China’s Top 20 Largest Cities by Population

Chongqing is the only municipality directly under the Central Government in the central and western regions, a national central city, and the economic, financial, science and technology, shipping and trade logistics center in the upper reaches of the Yangtze River. It is the western development important strategic fulcrum and an important junction on the Yangtze River economic belt. Chongqing is located in the southwest of China’s inland, east of Hubei and Hunan, south of Guizhou, west of Sichuan, and north of Shaanxi. With a total area of ​​82,400 square kilometers, it administers 38 districts and counties (autonomous counties). It has the titles of being Chinese hot pot capital, China’s exhibition city, and the hot spring capital. Chongqing is a subtropical monsoon humid climate with an annual average temperature of 16-18°C.

Shanghai is one of China’s four municipalities directly under the Central Government and is China’s economic, financial, trade, shipping, and technology innovation center. Shanghai is located in East China. The total area of ​​Shanghai is 6340.5 square kilometers, and it has jurisdiction over 16 municipal districts. Shanghai has a subtropical monsoon climate with four distinct seasons.

Beijing is the capital of the People’s Republic of China and one of the four municipalities directly under the Central Government of China. Beijing is a national political center, a cultural center, an international exchange center, a science and technology innovation center, and a world-famous ancient capital. The city is also the seat of the Central Committee of the Communist Party of China, the Central People’s Government of the People’s Republic of China and the Standing Committee of the National People’s Congress. Beijing is located in North China, with a central location adjacent to Tianjin and Hebei. The total area of ​​Beijing is 16410.54 square kilometers. The climate in Beijing is typical of the semi- humid continental monsoon climate in the north temperate zone. It is hot and rainy in summer, cold and dry in winter, and short in spring and autumn.

Chengdu is the Sichuan provincial capital, deputy provincial city, a State Council national key high-tech industrial base, trade logistics centers and integrated transportation hubs, important central cities in the western region. In 2018, the city has jurisdiction over 11 districts and 4 counties, and administers 5 county-level cities. Chengdu is located in the southwest of China, in the western part of the Sichuan Basin, in the hinterland of the Chengdu Plain. It has a flat terrain, a river network, rich products and developed agriculture. It belongs to the subtropical monsoon humid climate and has enjoyed the reputation of “the land of abundance” since ancient times. It is a global electronic information industry base, also featuring 30 state-level scientific research institutions, 67 national-level research and development platforms, 56 colleges and universities, about 3.89 million talents; and 285 of the world’s top 500 enterprises.

Tianjin is a municipality directly under the Central Government, a national central city and an economic center in the Bohai Rim region approved by the State Council. By 2018, the city has jurisdiction over 16 districts with a total area of ​​11,916.85 square kilometers, a built-up area of ​​1007.91 square kilometers, a resident population of 15.59 million, an urban population of 12.9681 million, and an urbanization rate of 83.15%. Tianjin is located in North China.Tianjin is the main node of the Sino-Mongolian-Russian economic corridor, the strategic fulcrum of the Maritime Silk Road, the intersection of the “Belt and Road”, the nearest eastern starting point of the Eurasian Continental Bridge, and the largest port city in northern China, the first coastal open cities. Tianjin is a warm temperate semi-humid monsoon climate. Near the Bohai Bay, the impact of the marine climate on Tianjin is more obvious.

Guangzhou is the capital city of Guangdong Province, the sub-provincial city, the national central city, and the important central city, international trade center and comprehensive transportation hub approved by the State Council. By 2018, the city has 11 districts with a total area of ​​7,434 square kilometers, a built-up area of ​​1249.11 square kilometers, a resident population of 19,940,400, an urban population of 1,284,400, and an urbanization rate of 86.38%. Located in the south of China, bordering on the South China Sea and the northern edge of the Pearl River Delta, Guangzhou is the headquarters of the Southern China Theater Command, a national comprehensive gateway city, the southern gateway to China, the central city of the Pan-Pearl River Delta Economic Zone and the hub city of the Belt and Road.

