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113-602: With a population of just over 66 million as of 2020 residing in an area of approximately 210,000 km (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 and

226-571: A Rong leader named King Feng ( 豐王 ) in an apparent attempt to make peace. The following year, he moved the Qin capital eastward from Quanqiu to Qian ( 汧 ; modern Long County, Shaanxi ). However, Quanqiu soon fell to the Rong again after he left. His older brother Shifu, who led the defense of Quanqiu, was captured by the Rong but was released a year later. In 771, the Marquess of Shen , in collaboration with

339-460: A conflict between Qin and Zhao for control of Shangdang. Qin and Zhao engaged in the three-year-long Battle of Changping , followed by another three-year siege by Qin on Zhao's capital city of Handan . The conflict at Changping was seen as a power struggle, as both sides pitted their forces against each other not only on the battlefield, but also domestically. Although Qin had an abundance of resources and vast manpower, it had to enlist every man above

452-507: A crushing defeat on Chu. In 299 BC, King Huai I was tricked into attending a diplomatic conference in Qin, where he was captured and held hostage until his death. In the meantime, Qin launched several attacks on Chu and eventually sacked the Chu capital city of Chen ( 陳 ; modern Jiangling County , Hubei). The crown prince of Chu fled east and was crowned King Qingxiang of Chu in the new capital city of Shouchun ( 壽春 ; modern Shou County , Anhui). In

565-528: A distinctive dry-and-spicy ( 干辣 ; gānlà ) taste, with dishes such as smoked cured ham and stir-fried spicy beef being prime examples of the flavor. 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

678-472: A feudal lord and elevated Qin from an 'attached state' ( 附庸 ; fùyōng , a minor state with limited self-rule under the authority of another liege-lord) to a major vassal state with full autonomy. He further promised to permanently grant Qin the lands west of Qishan , the former heartland of Zhou, if Qin could expel the Rong tribes that were occupying it. Encouraged by this promise, the following generations of Qin rulers launched several military campaigns against

791-407: A lack of coordination among the five states. In addition to the effects on Qin's military, Shang Yang's reforms also increased labour for numerous public works projects aimed at enhancing agriculture, and enabled Qin to maintain and supply an active military force of more than a million troops. This achievement could not be matched by any other state, except Chu, during that time. Qin's conquests of

904-526: 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 , who became the Chairman of

1017-481: 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

1130-556: A plan for conquering the other six states and unifying China, with assistance from Li Si and Wei Liao. In 230, Qin attacked Han , the weakest of the Seven Warring States , and succeeded in conquering Han within a year. Since 236, Qin had been launching several assaults on Zhao , which had been devastated by its calamitous defeat at the Battle of Changping three decades earlier. Although Qin faced strong resistance from

1243-622: A platform for launching attacks on the Chu state, which lies downstream of the Yangtze. During the reign of King Huiwen of Qin , the state of Chu to the southeast became a target for Qin's aggression. Although Chu had the largest operation-ready army of all the Seven Warring States at over a million troops, its administrative and military strength was plagued by corruption and divided among the nobles. The Qin strategist Zhang Yi suggested to King Huiwen to exercise Qin's interest at

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1356-452: A powerful polity ever since Lord Mu. Its armies acted, even if infrequently, in the eastern and southeastern parts of the Chinese world, occasionally against great power Wu. Although not weak, the overall impact of Qin on the affairs of the Zhou world in the 5th and the early 4th century BC considerably diminished. Another research also finds that Qin was strong and explains the weak influence on

1469-641: A reconquest of western lands that had previously been lost to the Xirong . Its location at the western edge of Chinese civilisation allowed for expansion and development that was not available to its rivals in the North China Plain . After extensive reform during the 4th century BC, Qin emerged as one of the dominant powers among the Seven Warring States . It unified the seven states of China in 221 BC under Qin Shi Huang . This unification established

1582-583: A series of Legalist reforms in Qin with the support of Duke Xiao, despite facing strong opposition from conservative Qin politicians. Direct primogeniture was abolished, with all commoners granted citizenship rights. Many were resettled in new clusters with a focus on increasing agricultural output. Meritocracy was practiced throughout, especially in the military, with soldiers and officers receiving due rewards according to their contributions, regardless of their backgrounds. However, stringent and strict laws were also imposed, with severe punishments being meted out for

