Located in the middle reaches of Xiangjiang River and to the south of Mt. Hengshan in Hunan Province, Hengyang is a historically significant city renowned as the 'Bright Pearl in Southern China.' It is also known as 'Wild Goose City' because flocks of wild geese flying south for the winter have been known to stop there to rest.

Hengyang is the second largest city in Hunan with a population of over seven million. It is an agriculturally prosperous area with an abundance of seafood and rice. It is also very rich in natural resources including coal, zinc and lead. And it is one of the emerging industrial cities in China.

North of Hengyang is the popular tourist area of 'Nan Yue (southern mountain)'. Its most prominent topographical feature is Mt. Hengshan. Mt. Hengshan is the southern mountain of China's Five Sacred Mountains and symbolizes the co-existence of Buddhism and Taoism. It is also known as 'Longevity Mountain' and is the core scenic spot in the region.

During its thousand years' history Hengyang has been the birthplace of many famous people. Important historical figures include the poet Du Fu and Han Yu; the inventor of paper making Cai Lun and the revolutionist Luo Ronghuan.

There are five districts, two cities and five counties under Hengyang City's governance. The districts are Nan Yue; Yan Feng; Zhu Hui; Shi Gu and Zheng Xiang. The cities are Changning and Leiyang. The counties are Hengnan; Hengyang; Hengshan; Hengdong and Qidong. Due to its advantageous location adjacent to Guangdong Province and near the Xiangjiang River, Hengyang City has been a major commercial center since ancient times. It also has excellent transportation systems.

As it is know that Hunan Cuisine is one of the Eight Cuisines in China and you have the great chance to taste Hunan Cuisine in Hengyang City as much as you want. More especially, you would taste the Mt. Hengshan Buddhist Vegetable which is a healthy diet and famous in Hengyang. It is a good combination of various vegetables and contains abundant nutrition. These vegetable dishes are prepared according to strict standards emphasizing color, fragrance, bouquet and presentation.