Direct-administered municipality

Highest level of classification for cities in China

For the four direct-administered municipalities, see Beijing, Chongqing, Shanghai, and Tianjin.

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Municipality
直辖市
Zhíxiáshì

Number| 4 (Beijing, Chongqing, Shanghai, and Tianjin)
Administrative divisions
of China

Province-level (1st)

Municipalities

* * *

Provinces

* * *

Autonomous regions

* * *

Special administrative regions

Sub-provincial level

Sub-provincial cities

* * *

Sub-provincial autonomous prefectures

* * *

Sub-provincial city districts

Prefecture-level (2nd)

Prefectural cities

* * *

Autonomous prefectures

* * *

Leagues (Aimag)
(abolishing)

* * *

Prefectures

(abolishing)

Sub-prefectural-level

Sub-prefectural cities

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Provincial-controlled cities

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Provincial-controlled counties

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Provincial-controlled districts

County level (3rd)

Counties

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Autonomous counties

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County-level cities

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Districts
Ethnic districts

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Banners (Hoxu)
Autonomous banners

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Shennongjia Forestry District

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Liuzhi Special District

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Wolong Special Administrative Region

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Workers and peasants districts

(obsolete)

Analogous county level units

Management areas
Management committee

Township level (4th)

Townships

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Ethnic townships

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Towns

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Subdistricts
Subdistrict bureaux

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Sum

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Ethnic sum

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County-controlled districts
County-controlled district bureaux
(obsolete)

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Management committees

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Town-level city

(pilot)

Analogous township level units

Management areas
Management committee

* * *

Areas

* * *

Farms area (Overseas Chinese Farm Region [zh]), Prison area, University towns, etc.

Village level (5th)

(Grassroots Autonomous Organizations)

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Villages · Gaqa · Ranches
Village Committees

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Communities

Residential Committees

Others

Regions

* * *

Capital cities

* * *

New areas

* * *

Autonomous administrative divisions

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National central cities

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Special Economic Zones

History: before 1912, 1912–49, 1949–present

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Administrative division codes

* v
* t
* e

A direct-administered municipality (直辖市; Zhíxiáshì; lit. 'direct-administered city'; commonly known as municipality[1]) is a provincial-level administrative division in China. The direct-administered municipalities are directly affiliated to the central government. There are four municipalities in China: Beijing, Chongqing, Shanghai, and Tianjin.

Although being as a city by name, a Chinese municipality is more than a city in a traditional sense. It is equivalent to a province as it usually composed of a central urban area and a number of much larger surrounding suburban and rural areas.

## History

[edit]

During the Republic of China, the first municipalities were the 11 cities of Nanjing, Shanghai, Beijing, Tianjin, Qingdao, Chongqing, Xi'an, Guangzhou, Hankou (now part of Wuhan), Shenyang, and Harbin. They were established in 1927 soon after they were designated as "cities" during the 1920s. Nominally, Dalian was a municipality as well, although it was under Japanese control. These cities were first called special municipalities/cities (特别市; tèbiéshì), but were later renamed Yuan-controlled municipalities (院辖市; yuànxiáshì), then direct-controlled municipalities (直辖市; zhíxiáshì) by the Central Government of the People's Republic of China.

After the establishment of the People's Republic of China in 1949, Anshan, Benxi, and Fushun were also made municipalities, while Qingdao, Dalian, and Harbin were reduced to provincial municipalities.[2] Hankou was merged into Wuhan, which became a municipality of its own. Hence, there remained 12 municipalities. In November 1952, Nanjing was reduced to a provincial municipality in Jiangsu.[3] In March 1953, Lüda, which had resulted from the merger of Dalian and Lüshun in December 1950, was made a municipality. In July 1953, Harbin was restored to municipality status, whereas Changchun acquired that status for the first time.[4] Except Beijing and Tianjin, which were under central control, all other municipalities were governed by the greater administrative areas.

