It is under the administration of and occupies the southernmost portion of Anshan, the centre of which 136 kilometres (85 mi) to the north-northwest, and has a population of 413,000 in 2020.

[2] Xiuyan borders Yingkou and Gaizhou to the west, Donggang and Zhuanghe to the south and Haicheng and Liaoyang to the north.

The county's area is dominated by low-lying mountains part of the Changbai Mountains, with the highest peak in the county, Mount Maokui (帽盔山), at 1,141.5 m (3,745 ft), being the highest point in southern Liaoning.

[3] Xiuyan has a monsoon-influenced humid continental climate (Köppen Dwa) characterised by hot, humid summers, due to the monsoon, and rather long, cold, and very dry winters, due to the Siberian anticyclone.

Due to the mountainous location, temperatures tend to be slightly cooler than areas to the south and west, and summer rainfall is more generous.