Shaozhou or Shao Prefecture (邵州) was a zhou (prefecture) in imperial China centering on modern Shaoyang, Hunan, China. It existed (intermittently) from 636 to 1225.

The administrative region of Shaozhou in the Tang dynasty falls within modern Shaoyang in southern Hunan on the northern border with Guangxi. It probably includes modern:

• Shaoyang
• Shaoyang County
• Wugang
• Xinning County
• Longhui County
• Xinshao County

• Shi Weile, ed. (2005). Zhongguo Lishi Diming Da Cidian (中国历史地名大词典) [Large Dictionary of Chinese Historical Place Names] (in Chinese). China Social Sciences Press. p. 1404. ISBN 7-5004-4929-1.