As early as 5,000 years ago, there were villages scattered around this area. During the Warring States Period (476BC-221BC), it belonged to the territory of the Chu Kingdom. The Qin Court (221BC-206BC) put it under the administration of Changsha Shire. Later in the early Western Han Dynasty (206BC-24AD), Yiyang County, the first county in this area was established. Medium mountainous and plain areas comprise over seventy percent of the city's territory. The terrain of the city generally slopes downward from the southern hilly and mountainous region to the northern alluvial plain formed by Dongting Lake. The city enjoys a subtropical humid monsoon climate and the annual average temperature is a bit higher than many other regions around it. Comparatively, it has cooler summers and warmer winters. The rainfall is obviously abundant during July. Overcast and rainy weather together with cold air may occur in spring.