1695-852: 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". Hunan is divided into fourteen prefecture-level divisions : thirteen prefecture-level cities and an autonomous prefecture : 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

1808-511: Is 35 km (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. As of the 2000 census , the population of Hunan

1921-664: 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. Religion in Hunan Around 5,000 Uyghurs live around Taoyuan County and other parts of Changde . Hui and Uyghurs have intermarried in this area. In addition to eating pork,

2034-443: 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. Hunan is a region with complex dialects. The dialects in

2147-538: Is also the seat of 12 adult higher education institutions. 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. There are three national key universities under Project 985 ( Hunan University , Central South University and the National University of Defense Technology ) in Hunan,

2260-412: Is noted for its stibnite mines, and is one of the major centers of antimony extraction in China. 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 . Hunan

2373-399: Is one of the four major academies over the last 1000 years in ancient China. As of 2023, Hunan hosts 137 institutions of higher education , ranking fifth among all Chinese provinces. 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. Hunan's primeval forests were first occupied by the ancestors of

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2486-641: 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. 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, and its GDP (nominal) per capita exceeded US$ 10,900 (69,300 CNY ), making it

2599-500: 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

2712-479: The Classic of Poetry , was a battle hymn personally composed by Duke Ai to boost the morale of the Qin troops. In 505 BC, the Qin and Chu armies jointly defeated Wu in several battles, allowing King Zhao of Chu to be restored and return to the recaptured capital. Mozi (460–390 BC) did not list Qin among the powerful states. However, other scattered information of its military exploits indicates that Qin remained

2825-519: The 2nd richest in the Central China region after Hubei and the 3rd richest in South Central China region after Guangdong and Hubei. As of 2020, Hunan's GDP (nominal) was US$ 605 billion, 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). The Changsha National Economic and Technology Development Zone

2938-585: The Four Barbarians from the west and north, which made the other warring states see their culture in low esteem. However, the Qin state was sensitive to the cultural discrimination by the Central Plains states and attempted to assert their Huaxia identity. In Qin law, mixed-ethnicity offspring were categorised as Huaxia, as well as in their preference for importing recruits from the neighbouring state of Jin. In 842 BC, nobles revolted against

3051-689: 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

3164-664: The People's Republic of China (1949–present). For the Republic of China after 1949, see List of administrative divisions of Taiwan . Data are for mid-year 2022 and are from the National Bureau of Statistics of China unless otherwise specified. Qin (state) Qin ( / tʃ ɪ n / , or Ch'in ) was an ancient Chinese state during the Zhou dynasty . It is traditionally dated to 897 BC. The Qin state originated from

3277-566: The Qin dynasty , which, despite its short duration, had a significant influence on later Chinese history. Accordingly, the Qin state before the Qin dynasty was established is also referred to as the "predynastic Qin" or "proto-Qin". According to the 2nd-century BC Records of the Grand Historian by Sima Qian , the Qin state traced its origin to Zhuanxu , one of the legendary Five Emperors in ancient times. One of his descendants, Boyi,

3390-837: 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

3503-539: The Xichui ('western march ') region west of Mount Long and served as a buffer state for the Shang dynasty against invasions by the Xirong barbarians. One of them, Elai , was killed defending King Zhou of Shang during the rebellion led by Ji Fa that established the Zhou dynasty. The Ying clan was, however, allied with the politically influential marquesses of Shen , whom the Zhou monarch relied upon heavily to manage

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3616-570: The Yellow River . In 362 BC, Qin defeated Wei and Han . Following these victories, the Qin rulers actively pursued legal, economic, and social reforms. In 361 BC, Duke Xiao ascended the throne of Qin. He issued an announcement inviting men of talent (including scholars, administrators, theorists, and militarists) from other states to enter Qin and assist him with his reforms, promising rewards of high offices and lands in return. Among these foreign talents, Shang Yang successfully conducted

