In this work, a facile template-assisted method has been applied to prepare hierarchical porous carbon (HPC), using the aqua-mesophase pitch (AMP) as the carbon precursor obtained through liquid phase oxidation, zinc nitrate hexahydrate (ZNH) as template, porogen and nitrogen source. The as-obtained HPC exhibits a high specific capacitance of 235.5 F g(-1) at a current density of 1 A g(-1), excellent rate capability with a capacitance retention of 58.6% at 50 A g(-1). This research may deliver a scalable avenue for the design of novel carbon-based nanoarchitecture materials and effective utilization of abundant petroleum pitch resources for energy storage.