Longnan is located in the west of China, in the southeast of Gansu Province, at the junction of Qinba Mountain, Loess Plateau and Qinghai-Tibet Plateau. It borders Shaanxi, Nantong and Sichuan in the east and is the hub of Shaanxi, Gansu and Sichuan provinces. Known as "the key to Qin Long is the throat of Bashu". Because of its beautiful landform and pleasant climate, it is known as "Longshang Jiangnan". There are two national nature reserves (Baishuijiang National Nature Reserve in Gansu and Yu He National Nature Reserve), one provincial nature reserve (Jianshan Giant Panda Nature Reserve in Wenxian County), three national forest parks (Tianchi in Wenxian County, Guan 'egou in Tanchang County and Jifeng Mountain in Chengxian County) and two national wetland parks (Huang Lin Gou National Wetland Park in Wenxian County and Meiyuanhe National Wetland Park in Kangxian County). Longnan is also one of the main producing areas of Chinese herbal medicines and olive oil in China, enjoying the reputation of "Millennium Medicine Capital", "Natural Medicine Warehouse" and "China Olive Oil Town".
Longnan is the birthplace of Qin people and the core area of Qiang people's activities in the ancient western border of China, which was inhabited as early as 7000 years ago. Baima people in Wenxian county are called "the oldest tribe in East Asia". In the long historical process, Longnan is not only a battlefield for fierce competition among various political and military forces, but also an outpost for the central government of the Central Plains to contact with northwest ethnic minorities. The attack, conquest, decline and interaction of ethnic groups constitute an important part of the social history of Longnan.