3729-760: 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

3842-509: The canal was named in honour of Zheng . Qin benefited from the project as it became one of the most fertile states in China due to the efficient irrigation system, and also because it could now muster more troops as a result of increased agricultural yield. In 247, the 13-year-old Ying Zheng became King of Qin following the sudden death of King Zhuangxiang. However, Ying Zheng did not fully wield state power until 238, after eliminating his political rivals, Lü Buwei and Lao Ai . Ying formulated

3955-403: 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 . 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

4068-577: The state of Zeng and the Quanrong nomads, attacked and sacked the Zhou capital Haojing , killing King You of Zhou and ending the Western Zhou . Duke Xiang led his troops to escort King You's son, King Ping , to Luoyi (modern Luoyang ), where the new capital city of the Eastern Zhou dynasty was established. In gratitude for Duke Xiang's service, King Ping formally enfeoffed Duke Xiang as

4181-413: The third-richest province in South Central China, after Guangdong and Hubei. As of 2020, Hunan's nominal GDP reached $ 605 billion (CN¥4.18 trillion), 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. The name Hunan literally means "south of the lake". The lake that is referred to is Dongting Lake ,

4294-679: The "Hunan CCP Party Chief ". As of the mid-19th century, Hunan exported rhubarb , musk, honey, tobacco, hemp , and birds. 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. 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 . The Lengshuijiang area

4407-489: The 400,000 prisoners of war from Zhao to be executed by burying them alive. Subsequently, the Qin forces marched on the Zhao capital city of Handan in an attempt to conquer Zhao completely. However, the Qin troops were unable to capture Handan as they were already exhausted and also because the Zhao forces put up fierce resistance. King Xiaocheng of Zhao offered six cities to Qin as a peace offer, and King Zhaoxiang of Qin accepted

4520-469: The 600,000-strong army as he had requested and ordered Wang to lead another attack on Chu. Wang scored a major victory against the Chu forces in 224, and Xiang Yan was killed in action. The following year, Qin pushed on and captured Chu's capital city of Shouchun , bringing an end to Chu's existence. In 222, the Qin army advanced southward and annexed the Wuyue region (modern Zhejiang and Jiangsu). By 221, Qi

4633-531: The Central Plain by the Qin isolationist policy. Initially, Qin avoided involvement using its protective geography and, responding to growing external threats, gradually turned to intervention in the manner of "defensive imperialism." During the early Warring States period , its neighbours in the Central Plains began rapidly developing. The Wei state , formed from the partition of Jin , became

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4746-596: 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. Changsha ,

4859-458: The Chu state. Consequently, Shen Baoxu, a Chu official and a former friend of Wu Zixu, travelled to the Qin court and pleaded for assistance from Duke Ai of Qin to recover the capital. After Duke Ai initially refused to help, Shen spent seven days crying in the palace courtyard. Duke Ai was eventually moved by his devotion and agreed to send troops to assist Chu. The famous poem, "No Clothes" ( Chinese : 無衣 ; pinyin : Wú Yī ), recorded in

4972-600: 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. As Mao Zedong's home province, Hunan supported the Cultural Revolution of 1966–1976. However, it was slower than most provinces in adopting the reforms implemented by Deng Xiaoping in

5085-817: 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 . 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

5198-499: The Qin army, led by Wang Ben , invaded Wei and besieged Wei's capital city of Daliang for three months. Wang directed the waters from the Yellow River and the Hong Canal to flood Daliang ; King Jia of Wei surrendered, and Wei was conquered. In 224, Qin prepared for an attack on Chu , its most powerful rival among the six states. During a discussion between Ying Zheng and his subjects, the veteran general Wang Jian claimed that

5311-509: The Qin dynasty, and became the first sovereign ruler of a united China. Before Qin unified China, each state had its own customs and culture. According to the Yu Gong or Tribute of Yu , composed in the 4th or 5th century BC and included in the Book of Documents , there were nine distinct cultural regions of China, which are described in detail in this book. The work focuses on the travels of

