Chinese Name: 邵阳市 (shào yáng shì)

Population: 7,300,000 

Area: 20,829 square kilometers (8,042 square miles) 

Nationalities: Han, Miao and other 38 ethnic minorities 

Administrative Division: 3 districts (Shaungqing, Daxiang, Beita); 7 counties (Shaodong, Shaoyang, Xinshao, Longhui Dongkou, Suining, Xinning); 1 autonomous county (Chengbu Miao); 1 county-level city (Wugang)

Seat of the City Government: Chengbei Lu, Shuangqing District, Shaoyang City

Useful Telephone Numbers: Tourist Complaints: 0739-5365033
                                        Weather Forecast: 121
                                        Zip Code Inquiry: 184

Bank of China Shaoyang Branch: 45, Daxiang District, Shaoyang City

China Post Shaoyang Branch: 1. Hongqi Lu, Daxiang District, Shaoyang City

Location: Shaoyang City is located in the southwest of Hunan Province, Zijiang and Shaoshui are the main rivers, passing through the city. It has the most population and second largest land area among the cities in the province. Nabu County is seated next to Guangxi in the south and not far away from Longsheng.     

History: Shaoyang was called Baoqing in history. The earliest city was established here 2,500 year ago, during the late Spring and Autumn Period. Among the total thirty-six administrative areas in the Qin Dynasty, it was governed by Changsha and belonged to Lingling in Eastern Han Dynasty. During the Three Kingdoms Period, Lingling was divided into northern and southern parts and Shaoyang was just the heart of north region.       

Physical Features: Shaoyang lies in the transition area from hilly area to plateau. Branches of Naling Mountains and Xufeng Mountain stand in its south, west and north. Hills and basins are distributed in the central and eastern parts of the city. Generally, the terrain declines from the southwest to the northeast. It also has large forests, ranking one of the major four forest zones of Hunan.

Climate: Climate there is humid and seasons are clear. Generally the temperature is mild without severe winter and torrid summer. However, the weather is different from hilly area and basins. The annual average temperature is about 17 degrees. Most of the rain falls between April to June.

When to Go: Summer and Autumn are better seasons to visit Shaoyang, especially from August to October.  

Local Features: There are many ethnic minorities here, which is a large group made up of nearly 400,000 people. Flower Drum Opera is a famous folk art in Hunan. Shaoyang local also prefer this. In addition, Shaoyang also has its own styles of art, blend with instruments, songs, performances and ballads. It teems with orange and now a new industrial city of the region.

 Attractions:
Mt. Langshan: Located in Xinning County, Langshan is a national geopark. In this large resort, there are lots of attractions, being a best place to see the Danxia Landscape. Three limestone caves and formative forest attracts many people to come. It also has a rockcraft training center.

Huangsang Nature Reserve: Famous for the antique environment and flourishing vegetation, the reserve in Suining County is a good place to explore the natural beauty, with many beautiful types of scenery can be captured.

Travel Tips: 
Shaoyang City can not reached directly by air. A transfer to buses should be made in Changsha. Shaoyang Railway Station is in the east of Shuangqing District. Everyday, there are four trains heading for Shaoyang from Changsha. In addition, Guangzhou, Shanghai (South) has trains to Shaoyang. Many other trains pass Shaoyang to or from Naning, Nanjing, Qingdao, Ningbo, Zhengzhou, Zhaoqing, Zhanjiang and Guilin. In the city proper, bus 1, 5, 7, 18 and 28 run to the railway station.

Shaoyang has three main bus stations:
East Station in Shazipo
Bus Routes: 1, 2, 8, 38, 28, 10, 15, 18
South Station in Xihu Lu
Bus Routes: 7, 17, 18, 25, 26, 38
West Station in Zhaoxi Lu
Bus Routes: 10, 28, 38

Changsha to Shaoyang: Changsha South Bus Station operates many buses to Shaoyang from 08:00 to 17:40. The ticket price is about CNY60-70. Changsha West Bus Station also have opened new routes to Shaoyang, but much fewer. There are four daily: 08:20, 10:50, 13:20 and 16:00. They can reach Shaoyang in 2.5 hours with the ticket price being CNY74.