Huaihua is a prefecture-level city located in western Hunan province, China. It serves as the "Western Gate" of the province and holds the distinction of being its largest prefecture-level city by area, covering a total of 27,564 km² (10,643 sq mi). The city is bordered by several regions, including Xiangxi to the northwest, Zhangjiajie and Changde to the north, Yiyang, Loudi, and Shaoyang to the east, as well as Guilin and Liuzhou of Guangxi to the south and Qiandongnan and Tongren of Guizhou to the southwest.
The city has a population of 4,741,948, representing approximately 7.22% of Hunan's total population. According to the 2010 Census, Han Chinese make up 61.4% of the residents, while minorities account for 38.6%. The major native minority groups in the area include the Dong, Miao, Tujia, Yao, and Bai. Notably, Huaihua is a central region for the Dong ethnic population, housing nearly 28.35% of the Chinese Dong people.