Shenzhen is a sub-provincial city under the jurisdiction of Guangdong Province, a planned city, Special Economic Zone, a national economic center city and an international city approved by the State Council. Known as “China’s Silicon Valley”. As of 2018, the city has jurisdiction over 9 districts with a total area of ​​1996.85 square kilometers, a built-up area of ​​927.96 square kilometers, a resident population of 13 million, and an urbanization rate of 100%. Shenzhen is located in South China, Southern Guangdong, the east bank of the Pearl River Estuary, east of Daya Bay and Dapeng Bay and is also the four central cities of the Greater Bay Area. It is an international integrated transport hub, international High-Tech innovation Center, one of China’s three major national financial centers, a future global maritime center, China characteristic socialist demonstration zone, and comprehensive national science center.

Wuhan is the provincial capital of Hubei, one of the country’s important industrial bases, science and technology base and integrated transport hub. PLA troops are guaranteed residencey here. In 2018, the city has 13 districts with a total area of ​​8659.15 square kilometers, a resident population of 11.081 million, and a regional GDP of 1.48 trillion yuan. Wuhan is the core city of the Yangtze River Economic Belt, the strategic fulcrum of the rise of Central China, the comprehensive innovation reform pilot zone, and one of the three intellectually intensive areas of the country. China Optics Valley is committed to creating a global entrepreneurial and innovative entrepreneurial center. According to the request of the National Development and Reform Commission, Wuhan is accelerating the establishment of a national central city supported by four major functions: the National Economic Center, the High-level Science and Technology Innovation Center, the Trade and Logistics Center and the International Exchange Center.

Nanyang is a prefecture-level city, located in the southwest of Henan Province. By the end of 2018, the city had jurisdiction over 2 administrative districts, 4 development zones, and 10 counties, with a total area of ​​26,600 square kilometers and a resident population of 100,136,000 (including Dengzhou). Nanyang is a national historical and cultural city with a history of more than 2,000 years of construction and is the birthplace of Chu and Han culture. South-to-North Water Transfer , originating from Nanyang and Sichuan. Nanyang Xichuan is one of the largest core water source areas in the center of the Taoshui Canal Project in the middle line of the South-to-North Water Transfer Project of the world’s largest water transfer project. Nanyang is located in the transition zone from subtropical to temperate zone. It belongs to the humid and semi-humid climate of the monsoon continent, with four distinct seasons.

Linyi, a prefecture-level city located in the southeast of Shandong Province, on the west bank of the Yellow Sea, the junction of the Yangtze River Delta Economic Circle and the Bohai Economic Circle, the Dongpu Sea National Key Development Zone and the Lunan Lingang Industrial Belt. Is a famous trade city and logistics capital, and is one of the country’s major logistics centers and wholesale trade center.

Shijiazhuang is the political, economic, scientific, financial, cultural, and the provincial capital of Hebei Province. It is one of the important central cities in the Beijing-Tianjin-Hebei region approved by the State Council. As of 2018, the city has 8 districts, 11 counties, and 3 county-level cities under its jurisdiction, with a total area of ​​14,464 square kilometers, a built-up area of ​​28,372 square kilometers, a resident population of 10 million, and an urban population of 6.917 million. The urbanization rate is 63.16%.

Harbin, also known as Bingcheng, is the capital city ​​of Heilongjiang Province, the sub-provincial city, and the core city of Harbin Metropolitan Area. The State Council approved the important central cities in Northeast China and the important manufacturing bases of the country. As of 2018, the city has jurisdiction over nine districts, seven counties, hosted two county-level cities, with a total area of 53100 square kilometers, built area of 435.28 square kilometers.

