Hunan

Hunan 湖南
Province
Province of Hunan
Name transcription(s)
• Chinese	湖南省 (Húnán Shěng)
• Abbreviation	HN / 湘 (pinyin: Xiāng)
(clockwise from top) Wulingyuan Fenghuang Old Town Changsha Tianmen Mountain Yuelu Academy
Map showing the location of Hunan Province
Coordinates: 28°06′46″N 112°59′00″E / 28.11265°N 112.98338°E / 28.11265; 112.98338
Country	China
Named for	湖, hú – lake 南, nán – south "South of the lake"
Capital (and largest city)	Changsha
Divisions	14 prefectures, 122 counties, 1,933 townships (2018), 29,224 villages (2018)
Government
• Type	Province
• Body	Hunan Provincial People's Congress
• Party Secretary	Shen Xiaoming
• Congress chairman	Shen Xiaoming
• Governor	Mao Weiming
• CPPCC chairman	Mao Wanchun
• National People's Congress Representation	116 deputies
Area [1]
• Total	210,000 km2 (80,000 sq mi)
• Rank	10th
Highest elevation (Mount Lingfeng)	2,115.2 m (6,939.6 ft)
Population  (2020)[2]
• Total	66,444,864
• Rank	7th
• Density	320/km2 (820/sq mi)
• Rank	13th
Demonym	Hunanese
Demographics
• Ethnic composition	Han – 90% Tujia – 4% Miao – 3% Dong – 1% Yao – 1% Other peoples – 1%
• Languages and dialects	Chinese varieties: Xiang, Gan, Southwestern Mandarin, Xiangnan Tuhua, Waxiang, Hakka, Yue Non-Chinese languages: Xong, Tujia, Mien, Gam
GDP (2023)[3]
• Total	CN¥ 5,001 billion (9th) US$ 710 billion
• Per capita	CN¥ 75,938 (14th) US$ 10,776
ISO 3166 code	CN-HN
HDI (2022)	0.781[4] (15th) – high
Website	hunan.gov.cn enghunan.gov.cn

Hunan
"Hunan" in Chinese characters
Chinese	湖南
Xiang	[fu˩˧ lan˩˧][5]
Literal meaning	"South of the (Dongting) Lake"
Transcriptions Standard Mandarin Hanyu Pinyin Húnán Bopomofo ㄏㄨˊ   ㄋㄢˊ Wade–Giles Hu2-nan2 IPA [xǔ.nǎn] ⓘ Wu Romanization Wu去 noe平 Xiang IPA [fu˩˧ lan˩˧][5] Yue: Cantonese Yale Romanization Wùh-nàahm Jyutping Wu4-naam4 IPA [wu˩nam˩] Southern Min Tâi-lô Ôo-lâm

Hunan^[a] is an inland province of China. Located in the middle reaches of the Yangtze watershed, it borders the province-level divisions of Hubei to the north, Jiangxi to the east, Guangdong and Guangxi to the south, Guizhou to the west, and Chongqing to the northwest. Its capital and largest city is Changsha, which abuts the Xiang River. Hengyang, Zhuzhou, and Yueyang are among its most populous urban cities.

With a population of just over 66 million as of 2020^[update] residing in an area of approximately 210,000 km² (81,000 sq mi), it is China's 7th most populous province, the fourth most populous among landlocked provinces, the second most populous in South Central China after Guangdong and the most populous province in Central China. It is the largest province in South-Central China, the fourth largest among landlocked provinces, and the 10th most extensive province by area.

Hunan's nominal GDP was US$724 billion (CNY 4.6 trillion) as of 2021, appearing in the world's top 20 largest sub-national economies, with its GDP (PPP) being over US$1.1 trillion.^[6][7] Hunan is the 9th-largest provincial economy of China, the fourth largest in South Central China, the third largest in Central China and the fourth largest among landlocked provinces. Its GDP (nominal) per capita exceeded US$10,900 (69,300 CNY), making it the third-richest province in the South Central China region after Guangdong and Hubei.^[6] As of 2020, Hunan's GDP (nominal) reached 605 billion US dollars (CNY 4.18 trillion),^[8][9] 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.^[10]

The name Hunan literally means "south of the lake".^[11] The lake that is referred to is Dongting Lake, a lake in the northeast of the province. Vehicle license plates from Hunan are marked Xiāng (Chinese: 湘), after the Xiang River, which runs from south to north through Hunan and forms part of the largest drainage system for the province. The area of Hunan was under Chinese rule as far back as 350 BC. Hunan was the birthplace of communist revolutionary Mao Zedong,^[12] who became the Chairman of the Chinese Communist Party and the founding father of the People's Republic of China. Hunan today is home to some ethnic minorities, including the Tujia and Miao, along with the Han Chinese, who make up a majority of the population. Varieties of Chinese spoken include Xiang, Gan and Southwestern Mandarin.

