Huayuan County, under the Tujia and Miao Autonomous Prefecture of Xiangxi, Hunan Province, is located in the west of Hunan Province, in the middle of Wuling Mountains, at the junction of Hunan, Guizhou and Chongqing. It is known as "one foot in three provinces" and "Southwest Gateway of Xiangchu". In 2016, Huayuan County had jurisdiction over three townships and nine towns. The total area is 1109 square kilometers. The proved reserves of Huayuan Manganese ore are the largest in Hunan Province and the second in China. The proven reserves of lead and zinc mine rank the second in Hunan Province and the third in China. It has the reputation of "Oriental Manganese Capital" and "Hometown of non-ferrous Metals". According to the seventh census, as of midnight on November 1, 2020, the permanent population of Huayuan County was 249,238.

Huayuan County is an old revolutionary base area and a key county in the national poverty alleviation and development work. There are sites of ancient human activity 100,000 years ago, ancient battlefield sites of Qianjia and Miao people uprising, and the border town Tea cave in Shen Congwen's painting. There are also large and small dragon Cave waterfall group, border town Tea Cave Scenic spot, ancient Miao River Chiyou Scenic spot and other natural scenery; Huayuan is also an ancient and mysterious "Hundred Li Miao Town", Miao language, Miao painting, Miao generation philosophy and other ancient and mysterious Miao culture. It is also the hometown of Miao Badai art, the hometown of suona art, the hometown of Miao folk song, the hometown of Chinese folk culture and art, the hometown of Chinese Miao Embroidery and Brocade art, and the National Research base of You Culture. Huayuan has been successively rated as "Top 100 Small and medium-sized Cities with the most Investment Potential in China", "Top 100 Small and medium-sized Cities with the most Regional Driving Force in China" and "Strong County Economy in Hunan Province". On February 2, 2019, it was named as the advanced unit of grassroots TCM work at the county level by the State Administration of Traditional Chinese Medicine.

In 2020, the GDP of Huayuan County reached 753618 million yuan. On February 29, 2020, the People's Government of Hunan Province agreed to remove Huayuan County from the poverty-stricken county.