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Home(/) ChinaGuide(/travelguide/) BestofChina(/travelguide/tophighlightsofchina.htm) AnIntroduction

toChina'sLARGESTCities

AnIntroductiontoChina'sLARGESTCities
Ifyouenjoythehappeningatmosphereofbigandrapidlygrowingcities,thenChinaistheplacetocome.Feel
thebuzzoftheurbanizationrushinthefastestdevelopingcountryinthehistoryoftheplanet.Whenyoutravel
throughanymainlandChinesecityrememberyouarewalkingthroughagiantthat30yearsagowasonlya
fractionofthesize!
ThoughplaceslikeTianjin,Guangzhou,ShenzhenandDongguanarenottypicaltouristdestinationstheyhave
several"undiscovered"attractions,andlotstodo.Visitthecitieswhereyourclothesandmanyothereveryday
itemsweremade.Seehowtheserapidlydevelopingcitiesfunction.ExperienceChinasmostmodern
infrastructure.SeeChinasnewestskyscrapersandshoppingmalls.Becomeapartofthenightlife.Seethe
futureofChinainthemaking.
ThefollowingareChinastop10largestcities,allwithpopulationsover7million.Chinaslargecitiesareknown
asthefactoryoftheworld,thoughnotallofthemare'factorycities'.

1.Shanghai

Location:TheYangtzeDelta,CentralEastChina
Urbanpopulation:22million
GDPpercapita:$14k
Shanghai(/shanghai/)istheundisputedlargestandwealthiestcityinChina.Withanamesynonymous
withworldtrade,Shanghaihasthelargestandbusiestportintermsofcontainersandcargotonnage,agrand
businessdistrict,twolargeairports(PudongandHongqiao),theworld'sfastesttrain(theMaglev
(/shanghai/transportation/maglevtrain.htm)),andanetworkofelevatedhighways.

2.Beijing

Location:NeartheBohaiGulf,NortheastChina
Urbanpopulation:19million
GDPpercapita:$15k
BeijingislargeprimarilybecauseitisChina'scapital.Itisapolitical,educational,andculturalcenter,withlight
industries(science,technologyandresearch)dominatingovermassmanufacturing.
Beijinghastheworld'slargestairport,andanextensive,mostlynewsubwaysystem,butongoingtraffic
congestionissues.Theancientcity(/beijing/forbiddencity/)stillfeaturesstronglyinthecoreofits6ringroad
concentriclayout.

3.Tianjin

Location:OntheBohaiGulf,NortheastChina
Urbanpopulation:11million
GDPpercapita:$16k
Tianjin(/tianjin/)isahugeportandmanufacturingcenterontheBohaiGulf,withasignificanthistoryduetoits
keylocationontheGrandCanal,linkingtheYangtzeandtheYellowRiver.Onlytheseventhlargestcontainer
portinChina,itstillshiftsover10millioncontainersayear,andactsastheshippinggatewaytoBeijing,only70
km(40mi)northwest.

4.Guangzhou

Location:ThePearlRiverDelta,SoutheastChina
Urbanpopulation:11million
GDPpercapita:$19k
Guangzhou(Canton)isamightymanufacturingbase,drawingmillionsfromthecountrysidetoworkinits
factories.Vastquantitiesofclothing,electronics,plasticgoods,andtoysareshippedfromGuangzhoualloverthe
world.AcitythathassprunguprecentlywithChina'seconomicboom,ithoststhebiannualChinaImportand
ExportFairorCantonFair.

5.Shenzhen

Location:ThePearlRiverDelta,SoutheastChina
Urbanpopulation:10million
GDPpercapita:$22k
Shenzhen(/shenzhen/)islocatedinbetweenGuangzhouandHongKong.Itisahugemanufacturingcenter
thathassprungupovernight.Feedingoffthesuccessofitsneighbors,itisrankedfourthinChinaforindustrial
output,manufacturinghighertechnologyproductsthanGuangzhouingeneral,andwithseveralofitsown
successfulsunrisecompanies.

6.Dongguan
Location:ThePearlRiverDelta,SoutheastChina
Urbanpopulation:8million
GDPpercapita:$10k
Dongguan(/dongguan/)isalittleknownbuthugemanufacturingcitybetweenGuangzhouandShenzhen,
rankedfourthinChinaforexports.Ithasalsogrownphenomenallyinthelastcoupleofdecades.Itemploys
hugenumbersofruralfactoryworkers,producingelectronicitemsandotherhardware,likecomputer
peripherals.

7.Taipei
Location:NorthcoastofTaiwan,SoutheastChina
Urbanpopulation:8million
GDPpercapita:$50k
Taipei(Taiwan)islessofamodernarrivalontheworldscenewithitspostwarrisetoprosperityalongsideother
AsianTigereconomies.Consideredadevelopedworldcity,itsmajorindustriesaretextilesandelectronics.Taipei
isthecapitalofTaiwan,ortheRepublicofChina,which,whilenotacknowledgedasindependentfromthe
Mainland,enjoysalmostcompleteautonomy.

