Yongzhou (Chinese: 永州; pinyin: Yǒngzhōu) is a prefecture-level city in the south of Hunan province, People's Republic of China, located on the southern bank of the Xiang River, which is formed by the confluence of the Xiao and Xiang Rivers, and bordering Guangdong to the southeast and Guangxi to the southwest.

[6] Yongzhou is the southernmost prefecture-level division of Hunan, and is located at the confluence of the Xiao (Xiaoshui) and Xiang Rivers.

[7] Yongzhou has a humid subtropical climate (Köppen Cfa), with a 1981–2010 annual mean temperature of 18.03 °C (64.5 °F), although within the prefecture-level city the range during 1971–2000 was 17.6 to 18.6 °C (63.7 to 65.5 °F).

[8] Winters are mild and brief, beginning somewhat dry and turning wet and gloomy as the season progresses.

[18] Three judges were killed and three court staff were injured by submachine gun in the 2010 Yongzhou courthouse shooting.