In June 1954, 11 of the 14 municipalities were reduced to sub-provincial cities; many of them became capitals of the provinces they were in. Only Beijing, Shanghai, and Tianjin remained municipalities, until Chongqing was restored as a municipality in 1997 with a much enlarged area. Tianjin was also temporarily reverted to sub-provincial city status between 1958 and 1967.[citation needed]

## Position in hierarchy

[edit]

Municipalities are the highest-ranked cities in the PRC. Some cities of lower levels may also refer to themselves as municipalities in the English language.

Three levels of cities in the People's Republic of China:

1. Municipalities (直辖市; 直轄市; zhíxiáshì);
2. Prefecture-level cities (地级市; 地級市; dìjíshì), including sub-provincial cities; and,
3. County-level cities (县级市; 縣級市; xiànjíshì), including sub-prefectural cities.

## Administration

[edit]

In municipalities, the highest ranking government official is the mayor. The mayor is also a delegate in the National People's Congress (the legislature)[5] and deputy secretary of the Chinese Communist Party (CCP) Municipal Committee. However, the highest administrative authority in the municipality belongs to the Chinese Communist Party Committee Secretary.

## Current municipalities

[edit]

ISO[6] | Division name | Simplified Chinese | Hanyu Pinyin | Abbr. | Population[7] | Area (km2) | Divisions | City seat | Origin Province
(split date) | Origin Prefecture | Origin County

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CN-11  | Beijing | 北京市 | Běijīng Shì | 京 jīng | 19,612,368  | 16,801  | List (16 districts) | Tongzhou | Hebei
(Oct. 1949) | Shuntian | Daxing
CN-12  | Tianjin | 天津市 | Tiānjīn Shì | 津 jīn | 12,938,224  | 11,760  | List (16 districts) | Hexi | Hebei
(Jan. 1967) | Tianjin | Tianjin
CN-31  | Shanghai | 上海市 | Shànghǎi Shì | 沪 hù | 23,019,148  | 6,340  | List (16 districts) | Huangpu | Jiangsu
(Mar. 1927) | Songjiang | Shanghai
CN-50  | Chongqing | 重庆市 | Chóngqìng Shì | 渝 yú | 28,846,170
(City Core 16,240,026) | 82,300
(City Core 6,268) | List (26 districts, 8 counties, & 4 autonomous counties)
(City Core: 19 districts) | Yuzhong | Sichuan
(May 1997) | Chongqing | Ba

### Government

[edit]

Name  | Communist Party | Executive | Legislature

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Party Committee  | Party Secretary  | Government | Mayor | City Council | No. of seats
Beijing | Beijing Municipal Party Committee | Yin Li | Beijing Municipal People's Government | Yin Yong | Beijing Municipal People's Congress | 755
Tianjin | Tianjin Municipal Party Committee | Chen Min'er | Tianjin Municipal People's Government | Zhang Gong | Tianjin Municipal People's Congress | 706
Shanghai | Shanghai Municipal Party Committee | Chen Jining | Shanghai Municipal People's Government | Gong Zheng | Shanghai Municipal People's Congress | 855
Chongqing | Chongqing Municipal Party Committee | Yuan Jiajun | Chongqing Municipal People's Government | Hu Henghua | Chongqing Municipal People's Congress | 860

## Former ROC and PRC municipalities

[edit]

Name | Simplified Chinese | Pinyin | Abbr. | City seat | Administration period | Original province | Original prefecture | Original county

