Archaeological evidence suggests that Pingxiang was first settled during the Stone Age. During the Han dynasty, it was part of Yichun. In 267, during the time of the Three Kingdoms, it became Pingxiang County, which made it a higher level of administration than what it is today. During the Tang Dynasty (618-907), it was part of the Jiangnanxi Circuit, and was called Yuanzhou. Its name and area of administration were changed many times until 1970, when it assumed its present form. Most of the area around the city is hilly and mountainous, though the city itself is relatively flat. The climate is sub-tropical, with mild winters, long, hot summers, and plenty of rain year-round. The annual average temperature is 17 C.