Xìngníng

Xingning stood among the mountains and valleys east of Chenzhou, in the upper basin of the river that joins the Chen and flows toward the Lei. Its old county gazetteer describes lofty hills, fertile ground and turbulent rapids, where boats could pass only with difficulty. The county seat lay at the place later known as Xingning town, south of the older Zixing seat.

The district's administrative history was marked by changes of name and jurisdiction. The gazetteer recalls periods when its territory was absorbed into Chen County and others when it belonged to Guiyang. The name Xingning endured through the Ming and Qing, preserving a distinct county among the mountains of southeastern Hunan.