Shaoyang, Hunan Province, China

🇨🇳 Shaoyang (邵阳; 邵陽; Shàoyáng), formerly named Baoqing (Paoking) (宝庆), is a prefecture-level city in south-western Hunan province, China, bordering Guangxi to the south. It has a history of 2500 years and remains an important commercial and transportation city in Hunan. The built-up (or metro) area is made of three urban districts and Xinshao County largely conurbated.

One of the major forest areas in Hunan, Shaoyang has a forest coverage of 42.7%. The 23,000,000-acre (93,000 km²) NanShan Pastures is one of the biggest in South Central China and provide dairy products and meat for Hunanese.

Shaoyang is home to Shaoyang University. The school is composed of the former Shaoyang Normal College and Shaoyang College.

The Shaoyang dialect of Lou Shao group of dialects of Xiang is generally spoken here.

History During the later Spring and Autumn period, official Bai Shan (白善) of Chu used to construct a city named Baigong (白公城) in Shaoyang. After the First emperor of Qin reunited China, Shaoyang was under jurisdiction of Changsha Commandery, one of thirty-six Commandery in the empire. Under the Eastern Han dynasty, Shaoyang was administered by Linling Commandery. During the Three Kingdoms era, northern part of Linling including today Shaoyang city was divided from it and designated new Zhaoling commandery (昭陵). Following Western Jin reunited Wu in 280 (or first year of Taikang era), emperor Wu changed the Commandery's name Zhaoling to Shaoling (邵陵) to avoid taboo of his father (Sima Zhao, 司马昭). Under the Southern Song period, Shao Prefecture was renamed and promoted Baoqing-fu by Lizong, whom used to take charge of Shao Prefecture defender (邵州防御使) when he was prince. The term "Baoqing" was used until 17 years of Republic of China (1928), when it was renamed Shaoyang County. After communist won Chinese Civil War, Shaoyang city was established in 1950.

Administrative divisions Shaoyang administers three districts, two county-level cities, six counties, and one autonomous county.

Districts: • Shuangqing District (双清区) • Daxiang District (大祥区) • Beita District (北塔区); County-level City: • Wugang City (武冈市) • Shaodong city (邵东市); Counties: • Shaoyang County (邵阳县) • Xinshao County (新邵县) • Longhui County (隆回县) • Dongkou County (洞口县) • Suining County (绥宁县) • Xinning County (新宁县); Autonomous county: • Chengbu Miao Autonomous County (城步苗族自治县).

Economy Although it is, by 2010 Census permanent resident population, the second-largest prefecture-level division of Hunan, its GDP (4.62% of provincial output) places it ninth within the province, making it an archetypal example of a large-population, relatively backwards-economy city. The GDP per capita of 12,797 CNY is the lowest in the province, and is only 42.9% of the provincial average, 36.5% of the national average, and 78% of even Guizhou's corresponding figure. Primary, secondary, and tertiary sectors respectively accounted for 23.9%, 38.2%, and 37.9% of the economy.

Transport: Rail Shaoyang has four main railway station: Shaoyang Railway Station (邵阳火车站) (Fast Train, K and Highspeed train, G), Shaoyang Railway Station (邵阳北老火车站) (Old, North, Freight), Shaodong railway station  (Fast Train, K and Highspeed train, G) and Shaoyang North railway station, in Xinshao County (Highspeed train, G and D). The Loudi–Shaoyang railway  and Shanghai–Kunming high-speed railway pass through Shaoyang.

Transport: Air Shaoyang Wugang Airport was opened on 28 June 2017. It is located 9 km (5.6 mi) north of Wugang, a county-level city under the administration of Shaoyang, and 100 km (62 mi) from the urban centre of Shaoyang.

The airport has a 2,600-meter runway and a 3,000-square-meter terminal building. It is projected to handle 250,000 passengers and 500 tons of cargo annually by 2020.