Get to know Guiyang County
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- Administrative area
- County · 县
- Part of
- Chenzhou
- Chinese name
- 桂阳县
- Local areas
- County guide
History
A county was first set up here in 317 under the Eastern Jin as Pingyang (平阳县). In 804, under the Tang, the Guiyang Mint (桂阳监) was set up in Pingyang to run copper mining and coin casting, at a time when the area had more than 280 copper pits. In 1674 (some accounts say 1678) the name Guiyang was changed to Nanping (南平州) to avoid the character "桂" (gui), which appeared in the name of the warlord Wu Sangui (吴三桂), then holding Hengzhou (衡州); the old name returned in 1679. The present Guiyang County dates from 1913.
What to see
The county's mining past is on show at the Baoshan National Mine Park (宝山国家矿山公园), a national 4A scenic area; the Baoshan mining and smelting site (宝山矿冶遗址) dates from the Han and is a provincial protected site. The Tongmuling mining and smelting site (桐木岭矿冶遗址) and the Xiang Kunqu old stages (湘昆古戏台) were both named national protected monuments in the eighth batch. Guiyang is the hometown of Cai Lun (蔡伦), credited with inventing papermaking, and a local opera, Zhao Zilong Takes Guiyang (《赵子龙计取桂阳》), tells of the Three Kingdoms general.
Yangshan Old Village (阳山古村) is a national 3A scenic area, and its Ming and Qing buildings are a provincial protected group. Other listed sites include the East Pagoda (东塔) and Mengquan Spring (蒙泉), a Song-dynasty site. Chunling River National Wetland Park (舂陵江国家湿地公园) is home to many birds.
Food and local products
Dishes named by the county party secretary in a Red Net interview are Taihe blood duck (太和血鸭), "immortal fish" (神仙鱼) and Guiyang jar pork (桂阳坛子肉), described as rich but not greasy, with Zhao Zilong liquor (赵子龙酒) to drink. Guiyang five-claw chilli (桂阳五爪辣) holds a national geographical-indication certification for farm produce, and the county is a major grower of flue-cured tobacco.
Highlights
- Baoshan National Mine Park 宝山国家矿山公园: Rated a national 4A scenic area.
- Xiang Kunqu old stages 湘昆古戏台: Named a national protected monument in the eighth batch.
- Yangshan Old Village 阳山古村: National 3A scenic area with a provincially protected group of Ming and Qing buildings.
- Taihe blood duck 太和血鸭: Local dish recommended by the county party secretary in a Red Net interview.
- Guiyang five-claw chilli 桂阳五爪辣: Holds a national geographical-indication certification for farm produce.
Sources for this guide
郴州市桂阳县：砥砺奋进谱华章 千年古郡踏新程 · Policy Research Office of the CPC Hunan Provincial Committee (hnzy.gov.cn)
郴州旅游·书记谈｜巫初华 : 大福大“桂”如梦如醉 · Red Net (hn.rednet.cn)
桂阳县 · Chinese Wikipedia · CC BY-SA 4.0
桂阳县各级文物保护单位列表 · Chinese Wikipedia · CC BY-SA 4.0
Original English written from the listed sources and checked sentence by sentence against quoted extracts by a separate reviewer. Updated 2026-09-24.
Explore Guiyang County
Core places to explore, with English and Chinese names.
Places to explore around Guiyang County
Plan your visit
Getting there
Guiyang County is about 30 km in a straight line from central Chenzhou. Search for 桂阳县 in a map app to find stations and your accommodation.
Where to stay →Build your route
Start with Yangshan Old Village. The linked place guides have entrance and visit details.
Continue with Chenzhou →More in Chenzhou
Sources & geographic information
Administrative names and parent areas: Official geographic directory (dmfw.mca.gov.cn) · Reference date 2026-09-06.
Some facts checked against 桂阳县 — Wikipedia contributors, CC BY-SA 4.0.
Some facts checked against 桂阳县各级文物保护单位列表 — Wikipedia contributors, CC BY-SA 4.0.
Photo: Yangshan Old Village · 圍棋一級 · CC BY-SA 3.0. Full frame retained; proportionally resized and converted to WebP. No retouching or changes to the photographed subject. Card displays may crop the view.
Map data © OpenStreetMap contributors. Pins mark approximate centres, not entrances or boundaries.