, Xintian, Daoxian, Jiangyong, Jianghua Yao Nationality Autonomous, Lanshan).

　　Yongzhou City was called Lingling in ancient times.Yongzhou was one of the three well-developed areas and one of the four ancient prefectures in Hunan. It was also the world’s original rice-growing area, the cradle of ceramics in China and the source of China’s Taoist culture. There are more than 1,700 cultural relics and historical sites in the area.

　　The area of Yongzhou adjoins Hunan and Guangdong provinces, and the Guangxi Zhuang Autonomous Region. It is the gateway to Guangdong, Guangxi, Hainan Province and the vast areas of Southwest China, as well as Hong Kong and Macao. The city has established trade and economic and technical cooperation relations with Hong Kong, Macao and Taiwan as well as the United States, Japan, Australia and 20 other countries.