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Jingdu | 京都市 | Jīngdū Shì | 京 jīng | Dongcheng | 1921–1927  | Zhili
(present province: Hebei) | Shuntian | Daxing
Jingu | 津沽市 | Jīngū Shì | 津 jīn | Heping | 1921–1927  | Zhili
(present province: Hebei) | Tianjin | Tianjin
Songhu | 淞沪市 | Sōnghù Shì | 沪 hù | Huangpu | 1921–1927  | Jiangsu | Songjiang | Shanghai
Qingdao | 青岛市 | Qīngdǎo Shì | 青 qīng | Shinan | 1921–1927, 1929–1949  | Shandong | Jiaozhou | Jiao
Harbin | 哈尔滨市 | Hārbīn Shì | 哈 hā | Nangang | 1921–1927, 1947–1949, 1953–1954  | Songjiang
(present province: Heilongjiang) | Binzhou | Bin
Hankou | 汉口市 | Hànkǒu Shì  | 汉 hàn | Jiang'an | 1921–1927, 1929–1931, 1947–1949  | Hubei | Hanyang | Hanyang
Wuxi | 无锡市 | Wúxī Shì | 锡 xī | Binhu | 1921–1927  | Jiangsu | Changzhou | Wuxi
Hangzhou | 杭州市 | Hángzhōu Shì | 杭 háng | Gongshu | 1921–1927  | Zhejiang | Hangzhou | Yuhang
Ningbo | 宁波市 | Níngbō Shì | 甬 yǒng | Yinzhou | 1921–1927  | Zhejiang | Ningbo | Yin
Anqing | 安庆市 | Ānqìng Shì | 安 ān | Daguan | 1921–1927  | Anhui | Anqing | Huaining
Nanchang | 南昌市 | Nánchāng Shì | 洪 hóng | Donghu | 1921–1927  | Jiangxi | Nanchang | Nanchang
Wuchang | 武昌市 | Wǔchāng Shì | 武 wǔ | Wuchang | 1921–1927  | Hubei | Wuchang | Jiangxia
Guangzhou | 广州市 | Guǎngzhōu Shì | 穗 suì | Yuexiu | 1921–1927, 1930, 1947–1954  | Guangdong | Guangzhou | Panyu
Nanhai
Wuzhou | 梧州市 | Wúzhōu Shì | 梧 wú | Changzhou | 1921–1927  | Guangxi | Wuzhou | Cangwu
Nanjing | 南京市 | Nánjīng Shì | 宁 níng | Xuanwu | 1927–1952  | Jiangsu | Jiangning | Jiangning
Xi'an | 西安市 | Xī'ān Shì | 鎬 hào | Weiyang | 1927–1954  | Shaanxi | Xi'an | Chang'an
Wuhan | 武汉市 | Wǔhàn Shì | 汉 hàn | Jiang'an | 1927–1929, 1949  | Hubei | Hanyang
Wuchang | Hanyang
Jiangxia
Beiping | 北平市 | Jīngdū Shì | 平 píng | Dongcheng | 1928–1949  | Zhili
(present province: Hebei) | Shuntian | Daxing
Dalian | 大连市 | Dàlián Shì | 连 lián | Xigang | 1947–1949  | Andong/Liaodong
(present province: Liaoning) | Jinzhou | Ninghai
Shenyang | 沈阳市 | Shěnyáng Shì | 沈 shěn | Shenhe | 1947–1954  | Liaoxi
(present province: Liaoning) | Fengtian | Fengtian
Anshan | 鞍山市 | Ānshān Shì | 鞍 ān | Tiedong | 1949–1954  | Andong/Liaodong
(present province: Liaoning) | Liaoyang | Haicheng
Liaoyang
Benxi | 本溪市 | Běnxī Shì | 本 běn | Pingshan | 1949–1954  | Andong/Liaodong
(present province: Liaoning) | Fengtian | Benxi
Fushun | 抚顺市 | Fǔshùn Shì | 抚 fǔ | Xinfu | 1949–1954  | Andong/Liaodong
(present province: Liaoning) | Fengtian | Fushun
Lüda | 旅大市 | Lǚdà Shì | 旅 lǚ | Xigang | 1950–1954  | Lüda
(present province: Liaoning) | Jinzhou | Ninghai
Changchun | 长春市 | Chángchūn Shì | 春 chūn | Nanguan | 1953–1954  | Jilin | Changchun | Changchun

## See also

[edit]

* Independent city
* Federal city
* Federal cities of Russia — similar systems
* Imperial immediacy

## References

[edit]

