Heyuan has a long history and outstanding people. It is an ancient Hakka town with a history of more than 2,2 years. All the five counties and one district in the whole territory are inhabited by Hakka people. It is the only prefecture-level city in Chinese mainland that is purely Hakka. With Xinfengjiang as the boundary, Chacheng is divided into the new old city. The old city has a history of more than 15 years, while the new urban area in Jiangbei is a new city built after the city was built in 1988.

The existing Neolithic sites, Zhengxiang Pagoda in Tang Dynasty, Guifeng Pagoda in Song Dynasty, ancestral home of Sun Yat-sen (the first generation who entered Guangdong from Fujian) and other historical sites.

Heyuan belonged to the south of Yangzhou in ancient times, and the Warring States period belonged to the south of Chu, which, like other areas in Lingnan, was a hundred wild places.

In 214 BC, the Qin Dynasty set up a county to govern this area. The first county magistrate was Zhao Tuo, who later unified Lingnan and was named King of Nanyue by Emperor Gaozu of Han Dynasty. The county magistrate was located in Tuo Town, Longchuan County, which brought Lingnan area into the central government of China for the first time. Heyuan area belonged to Gulongchuan County and Nanhai County. Later, it was the territory of South Vietnam and returned to Han in 111 BC.

Heyuan County was separated from Longchuan County in 483 A.D. (Southern Qi Dynasty), belonging to Nanhai County, named after the source of three rivers in the north of the county. The Southern Qi Dynasty was the beginning of building a city for the present Heyuan. In 53, South Liang Tian belonged to Lianghua County, Sui and Tang Dynasties belonged to Xunzhou, and in 917, in the first year of Ganheng in South Han Dynasty, Xunzhou was divided into Zhenzhou and Xunzhou, and Heyuan belonged to Xunzhou. In the fifth year of Song Tianxi (121), Zhenzhou was changed to Huizhou. In the second year of Hongwu in Ming Dynasty (1369), Xunzhou was merged into Huizhou. In 1913, Heyuan area belonged to Chaoshun Road in Guangdong Province, and was directly under Dongjiang Administrative Committee of Guangdong Revolutionary Government.

During the 1,54 years from 483 A.D. to 1987, the construction of Heyuan County was not abolished, and the county administration never changed.

Until January 7th, 1988, the State Council approved to cancel Heyuan County and establish Heyuan City (prefecture level). Heyuan City has established Yuancheng District and Suburb, and put Zijin, Lianping, Heping and Longchuan in Huiyang District under the jurisdiction of Heyuan City. On March 2, 1988, the municipal party Committee and the municipal government officially listed for office. In August, 1992, Heyuan City was included in the coastal economic open zone with the approval of the State Council, and became an area that can enjoy preferential policies in both mountainous areas and coastal open zones. On November 8, 1993, the State Council approved the abolition of the suburb of Heyuan City and established Dongyuan County, with the county party committee and county government stationed in Mujing, Xiantang.