Lingnan (岭南) is a geographic area referring to lands in the south of China's "Five Ranges" which are Tayu, Qitian, Dupang, Mengzhu, Yuecheng. The region covers the Guangdong, Guangxi, Hunan and Jiangxi provinces of modern China and northern Vietnam. Lingnan is also the name of a liberal arts university in Hong Kong.
The area was inhabited by the Baiyue and was the motherland of ancient Nanyue. At that time, Lingnan was considered as a barbarian land and it had loose contact with the Zhongyuan region, which was the cultural cradle of Chinese culture. In the 2nd century BC, the region was absorbed into the Middle Kingdom, and its development had been boosted since the Ancient Meiguan Road (梅关古道) was paved.