5424-441: The Qin government's direct administration. King Zhaoxiang's foreign adviser, Fan Sui, counselled the king to abandon these fruitless campaigns against distant states. King Zhaoxiang heeded this advice and altered Qin's foreign policy to foster good diplomatic relations with the distant states of Yan and Qi), while focusing on attacking the nearby Zhao, Han, and Wei. As a result, Qin began to launch constant attacks on Han and Wei over

5537-458: The Rong people and was thus allowed to retain their lands and continued serving as an attached vassal under the Zhou dynasty. Feizi , a younger son of Elai's fourth-generation descendant Daluo, impressed King Xiao of Zhou so much with his horse breeding skills, that he was awarded a separate fief in the valley of Qin (modern Qingshui and Zhangjiachuan in Gansu) northeast of Quanqiu, and his seat

5650-589: The Rong to the west. The exception was their immediate eastern neighbor, Jin , a large vassal of the Zhou. Qin maintained diplomatic relations with Jin through intermarriages between the royal clans, but relations occasionally deteriorated to the point of armed conflict. In the early reign of Duke Mu of Qin , the Jin state, under the leadership of Duke Xian of Jin , was a formidable power. However, after Duke Xian's death, Jin descended into internal conflict as Duke Xian's sons fought for succession. Duke Hui of Jin , one of

5763-545: The Rong, eventually expanding their territories far beyond the original lands lost by the Western Zhou dynasty. The Qin state therefore viewed the Zhou rulers King Wen and Wu as their predecessors and themselves as the legitimate inheritors of their legacy. During the Spring and Autumn period (722–481 BC), the Qin state's interaction with other central Chinese states remained minimal due to their primary concern with

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5876-663: The Song dynasty when they were associated with officials who had been unjustly dismissed. 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. The salvaged cargo

5989-632: 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. The Uyghurs of Hunan do not speak the Uyghur language , instead, Mandarin Chinese is spoken as their native language. 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

6102-565: 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 . 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). Hunan

6215-508: The Zhao forces, led by General Li Mu , it still managed to defeat the Zhao army by using a ploy to sow discord between King Qian of Zhao and Li Mu, leading King Qian to order Li Mu's execution and replace Li with the less competent Zhao Cong. Zhao eventually fell to Qin in 228 after the capital city of Handan was taken. However, a Zhao noble managed to escape with remnant forces and proclaim himself King in Dai. Dai fell to Qin six years later. After

6328-475: The age of 15 for war-related duties, ranging from front-line service to logistics and agriculture. King Zhaoxiang even personally directed his army's supply lines. Qin's eventual victory in 260 BC was attributed to its use of schemes to stir up internal conflict in Zhao, which led to the replacement of Zhao's military leaders. Following the Qin victory at the Battle of Changping, the Qin commander, Bai Qi , ordered

6441-469: The battles with Jin, Duke Mu learned that Chong'er, one of Duke Xian's exiled sons, was taking refuge in the state of Chu . After consulting his subjects, Duke Mu sent an emissary to Chu to invite Chong'er and supported him in his challenge against his brother, Duke Hui. After Chong'er defeated Duke Hui to become Duke Wen of Jin , he expressed gratitude to Duke Mu, and relations between the two states improved. With stability on his eastern front, Duke Mu seized

6554-437: The best in the Central China region and 26th nationwide among Chinese Medical Universities. List of Chinese administrative divisions by population This is a list of Chinese administrative divisions in order of their total resident populations. It includes all provinces , autonomous regions , direct-controlled municipalities and special administrative regions controlled by the Republic of China (1912–1949) or

6667-422: The capital, is located in the eastern part of the province; it is now an important commercial, manufacturing and transportation centre. The busiest airports serve domestic and international flights for Hunan, including Changsha Huanghua International Airport , Zhangjiajie Hehua International Airport and Changde Taohuayuan Airport . Hunan is the seat of the Yuelu Academy (later become Hunan University ), which

6780-536: The contenders, emerged victorious. However, Jin was struck by a famine in 647 BC, and Duke Hui requested aid from Qin. Duke Mu of Qin, married to Duke Hui's half-sister, sent relief food supplies and agricultural equipment to Jin out of goodwill. However, when Qin experienced a famine the following year, Duke Hui did not reciprocate, leading to diplomatic deterioration and a war in 645 BC. The war ended with Duke Hui's defeat and capture, but Duke Mu later released him after Jin agreed to cede land and form an alliance. During

