Hengyang is the second-largest city in Hunan, situated where the Xiang River turns abruptly northeast in the middle of the province. Its popular nickname, "Wild Goose City," comes from a Confucian-era story that migratory geese flying south stop here because the weather in Hengyang is already warm enough — they go no further. Whether or not geese actually do this, the name has stuck for two thousand years and features in countless classical poems as shorthand for the southernmost point worth reaching. The city itself is a busy rail and industrial hub, with the pleasant Huiyan Peak rising 98 metres on the southern edge of the urban area and offering views over the river.
The main reason visitors come to Hengyang is as a base for Mount Heng, the Southern Sacred Mountain, about 45 minutes away by bus or shared taxi. The mountain's gateway town of Nanyue can also be reached directly by high-speed train from Changsha, making Hengyang an optional base rather than a necessary one. Within the city, Shigu Academy — a Song-dynasty scholarly institution rebuilt after wartime destruction — is a calm place with ¥20 admission; Dongzhou Island in the Xiang River houses a monastery and the Chuanshan Academy, named for the 17th-century philosopher Wang Fuzhi, one of Hunan's most important intellectual figures.
Hengyang suffered enormous destruction during the Second World War, including the Battle of Hengyang in 1944, when the Chinese garrison held the city against a Japanese force several times its size for 47 days before finally surrendering. The battle was one of the longest Chinese defences of the war and is commemorated at the Liufangyuan memorial park in the city. For most Western visitors this history is entirely unknown, which is reason enough to spend an hour at the memorial.
Hengyang is well-connected by high-speed rail to Changsha (about 35 minutes), Guangzhou (under two hours), and Wuhan. The city has no must-see attraction that would justify a stay of more than a night, but as a base for Mount Heng it is useful, and the riverside districts and local Hunanese cooking reward a slow evening walk.