Chéngbù

Chengbu lies on the southwestern margin of Hunan, where wooded hills and mountains run toward Guangxi. The county covers 2,647 square kilometres and is bounded by Wugang, Suining, Xinning and two Guangxi counties, making its landscape a meeting point between Hunan and the south. High ground surrounds it to the east, south and west, and the terrain rises toward the south before opening to gentler country in the north. Water links the area to three different regional systems.

The Wu River, largest within the county, flows to the Yuan River; the Xun River drains southward through the Rong into the Pearl River system; and the Zi River reaches Dongting Lake. Rulin serves as the county seat. Meishan customs, ancestor veneration, folk songs and timber reflect communities closely adapted to these mountains, valleys and widely separated river routes.

The county's high southern mountains, varied waterways and forest cover made routes difficult but also created many distinct local ecologies and settlement niches. That separation also encouraged each valley to develop a distinct local economy, while mountain passes and river routes maintained links across the county.