The district was approved to establish from the former Hu County (户县) by the Chinese State Council on November 24, 2016.

[citation needed] Towards its south the district is bordered by the Qin Mountains and to the north by the Weihe River.

The region has an abundance of minerals such as gold, silver, copper, iron, limestone and marble.

There are 340 kinds of medicinal herbs that grow wild in the area including Iris, Aggregata, Bupleurum, Tianma, Honeysuckle, Fritillaria, and Schisandra.

It is said that great ancient Chinese poets such as Du Fu, Cen Shen, Su Shi, and Cheng Hao visited Meibei Lake, which lies to the west of the downtown area of Huyi District.