China is a country that has been historically divided into regions or provinces, with each region having its own unique culture. Many of the big cities in China have their own unique characteristics and history.
Today, China’s largest city is Shanghai, which has a population of over 24 million people. Beijing has approximately 11 million residents and Guangzhou about 10 million. Other well-known Chinese cities include Hong Kong, Nanjing and Wuhan.
Shanghai
Shanghai is one of the four direct-controlled municipalities in China, located on the eastern coast of the country. It has an area of 6,340 km2 and a population around 24 million. By the end of 2010, Shanghai had a GDP equivalent to that of Portugal or South Korea. The cost for advertising in Shanghai’s newspapers is among the highest worldwide.
Shanghai lies in the Yangtze River Delta of eastern China. It is a busy port and a manufacturing centre.The largest city in the PRC, it is also one of its most cosmopolitan.In many ways Shanghai seems to be part of an older China that disappeared when Mao Zedong came to power in 1949. Communist Party officials from Beijing refer to Shanghai as ‘Little Paris’ or ‘Little Britain’ because there are so many foreign businesses there and it has become such a major trading centre for goods from around the world.
Beijing-Big Cities in China
Beijing is the capital of China, which combines a modern infrastructure with old cultural traditions. It’s multicultural, but remains an exotic destination for many visitors. The city sits on the northern edge of the North China Plain and borders Hebei Province to the north, west and south. Mountains to its east form a barrier which splits Beijing into three parts: Chaoyang in the east, central districts in the centre and Haidian in its northwest corner.
Tianjin
Tianjin is a metropolitian city in the north of China and one of the five national central cities. It is governed as a direct-controlled municipality, one of four such designations, and is, therefore, under direct administration of the central government. As a dual-core city with Beijing, it also serves as an economic center for Northern China. In ancient times Tianjin was known as Zhigu Jing.
Shenzhen-Big Cities in China
Shenzhen, a Chinese city located in the Pearl River Delta, is one of the most modern cities in China. Founded as a fishing village at the start of the 1980s, it has since transformed into an economic powerhouse and leading technological center. Shenzhen has been ranked among Asia’s top ten cities for quality of life by Asian Cities Business Index and was ranked third on the list of “The World’s Top 10 Livable Cities” compiled by Bloomberg News in 2011. The city also ranks fifth on the list of China’s “National Civilized Cities” with scores exceeding 200 points.
Guangzhou
Guangzhou is located in the south of China. It lies in the Pearl River Delta, bordering Hong Kong to the South and Shenzhen to the North. Guangzhou’s history can be traced back two thousand years ago when it was a small city at the crossroads leading southwards from the Yellow River region. Today, it has become one of China’s most important industrial cities. Guangzhou is one of only four cities in mainland China that are considered to have Special Economic Zones hosting hi-tech manufacturing industries, port facilities including export-oriented enterprises, financial institutions and businesses operated by foreign capital.
Chengdu-Big Cities in China
Chengdu is the capital and one of the most populous cities in Sichuan Province, People’s Republic of China. As one of the three most important economic and cultural centers in Western China, Chengdu is a major transportation hub within Sichuan and between other major Chinese cities. The city has been continuously inhabited for over 6000 years and it was known as one of the Four Great Ancient Capitals of China.
The Chengdu dialect is a branch of Southwestern Mandarin. It is classified as part of the Sichuan dialects, together with the Chongqing and Neijiang dialects, although they are mutually unintelligible. In addition to being spoken in Chengdu, it is also used by many residents of other cities in western Sichuan province such as Deyang and Mianyang.
In eastern Sichuan, people speak instead a Jianghuai Mandarin variant.There are slight differences between the Chengdu and Chonqging dialects due to influence from Xiang Chinese varieties.
Chongqing
Chongqing, a city of more than 30 million people in southwest China, sits on the edge of the Yangtze River. In addition to being a major industrial center for China’s central and western regions, Chongqing is also an important transportation hub. Because it is located at the confluence of two rivers—the Yangtze and Jialin—it has been a crucial transport link since ancient times. It was once known as Jiangzhou (meaning “Rising Province”), because it stood above all other provinces in terms of economic importance to imperial China.
Dongguan-Big Cities in China
Dongguan is a prefecture-level city in central Guangdong province, China. It borders the provincial capital of Guangzhou to its north, Huizhou to its northeast, and looks out to the Pearl River Estuary across Shijiao Bay towards Hong Kong on the south.
Shenyang
China, Liaoning Province, Shenyang city is located in the eastern part of China. It is one of the most famous cities in China with lots of historical buildings and cultural relics. It’s known as the New Capital during the period after Qing Dynasty. The major industries are food-processing industry, chemical industry, textile industry and machinery manufacturing.
Wuhan-Big Cities in China
Wuhan, Wade-Giles romanization Wuhan, formerly known as Hankou, is the capital of Hubei province in Central China and one of the three largest cities in China. The name Wuhan literally means “five lakes” after five nearby lakes which are lined up along its river frontage. It has an administrative area population over nine million people with approximately 19 million living within its total municipal area making it one of China’s most important hubs for economic development.
Summary
China has many amazing cities you must visit to experience the excitement of life in these rapidly growing areas.
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