Wulingyuan was inscribed as a UNESCO World Heritage Site in 1992.^[13] Changsha, the capital, is located in the eastern part of the province; it is now an important commercial, manufacturing and transportation centre.^[14] The busiest airports serve domestic and international flights for Hunan, including Changsha Huanghua International Airport, Zhangjiajie Hehua International Airport and Changde Taohuayuan Airport.^[15] Hunan is the seat of the Yuelu Academy (later become Hunan University), which is one of the four major academies over the last 1000 years in ancient China.^[16] As of 2023, Hunan hosts 137 institutions of higher education, ranking fifth among all Chinese provinces.^[17] As of 2024, two major cities in Hunan (Changsha 23rd and Xiangtan 199th) ranked in the world's top 200 cities by scientific research outputs.^[18]

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Hunan'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 Hunan 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, Hunan was home to its own independent regime, Ma Chu.

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

Hunan 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, 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 began in the south in Guangxi Province in 1850. The rebellion spread into Hunan and then further eastward along the Yangzi River valley. Ultimately, it was a Hunanese army (Xiang Army) under Zeng Guofan who marched into Nanjing to put down the uprising in 1864.

In 1920, a famine raged throughout Hunan and killed an estimated 2 million Hunanese civilians.^[21] This sparked the Autumn Harvest Uprising of 1927. It was led by Hunanese native Mao Zedong, and established a short-lived Hunan Soviet in 1927. The Communists maintained a guerrilla army in the mountains along the Hunan-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). Hunan 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 Hunanese women into sexual servitude at PLA units in Xinjiang.^[22]

As Mao Zedong's home province, Hunan 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 Hunan: Chinese President Liu Shaoqi; CCP Secretaries-General 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 Hunan is former Chinese Premier Zhu Rongji.

Hunan is located on the south bank of the Yangtze River, about halfway along its length, situated between 108° 47'–114° 16' east longitude and 24° 37'–30° 08' north latitude. Hunan 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 2,115.2 meters above sea level, the highest point in Hunan 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 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 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.

Hunan's climate is subtropical; further, under the Köppen climate classification, the climate 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 Hunan; Furong (芙蓉) means "lotus" in Mandarin and refers to Hunan which is known as the "lotus state".^[27]

Hunan is divided into fourteen prefecture-level divisions: thirteen prefecture-level cities and an autonomous prefecture:

Administrative divisions of Hunan
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	Hunan 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

Administrative divisions in Chinese and varieties of romanizations
English	Chinese	Pinyin	Xiang Romanization
Hunan Province	湖南省	Húnán Shěng	fu12 nan12 sǝn2
Changsha city	长沙市	Chángshā Shì	c̣an2 sa11 ṣî32
Zhuzhou city	株洲市	Zhūzhōu Shì	ćy11 c̣ôu11 ṣî32
Xiangtan city	湘潭市	Xiāngtán Shì	? ? ṣî32
Hengyang city	衡阳市	Héngyáng Shì	xǝn12 ian12 ṣî32
Shaoyang city	邵阳市	Shàoyáng Shì	? ian12 ṣî32
Yueyang city	岳阳市	Yuèyáng Shì	io4 ian12 ṣî32
Changde city	常德市	Chángdé Shì	? tô4 ṣî32
Zhangjiajie city	张家界市	Zhāngjiājiè Shì	? ćia11 kai31 ṣî32
Yiyang city	益阳市	Yìyáng Shì	i4 ian12 ṣî32
Chenzhou city	郴州市	Chēnzhōu Shì	? c̣ôu11 ṣî32
Yongzhou city	永州市	Yǒngzhōu Shì	yn2 c̣ôu11 ṣî32
Huaihua city	怀化市	Huáihuà Shì	fai12 fa31 ṣî32
Loudi city	娄底市	Lóudǐ Shì	? ti2 ṣî32
Xiangxi Autonomous Prefecture	湘西自治州	Xiāngxī Zìzhìzhōu	? si11 ci31 c̣î31 c̣ôu11

The fourteen prefecture-level divisions of Hunan 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, 1,158 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]