6893-417: The core philosophies of Legalism. Following these reforms, Qin rose to prominence in the late fourth century BC and emerged as the dominant superpower among the Seven Warring States . In 364 BC, Qin defeated the combined armies of Wei and Han, and King Xian of Zhou , the nominal ruler of China, declared Duke Xian the Hegemon (ba) of China (Sima Qian 4:160). His successor, Duke Xiao , who ascended

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7006-488: The corrupt King Li of Zhou in a coup known as the 'countrymen's riot' ( 國人暴動 ). They overthrew him the following year, leading the country into political turmoil. The Xirong tribes seized this opportunity to rebel against the Zhou dynasty, attacking and exterminating the senior branch of the Ying clan at Quanqiu. This left the cadet branch at Qinyi as the only surviving Ying clan in the west. After King Xuan of Zhou ascended

7119-418: The current world. In 506 BC, King Helü of Wu defeated Chu at the Battle of Boju and captured the Chu capital, Ying (modern Jingzhou ). Helü's adviser, Wu Zixu , who had previously been forced into exile by the already deceased King Ping of Chu and craved vengeance for the brutal execution of his father and brother, exhumed King Ping's corpse and posthumously lashed it. This was a great humiliation for

7232-509: The deceased branch of the Ying clan. King Xuan formally awarded them the territory of Quanqiu. Duke Zhuang then moved his seat from Qinyi to Quanqiu and had three sons. When Duke Zhuang died in 778 BC, his eldest son Shifu chose to continue fighting the Xirong and avenge their grandfather, turning down the succession. As a result, his second son, Duke Xiang , ascended as the clan leader. In 777 BC, Duke Xiang married his younger sister, Mu Ying, to

7345-479: 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. Zhuzhou Hi-Tech Industrial Development Zone was founded in 1992. Its total planned area

7458-462: The execution of the duties of their position. Its courts and bureaus functioned without delays and with such smoothness that it was as if there were no government at all." In his Petition against driving away foreigners ( 諫逐客書 ), Li Si mentioned that the guzheng and percussion instruments made of pottery and tiles were characteristic of Qin music. List of Qin rulers based on the Records of

7571-483: The expense of Chu. Over the following years, Zhang engineered and executed a number of diplomatic plots against Chu, supported by the constant military raids on Chu's north-western border. Chu suffered many defeats in battles against Qin and was forced to cede territories to Qin. King Huai I of Chu was furious and ordered a military campaign against Qin, but he was tricked by Zhang Yi into breaking diplomatic ties with his allies, and his angered allies joined Qin in inflicting

7684-464: The fall of Zhao, Qin turned its attention towards Crown Prince Dan of Yan, who had sent Jing Ke to assassinate Ying Zheng, but the assassination attempt failed, and Qin used that as a pretext to attack Yan. Yan lost to Qin at a battle on the eastern bank of the Yi River in 226, and King Xi of Yan fled with remnant forces to Liaodong . Qin attacked Yan again in 222 and annexed Yan completely. In 225,

7797-662: The five decades following King Huiwen's death, King Zhaoxiang of Qin shifted his focus to the central plains after victories in the south against Chu. In the early years of King Zhaoxiang's reign, the Marquis of Rang ( 穰侯 ) served as Qin's chancellor and actively advocated for military campaigns against the state of Qi in the far eastern part of China. However, the marquis had personal motives, intending to use Qin's formidable military to secure his own fief in Qi territories, as these lands were not directly linked to Qin and would not be under

7910-489: The fourth-largest among landlocked provinces. Hunan's nominal GDP was US$ 724 billion (CN¥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. 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 nominal GDP per capita exceeded US$ 10,900 (CN¥69,300), making it

8023-420: The greedy will abandon their general to give chase. We can then capitalize on this opportunity by hunting each group down individually and then capturing the generals that have been isolated. Finally, we must array our army to ambush their commander. According to Wu, the character of the populace is a consequence of the government, which in turn is a result of the ruggedness of the terrain. Wu expounds upon each of