8.Chengdu

Location:TheSichuanBasin,WestCentralChina
Urbanpopulation:7million
GDPpercapita:$10k
Chengdu(/chengdu/)isanexceptionamonglargeChinesecities.It'stheonlyurbanareaofover7million
peoplenotinEastChina,nearthePacificcoast.ThelargestcityinmostlymountainousoraridWestChina,itis
aconcentrationofthepopulationoftheSichuanBasin.ThepaceoflifeisthemostrelaxedofChina'slargecities.

ThoughindustrydoesplayapartinChengdu'seconomy,itsgrowthismorearesultofthetideofurbanization
drivingtheruralpopulationtowardsthecitiesinsearchofbetterpaidwork,thanofforeignordomestic
investment.WithChengdubeingthelonelargecityinSichuanProvincepeoplegravitatethere.

9.HongKong

Location:ThePearlRiverDelta,SoutheastChina
Urbanpopulation:7million
GDPpercapita:$39k
HongKong(/hongkong/)isanotherAsianTigereconomicpowerhouse,whichhasasimilarstandardof
livingtolargeWesterncities,despiteitshigherpopulationdensity.ItisthemostdevelopedofChina'scities,with
thehighestlivingcost.
HongKong'smajorindustriesarealltertiary(service)sector,includingfinance,communications,andforeign
investments.Ithastheworld'sthirdlargestcontainerport,butunlikeotherChineseportsitsexportsmainly
comefromotherChinesecities.

10.Hangzhou

Location:TheYangtzeDelta(http://www.chinahighlights.com/yangtzeriver/lowerreaches.htm),Central
EastChina
Urbanpopulation:7million
GDPpercapita:$15k
Hangzhou(http://www.chinahighlights.com/hangzhou/)isoneofthemostprosperouscitiesinmainlandChina
intermsofGDPpercapita.Ithasavarietyofmanufacturingindustry,frommachinerytotextilestoIT.
Hangzhouhasbenefitedalmostdisproportionatelyfromthespreadofwealth,development,andinvestment
fromShanghai,onlyaboutanhournortheast.
Hangzhouhaswide,clean,andorderlyroadsandanetworkofexpressways.Everythingseemswellmaintained,
extendingtotheupkeepofitstouristattractions.

See11DaysChinaRelaxationTourtoexploreChina'sbigcities.(/tour/cht62/)

China'sLargeCitiesAWorldComparison
Chinahas5megacities(urbanareasof10millioninhabitantsseeabove).Thiscomparedto3inIndia,2
intheUSA,Japan,andBrazil,and1in14othercountries.
Chinahas14citiesofover5millionpeople(Shanghai(/shanghai/),Beijing(/beijing/),Tianjin(/tianjin/),
Guangzhou(/guangzhou/),Shenzhen(/shenzhen/),Dongguan(/dongguan/),Taipei(/taiwan/),Chengdu
(/chengdu/),HongKong(/hongkong/),Nanjing(/nanjing/),Wuhan(/wuhan/),Shenyang(/shenyang/),
Hangzhou(/hangzhou/),andChongqing(/chongqing/)),whereastheUSAhas8,India7,JapanandBrazil3,
and31othercountrieshave1.SoChinahas21%oftheworld's5millionpersoncities.
Chinahas41citiesofover2millionpeople,20%oftheworldtotal,comparedwiththeUSA's21,India's

15,Brazil's12,andJapan's6.
Chinahas79(16.5%)oftheworld's478largestbuiltupareas(i.e.cityandconnectedsuburbs),
comparedto55forIndia,53fortheUSand50fortheEU.Chinahasover100builtupareasofover1
millionpeople!
Chinahashalfoftheworld'stop6cityclusters(a.k.a.megalopolisesormegaregions):
ThePearlRiverDelta(Population:120million,includingGuangzhou(/guangzhou/),Shenzhen
(/shenzhen/),Dongguan(/dongguan/),HongKong(/hongkong/),Foshan(/foshan/),Zhuhai(/zhuhai/),
andMacau(/macau/))
TheYangtzeRiverDelta(88million,includingShanghai(/shanghai/),Nanjing(/nanjing/),
Hangzhou(/hangzhou/),Ningbo(/ningbo/),Suzhou(/suzhou/))
TheBohaiRim(66million,includingBeijing(/beijing/),Tianjin(/tianjin/),Shenyang(/shenyang/),
Dalian(/dalian/),Dandong(/dandong/),Yantai(/yantai/),Jinan(/jinan/),Qinhuangdao(/qinhuangdao/),
Qingdao(/qingdao/),andWeihai(/weihai/))
TheotherthreeareTheIndoGangeticPlain(200million),TheEuropeanBackbone(90million),andTheTokyo
Region(80million).

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ChinaCityList(/travelguide/chinatravelcityguide.htm)
DevelopingChina(/travelguide/developingchina.htm)

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