Population by urban areas of prefecture & county cities
#	City	Urban area[32]	District area[32]	City proper[32]	Census date
1	Changsha[b]	2,963,218	3,092,213	7,040,952	2010-11-01
(1)	Changsha (new district)[b]	230,136	523,660	see Changsha	2010-11-01
2	Hengyang	1,115,645	1,133,967	7,148,344	2010-11-01
3	Zhuzhou[c]	999,404	1,055,150	3,857,100	2010-11-01
(3)	Zhuzhou (new district)[c]	94,326	383,598	see Zhuzhou	2010-11-01
4	Yueyang	924,099	1,231,509	5,476,084	2010-11-01
5	Xiangtan	903,287	960,303	2,752,171	2010-11-01
6	Changde	846,308	1,457,419	5,714,623	2010-11-01
7	Yiyang	697,607	1,245,517	4,307,933	2010-11-01
8	Liuyang	588,081	1,279,469	see Changsha	2010-11-01
9	Chenzhou	582,971	822,534	4,583,531	2010-11-01
10	Shaoyang	574,527	753,194	7,071,735	2010-11-01
11	Yongzhou	540,930	1,020,715	5,194,275	2010-11-01
(12)	Ningxiang[d]	498,055	1,166,138	see Changsha	2010-11-01
13	Leiyang	476,173	1,151,554	see Hengyang	2010-11-01
14	Huaihua	472,687	552,622	4,741,673	2010-11-01
15	Liling	449,067	947,387	see Zhuzhou	2010-11-01
16	Loudi	425,037	496,744	3,784,634	2010-11-01
17	Changning	332,927	810,447	see Hengyang	2010-11-01
18	Miluo	321,074	692,080	see Yueyang	2010-11-01
19	Yuanjiang	281,097	666,270	see Yiyang	2010-11-01
20	Zhangjiajie	250,489	494,528	1,478,149	2010-11-01
21	Lianyuan	245,360	995,515	see Loudi	2010-11-01
22	Lengshuijiang	238,275	327,146	see Loudi	2010-11-01
23	Linxiang	225,054	498,319	see Yueyang	2010-11-01
24	Zixing	215,707	337,294	see Chenzhou	2010-11-01
25	Jishou	212,328	302,065	part of Xiangxi Prefecture	2010-11-01
26	Xiangxiang	210,799	788,216	see Xiangtan	2010-11-01
27	Hongjiang	197,753	477,996	see Huaihua	2010-11-01
28	Wugang	187,436	734,870	see Shaoyang	2010-11-01
29	Jinshi	156,230	250,898	see Changde	2010-11-01
30	Shaoshan	27,613	86,036	see Xiangtan	2010-11-01

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 CCP Party Chief".

As of the mid-19th century, Hunan exported rhubarb, musk, honey, tobacco, hemp, and birds.^[34] The Lake Dongting 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 campaign.^[35]: 298

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 and Zhejiang.^[36]

The Lengshuijiang area is noted for its stibnite mines, and is one of the major centers of antimony extraction in China.^[37]

Hunan 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.^[38]

Hunan 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, Hunan'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, Hunan'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]

Historical GDP of Hunan Province for 1952 –present (SNA2008)[39] (purchasing power parity of Chinese Yuan, as Int'l. dollar based on IMF WEO October 2017[40])
year	GDP				GDP per capita (GDPpc) based on mid-year population			Reference index
	GDP in millions			real growth (%)	GDPpc			exchange rate 1 foreign currency to CNY
	CNY	USD	PPP (Int'l$.)		CNY	USD	PPP (Int'l$.)	USD 1	Int'l$. 1 (PPP)
2016	3,155,137	475,007	901,236	8.0	46,382	6,983	13,249	6.6423	3.5009
2015	2,917,217	468,373	821,867	8.5	43,157	6,929	12,159	6.2284	3.5495
2014	2,728,177	444,126	768,414	9.5	40,635	6,615	11,445	6.1428	3.5504
2013	2,483,465	400,999	694,307	10.1	37,263	6,017	10,418	6.1932	3.5769
2012	2,233,833	353,875	629,107	11.4	33,758	5,348	9,507	6.3125	3.5508
2011	1,981,655	306,815	565,299	12.8	30,103	4,661	8,587	6.4588	3.5055
2010	1,615,325	238,618	487,925	14.6	24,897	3,678	7,520	6.7695	3.3106
2009	1,315,627	192,597	416,667	13.9	20,579	3,013	6,517	6.8310	3.1575
2008	1,162,761	167,422	366,016	14.1	18,261	2,629	5,748	6.9451	3.1768
2007	948,599	124,750	314,637	15.1	14,942	1,965	4,956	7.6040	3.0149
2006	772,232	96,870	268,350	12.8	12,192	1,529	4,237	7.9718	2.8777
2005	662,345	80,856	231,670	12.2	10,606	1,295	3,710	8.1917	2.8590
2000	355,149	42,901	130,603	9.0	5,425	655	1,995	8.2784	2.7193
1995	213,213	25,531	78,117	10.3	3,359	402	1,231	8.3510	2.7294
1990	74,444	15,564	43,724	4.0	1,228	257	721	4.7832	1.7026
1985	34,995	11,917	24,966	12.1	626	213	447	2.9366	1.4017
1980	19,172	12,795	12,820	5.2	365	244	244	1.4984	1.4955
1975	11,840	6,366		10.3	239	129		1.8598
1970	9,305	3,780		17.6	211	86		2.4618
1965	6,532	2,653		13.2	170	69		2.4618
1960	6,407	2,603		-1.0	176	71		2.4618
1955	3,583	1,376		18.5	104	40		2.6040
1952	2,781	1,251			86	39		2.2227