8136-410: The invasion force needed to be at least 600,000 strong, but the younger general Li Xin thought that 200,000 men would suffice. Ying Zheng put Li Xin in command of the Qin army to attack Chu. The Chu defenders, led by Xiang Yan, took Li Xin's army by surprise and defeated the Qin invaders. The defeat was deemed the greatest setback for Qin in its wars to unify China. Ying Zheng put Wang Jian in command of

8249-512: The king harboured a personal grudge against Shang, as he had been severely punished for a minor infraction during his adolescence under Shang's reformed system. Despite this, King Huiwen and his successors maintained the reformed systems, which laid the foundation for Qin's eventual unification of China under the Qin dynasty in 221 BC. Shang Yang's theories were later expanded upon by Han Fei , another Legalist scholar. Han Fei amalgamated Shang's ideas with those of Shen Buhai and Shen Dao , forming

8362-538: The kings of Qin, but de facto Qin remained hegemonic until its universal conquest in 221 BC. It seldom suffered defeats and repeatedly crashed other states in at least 15 major campaigns. Memorial on the Abolition of Feudal Lords by Qin official Li Si , dated to 246 BC, described: Through military victories, Qin has, "in the time of the last six kings," that is from Xiao in 361 BC to the First Emperor, brought

8475-628: The lords of equal rank to its court." By the late 4th century BC, other states in China became alarmed by the Qin power and began forming anti-hegemonic alliances, called Perpendicular (Sima Qian 5:208; 6:279). Qin repeatedly clashed with these alliances. This pattern continued during the last century of the Warring States. The success of Qin is attributed to the industriousness of its people. The Qin kings authorised numerous state development projects, including significant public works such as irrigation canals and defensive structures. One of

8588-470: The middle of the 3rd century, Zheng Guo , a hydraulic engineer from the state of Han, was dispatched to Qin to advise King Zhaoxiang on the construction of irrigation canals. Qin had a predilection for constructing large-scale canals, as evidenced by its irrigation system for the Min River . King Zhaoxiang approved Zheng Guo's proposal to construct an even larger canal. The project was completed in 264 and

8701-538: 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

8814-402: The most evident outcomes of the reforms was the transformation in Qin's military. Previously, the army was under the control of Qin's nobles and comprised feudal levies. Following Shang Yang's reforms, the aristocracy system was abolished and replaced by a meritocracy, in which ordinary citizens had the same opportunities as the nobles to be promoted to high ranks. Additionally, military discipline

8927-533: The most powerful state on Qin's eastern border. Qin largely relied on natural defences such as the Hangu Pass (northeast of modern Lingbao, Henan ) and Wu Pass (modern Danfeng County ) in the east, to protect its Guanzhong heartland. Between 413 and 409 BC, during the reign of Duke Jian of Qin , the Wei army, led by Wu Qi and supported by Zhao and Han , attacked Qin and conquered some Qin territories west of

9040-415: The neighbouring states of Wei and Chu . Wei was hesitant to help Zhao initially but launched an attack on Qin after seeing that Qin was already exhausted after years of war. The Qin forces crumbled and retreated, and Zheng Anping surrendered. The combined forces of Wei and Chu continued to pursue the retreating Qin army, and Wei managed to retake part of its original lands that were lost to Qin earlier. In

9153-586: 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

9266-599: 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

9379-456: The north, who displaced and assimilated the original indigenous inhabitants, cleared forests and began farming rice in the valleys and plains. The agricultural colonization of the lowlands was carried out in part by the Han people, which managed river dikes to protect farmland from floods. To this day, many of the small villages in Hunan are named after the Han families who settled there. Migration from

9492-454: The offer after being persuaded by Fan Sui. Within Zhao, many officials strongly opposed King Xiaocheng's decision to give up the cities, and subsequent delays caused the siege on Handan to be prolonged until 258 BC. Meanwhile, Bai Qi was consecutively replaced by Wang Xi, Wang Ling, and Zheng Anping as the Qin commander at the siege. In 257 BC, Qin was still unable to penetrate Handan after besieging it for three years, and Zhao requested aid from

