Anshun city is located in the central-western Guizhou province, neighboring the provincial capital Guiyang. It covers an area of 9,267 square kilometers with a population of 2.8 million, 39 percent of whom are from ethnic groups.

The city has jurisdiction over Xixiu district, five counties (Pingba, Puding Zhenning, Guanling and Ziyun) and two county-level areas (Anshun Economic-Technological Development Area and Huangguoshu Scenic Area).

Anshun, Guizhou's famous historic and cultural city, has a profound history and culture, with 5 national key cultural relic sites and 27 provincial cultural relic sites. It still preserves relics of the Chuandong, Yelang, Zangke and Tunpu cultures.

The city boasts a natural beauty and pleasant climate. With an average temperature of 4.3 C in January and 21.9 C in July, Anshun is comfortable for eight months of the year, making it a renowned summer resort.

Most areas in the city are at an altitude between 500 and 1,800 meters. The climatic diversity leads to biodiversity and an excellent ecology, which makes Anshun a popular destination for eco-tourism. The city was named one of China's top 10 characteristic leisure cities in 2009.

Anshun is also known as a place of waterfalls, the town of Tunpu culture, the town of Batik and the beauty of western China. Its sightseeing zones take up to 12 percent of the city's total area. There are national scenic areas – Guanling Fossil National Geopark, Jiulongshan National Forest Park and Yelang Karst Cave, provincial-level scenic areas – Huajiang Canyon, Yelang Lake and Sila River, and the Balinghe Bridge with the longest span in Asia.

Anshun has a well-established transportation network. The Zhuzhou-Liupanshui Railway passes through the city, and the Changsha-Kunming High-speed Railway will have three stations in Anshun. Huangguoshu Airport is only 6 km from the urban area. Bacao Port in Zhenning county, the sea port closest to Guiyang, is being expanded.

Anshun is also a national high-tech base for the civil aviation industry, and a special economic zone recognized by the Guizhou government.