Suzhou is under the jurisdiction of Jiangsu Province. It is a State Historical and Cultural City, Scenic Tourism City, National High-tech Industrial base, and one of the important central cities in the Yangtze River Delta. As of 2018, the city has jurisdiction over 5 districts and administers 4 county-level cities, with a total area of ​​848.842 square kilometers, a built-up area of ​​461.65 square kilometers, a resident population of 10.72117 million, an urban population of 815.39 million, and an urbanization rate of 76.05%

Baoding is located in the central part of Hebei Province and Taihang Mountain. It is one of the central cities in the Beijing-Tianjin-Hebei region. The total area of ​​Baoding City is 22,190 square kilometers. As of the end of 2017, it has jurisdiction over 5 municipal districts, 15 counties, and 4 county-level cities ( Dingzhou is directly governed by the province), with 1 country. In April 2017, the CPC Central Committee and the State Council decided to establish the Xiong’an New District of Hebei Province, involving the three counties of Xiongxian, Rongcheng and Anxin in Baoding City and surrounding areas.

Zhengzhou is the provincial capital of Henan Province, an important central city in central China, the country’s important integrated transportation hub, trade and logistics center. It is located in the north of central Henan Province, Kaifeng in the east, Luoyang in the west, the Yellow River in the north and Xinxiang and Jiaozuo in the north, and Xuchang and Pingdingshan in the south. Zhengzhou has jurisdiction over 6 municipal districts and 1 county, and administers 5 county-level cities, with a total area of ​​7446 square kilometers, an urban area of ​​1010 square kilometers, and a built-up area of ​​549.33 square kilometers in the central city, the urban built-up area of ​​the city is 830.97 square kilometers, the urbanization rate is 72.2%.

Xi’an is the capital city of Shaanxi province. It was the starting point of the ancient Silk Road, the core area of the “ Belt and Road ” and an important center in western China. The city is an important research, education and industrial base of the country. UNESCO’s ” World Historic City ” was established in 1981. It has jurisdiction over 11 districts and 2 counties and administers Xixian New District, with a total area of ​​10,752 square kilometers. Xi’an is one of the important birthplaces of Chinese civilization and the Chinese nation. In history, more than a dozen dynasties have built capitals here.

Handan City, Hebei provincial city, located in Hebei Province. has 6 districts, 1 county-level city, 11 counties, 1 national-level development zone and 1 provincial-level development zone. Located in the heart of the Jinci, Shandong and Henan provinces, and the heart of the Central Plains Economic Zone, it is an important transportation hub in the North China region.

Wenzhou is a prefecture-level city in Zhejiang Province. It is a national historical and cultural city, an important commercial and trade city on the southeast coast, and one of the regional central cities in Zhejiang Province. The city’s land area is 1,612.94 square kilometers, and the sea area is about 11,000 square kilometers. The city governs 4 municipal districts, 5 counties, and 3 county-level cities.

Weifang, a prefecture-level city under the jurisdiction of Shandong Province, is located in the middle of Shandong Peninsula, adjacent to Qingdao, Rizhao, Zibo, Yantai and Linyi. The climate is a warm temperate monsoon semi-humid continental climate, and the urban landforms are from north to south, from low to high, forming several steps. As of 2016, it has jurisdiction over 4 districts, 6 cities and 2 counties. In 2017, the total population was 9.363 million. Weifang City is the world’s kite capital, national environmental protection model city, national health city, national garden city, China’s outstanding tourism city, national advanced city of scientific and technological progress, national circular economy demonstration city, and won the China Habitat Environment Award.

Zhoukou City, a prefecture-level city under the jurisdiction of Henan Province, is located in the southeast of Henan Province, in the hinterland of Huanghuai Plain, east of Fuyang City, Anhui Province, west of Luohe City and Xuchang City, south to Zhumadian City, and north to Kaifeng City and Shangqiu City. By the end of 2018, Zhoukou City had jurisdiction over 2 districts, 7 counties, and 1 county-level city with a total area of ​​11,959 square kilometers.