1. ^ "Administrative Division". The State Council of the People's Republic of China. Aug 26, 2014. Retrieved 2021-07-21.
2. ^ "中华人民共和国行政区划（1949年）". xzqh.org.cn. 2006-06-27. Archived from the original on March 18, 2009.
3. ^ "中华人民共和国行政区划（1952年）". xzqh.org.cn. 2006-06-27. Archived from the original on March 18, 2009.
4. ^ "中华人民共和国行政区划（1953年）". xzqh.org.cn. 2006-06-27. Archived from the original on March 19, 2009.
5. ^ "Chongqing Mayor: Government Must Place Service Above Anything Else". Xinhua News Agency. March 3, 2003. Archived from the original on November 21, 2008. Retrieved February 21, 2011.[dead link‍]
6. ^ ISO 3166-2:CN (ISO 3166-2 codes for the provinces of China)
7. ^ "Communiqué of the National Bureau of Statistics of People's Republic of China on Major Figures of the 2010 Population Census (No. 1)". National Bureau of Statistics of China. April 28, 2011. Archived from the original on January 15, 2013. Retrieved July 19, 2011.

## External links

[edit]

* Media related to Municipalities in China at Wikimedia Commons

* v
* t
* e

Provincial-level divisions of China

Provinces|

* Anhui
* Fujian
* Gansu
* Guangdong
* Guizhou
* Hainan
* Hebei
* Heilongjiang
* Henan
* Hubei
* Hunan
* Jiangsu
* Jiangxi
* Jilin
* Liaoning
* Qinghai
* Shaanxi
* Shandong
* Shanxi
* Sichuan
* Yunnan
* Zhejiang

Autonomous regions|

* Guangxi
* Inner Mongolia
* Ningxia
* Tibet
* Xinjiang

Direct-administered municipalities|

* Beijing
* Chongqing
* Shanghai
* Tianjin

Special administrative regions|

* Hong Kong
* Macau

Disputed province|

* Taiwan1

1 Taiwan is claimed by the People's Republic of China but administered by the Republic of China (see political status of Taiwan).

* v
* t
* e

Administrative divisions of Taiwan

* List of administrative divisions of Taiwan
* Free area of the Republic of China
* List of metropolitan areas in Taiwan

Special municipalities (6)|

* Taipei (Capital city)
* Taoyuan
* Taichung
* Tainan
* New Taipei
* Kaohsiung

"Provinces [zh]" 1

*     * Fuchien
* Taiwan

| Cities (3)|

* Keelung
* Hsinchu
* Chiayi

|

Counties (13)|

* Hsinchu
* Yilan
* Miaoli
* Changhua
* Nantou
* Yunlin
* Chiayi
* Pingtung
* Taitung
* Hualien
* Penghu
* Kinmen
* Lienchiang

Districts under special municipalities / cities
Cities / townships under counties|

List of townships/cities and districts in Taiwan

* 1 The provinces are merely retained as nominal entities within the constitutional structure, as they have no governing power following the formal dissolution of the provincial administrative organs in 2018. Cities and counties are de facto regarded as the principal constituent divisions of the ROC.

* Sarah Shair-Rosenfield (November 2020). "Taiwan Combined" (PDF). The University of North Carolina at Chapel Hill. Retrieved 29 May 2021.

* v
* t
* e

Articles on first-level administrative divisions of Asian countries

Sovereign states|

* Afghanistan
* Armenia2
* Azerbaijan1
* Bahrain
* Bangladesh
* Bhutan
* Brunei
* Cambodia
* China
* Cyprus2
* East Timor
* Egypt1
* Georgia1
* India
* Indonesia1
* Iran
* Iraq
* Israel
* Japan
* Jordan
* Kazakhstan1
* North Korea
* province
* special city
* South Korea
* province
* provincial-level city
* Kuwait
* Kyrgyzstan
* Laos
* Lebanon
* Malaysia
* Maldives
* Mongolia
* Myanmar
* Nepal
* Oman
* Pakistan
* Philippines
* Qatar
* Russia1
* Saudi Arabia
* Singapore
* Sri Lanka
* Syria
* Tajikistan
* Thailand
* Turkey1
* Turkmenistan
* United Arab Emirates
* Uzbekistan
* Vietnam
* province
* municipality
* Yemen1

States with limited
recognition

* Abkhazia2
* Northern Cyprus2
* Palestine
* South Ossetia2
* Taiwan

Table of administrative divisions by country

* 1 Spans the conventional boundary between Asia and another continent.
* 2 Considered European for cultural, political and historical reasons but is geographically in Western Asia.

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