• 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.^[41]

• 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", 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.^[42]

• 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.^[43]

Historical population

Year	Pop.	±%
1912[44]	27,617,000	—
1928[45]	31,501,000	+14.1%
1936-37[46]	28,294,000	−10.2%
1947[47]	25,558,000	−9.7%
1954[48]	33,226,954	+30.0%
1964[49]	37,182,286	+11.9%
1982[50]	54,008,851	+45.3%
1990[51]	60,659,754	+12.3%
2000[52]	63,274,173	+4.3%
2010[53]	65,683,722	+3.8%
2020[2]	66,444,864	+1.2%

As of the 2000 census, the population of Hunan 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 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, 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

Around 5,000 Uyghurs live around Taoyuan County and other parts of Changde.^{[55][56][57][58]} Hui and Uyghurs have intermarried in this area.^[59][60][61] 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 Hunan Uyghurs out of curiosity or interest.^[62] The Uyghurs of Hunan do not speak the Uyghur language, instead, Mandarin Chinese is spoken as their native language.^[63]

The predominant religions in Hunan 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.^[54] 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 Hunan.^[64]

• 
  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, Hunan 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
• Lexie Liu (born 1998), singer
• Jackson Yee (born 2000), actor and singer

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).^[65]

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.^[3]

Hunan is a region with complex dialects. The dialects in the province include Xiang, Southwestern Mandarin, Gan, Hakka, and some local dialects whose identities have not yet been determined, such as Xiangnan Tuhua and Waxiang dialect. In areas where ethnic minorities live, many people can speak their own ethnic language and communicate in Chinese.

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 (干辣; gānlà) taste,^[66] with dishes such as smoked cured ham and stir-fried spicy beef being prime examples of the flavor.^[66]

Huaguxi is a local form of Chinese opera that is very popular in Hunan province.

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.^[67]

• Wulingyuan is a World Heritage Site and a 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 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.^[68]

As of 2023, Hunan 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][69] Hunan is also the seat of 12 adult higher education institutions.^[70] Two major cities in Hunan (Changsha and Xiangtan) were ranked in the top 200 cities in the world by scientific research output, as tracked by the Nature Index in 2024.^[18] There are three national key universities under Project 985 (Hunan University, 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 211 Project, and Xiangtan University in Xiangtan 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.^[71]

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.^[72][73] 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.^[73]

Hunan Agricultural University in Changsha, the University of South China in Hengyang, Hunan 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.^{[74][75][76][77]} 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.^[72][78] As of 2023, Hunan University of Chinese Medicine in Changsha ranked the best in the Central China region and 26th nationwide among Chinese Medical Universities.^[79]

• Central South University (Project 211, Project 985, Double First Class University)
• Hunan University (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 University (Project 111, Double First Class University)

• 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 Normal University
• University of South China

• Jishou University

• Hunan University of Humanities, Science and Technology

• Shaoyang University

• Hunan Institute of Engineering
• Hunan University of Science and Technology

• Hunan Institute of Science and Technology

• Hunan University of Technology

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

• Hunan Institute of Technology

• Xiangtan Institute of Technology

• Hunan University of Science and Engineering

• Xiangnan University

• Changsha Medical University
• Hunan International Economics University
• Hunan Institute of Information Technology
• Hunan Institute of Traffic Engineering
• Hunan Applied Technology University

• Changsha Aeronautical Vocational and Technical College
• Changsha Social Work College
• Hunan Mass Media Vocational and Technical College
• Changde Vocational and Technical College

There are several airports in Hunan 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 Hunan, 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,^[80] 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]

This section needs expansion. You can help by adding to it. (November 2022)

The Beijing–Guangzhou high-speed railway passes through Hunan.

This section needs expansion. You can help by adding to it. (December 2020)

Professional sports teams in Hunan include:

• Chinese Football Association League One
  • Hunan Billows F.C.

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

• Hunan travel guide from Wikivoyage
• Hunan Government website
• Chisholm, Hugh, ed. (1911). "Hu-nan" . Encyclopædia Britannica. Vol. 13 (11th ed.). Cambridge University Press. pp. 892–893.
• Economic profile for Hunan at 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.