9605-582: The opportunity to launch military campaigns against the Rong tribes in the west. In 630 BC, Qin and Jin agreed to wage war on the state of Zheng , but Duke Mu was lobbied by the Zheng emissary to abandon the alliance. In 627 BC, Duke Mu planned a covert attack on Zheng, but the Qin army retreated after being deceived into believing that Zheng was already prepared for Qin's invasion. By that point, Duke Wen had died and his personal alliance with Duke Mu no longer stood, and his successor Duke Xiang ordered an ambush for

9718-509: The other states "into submission." Already by the 240s BC, other states "yielded obeiscence to Qin as if they were its commanderies and prefectures." Sima Qian (6:282) confirmed and dated the beginning of the Qin hegemonic policy already from the reign of Xiao's predecessor, Xian (384-361 BC): Since his reign, Qin "gradually swallowed up the six states until, after 100 years or so," the First Emperor conquered them. "For more than one hundred years [before 221 BC], Qin commanded Eight lands and brought

9831-424: The population believes and is involved in ancestor veneration , while 0.77% of the population identifies as Christian. 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. Being the educational and political in

9944-674: 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 ). The Xiang ,

10057-439: 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

10170-618: 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). 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

10283-416: The retreating Qin army. The Qin forces were defeated at the Battle of Xiao (near modern Luoning County , Henan) and suffered heavy casualties, and all three of its generals were captured. Three years later, Qin attacked Jin for revenge and achieved a major victory. Duke Mu refused to advance further east after holding a memorial service for those killed in action at the Battle of Xiao and returned to focus on

10396-442: The slightest of offences, and even the nobility and royalty were not exempt. After decades, the reforms strengthened Qin economically and militarily, and transformed it into a highly centralised state with an efficient administrative system. Following the death of Duke Xiao, King Huiwen ascended as the new ruler of Qin. He executed Shang Yang by tearing him apart with chariots, citing charges of treason. However, some speculated that

10509-542: The southern states of Ba and Shu (modern Sichuan ) also provided Qin with significant strategic advantages. The lands in the new territories were highly fertile and served as a "backyard" for supplies and additional manpower. It was difficult for Qin's rivals to attack Ba and Shu, as the territories were located deep in the mountains upstream of the Yangtze . Simultaneously, Qin's strategic position in Ba and Shu provided it with

10622-803: The states in this manner. Following a visit to Qin in 264, the Confucian philosopher Xun Kuang observed that Qin society was "simple and unsophisticated", and its people held their officials in awe but were entirely devoid of Confucian literati. Despite being disliked by many Confucians of its time for "dangerously lacking in Confucian scholars", Confucian Xun Kuang wrote of the later Qin that "its topographical features are inherently advantageous", and that its "manifold natural resources gave it remarkable inherent strength. Its people were unspoiled and exceedingly deferential; its officers unfailingly respectful, earnest, reverential, loyal, and trustworthy; and its high officials public-spirited, intelligent, and assiduous in

10735-457: The subsequent decades, conquering several territories in its campaigns. By then, Qin's territories had expanded beyond the eastern shore of the Yellow River , and Han and Wei were reduced to the status of "buffers" for Qin against the other states in the east. Starting from 265 BC, Qin launched a massive invasion on Han and forced Han to cede its territory of Shangdang ( 上黨 ; modern Shanxi). However, Han offered Shangdang to Zhao instead, leading to

10848-492: The terrain they live in. Of Qin, he said: The nature of Qin's troops is to disperse so that each unit fights their own respective battles. The people of Qin are ferocious by nature and their terrain is treacherous. The government's decrees are strict and impartial. The rewards and punishments are clear. Qin soldiers are brave and high in morale so that they are able to scatter and engage in individual combat. To strike at Qin's army, we must entice various groups with small benefits;

10961-599: 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

11074-411: The throne in 361 BC, was also appointed Hegemon (Sima Qian 7:203). The Guanzi defines the status of hegemon as intermediate between king and emperor. A text from the late Warring States period describes hegemon as controlling military forces and commerce of the states under the hegemony and using court visits as a means of supervision. After Xiao, the status of hegemon was not officially granted to

11187-508: The throne in 827 BC, he appointed Qin Zhong , Feizi's great-grandson, as the commander of his forces in the campaign against the Xirong. In 822 BC, Qin Zhong was killed in battle and succeeded by his eldest son, Duke Zhuang . To commemorate Qin Zhong's loyalty, King Xuan summoned Duke Zhuang and his four younger brothers and gave them 7,000 soldiers. The Qin brothers successfully defeated the Rong and recovered their lost patrimony, formerly held by

11300-510: The titular sage, Yu the Great , throughout each of the regions. Other texts, predominantly military, also discussed these cultural variations. One of these texts was the Wuzi , written in response to a query by Marquis Wu of Wei on how to cope with the military threat posed by competing states. Wu Qi , the author of the work, declared that the government and nature of the people were reflective of

11413-410: The top 500 globally by the Nature Index . Among them, Hunan University and Central South University are in the top 50. 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 . Hunan Normal University,

11526-489: The top 801–900 globally by the Academic Ranking of World Universities . 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 . As of 2023, Hunan University of Chinese Medicine in Changsha ranked

11639-537: The traditional policy of expanding Qin's dominance in the west. Duke Mu's achievements in Qin's western campaigns and his handling of foreign relations with Jin earned him a position among the Five Hegemons of the Spring and Autumn period. In a speech pronounced on the eve of a major interstate conference of 546 BC, a Jin leader recognized Qin, along with Jin, Chu and Qi, as one of the four pivotal great powers of

11752-659: The uprising in 1864. In 1920, a famine raged throughout Hunan and killed an estimated 2 million Hunanese civilians. 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

11865-712: The year end of 2017, the total population is 68.6 million. [1] 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

11978-661: 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

12091-578: The zone include high-tech industry, biology project technology and new material industry. 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

12204-419: Was founded in 1992. It is located east of Changsha. The total planned area is 38.6 km (14.9 sq mi) and the current area is 14 km (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

12317-574: Was granted the family name of Ying by Emperor Shun . During the Xia and Shang dynasties , the Ying clan split into two: a western branch that migrated across the Ordos Plateau to Quanqiu ( 犬丘 'hill of the Quanrong ', modern Li County, Gansu ), and an eastern branch that settled east of the Yellow River in modern Shanxi . The latter became the ancestors of the rulers of the later state of Zhao . The western Ying clan at Quanqiu were lords over

12430-408: Was named Qinyi (modern Qintingzhen). Both branches of the western Ying clan lived in the midst of the Rong tribes, sometimes fighting their armies and sometimes intermarrying with their kings. Scholars such as Annette Juliano and Arthur Cotterel have suggested that having a horse-breeder as their ancestor may imply that the Ying family had a partial connection to nomadic tribes. As late as 266 BC, it

12543-422: Was remarked by a noble of Wei that they shared customs with the Rong and Beidi tribes; the central plains states seemed to hold Qin culture and other peripheral states like Yan and Chu in low regard, due to the marginal location of their states. Qin was the second state after Zhao to adopt cavalry tactics from the nomads. Following the collapse of the Zhou dynasty, the Qin state absorbed cultures from two of

12656-433: Was strictly enforced, and the troops were trained to adapt more effectively to various battle situations. Qin's military strength increased significantly with the full support of the state. In 318 BC, the states of Wei , Zhao, Han , Yan, and Chu formed an alliance and attacked Qin, but failed to advance beyond Hangu Pass , and were defeated by counter-attacking Qin forces. The alliance crumbled due to mistrust, suspicion, and

12769-465: Was the only rival state left. Qin advanced into the heartland of Qi via a southern detour, avoiding direct confrontation with the Qi forces on Qi's western border and arrived swiftly at Qi's capital city of Linzi. The Qi forces were taken by surprise and surrendered without putting up resistance. Following the fall of Qi in 221 BC, China was unified under the rule of Qin. Ying Zheng declared himself " Qin Shi Huang " (meaning "First Emperor of Qin"), founded

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