Major Cities 

A flyover in Beijing.

Beijing emerged as a city as far back as the Western Zhou Dynasty (11th century-770 B.C.), then known as  Ji. During the Warring States Period (475-221 B.C.) it was the capital of the State of Yan. Ji had ever since remained a city of strategic importance and a trade center for the north for well over a thousand years. Then, in the early 10th century, it became the secondary capital of the Liao Dynasty under the name of Yanjing. Between 1115 and 1911, it served in succession as the capital of the Kin, Yuan, Ming and Qing dynasties, thus becoming a storehouse of Chinese culture, and leaving many superb historical legacies,  such as the Tiananmen Gatetower, the symbol of Beijing as well as of China; Tiananmen Square, the largest city square in the world; the former Imperial Palace (the “Forbidden City”), the largest and best-preserved ancient architectural complex of the world; the Great Wall at Badaling, one of the “wonders of the world”; the Temple of Heaven, the largest of all existing temples in the world, where the emperors of the Ming and Qing dynasties worshiped Heaven and prayed for good harvests; the Summer Palace, the largest imperial garden in the world; the Ming Tombs, the largest imperial tomb group in the world; and Prince Gong’s Residence. Of these, the former Imperial Palace, the Great Wall and the site of the discovery of Peking Man at Zhoukoudian have been listed as world cultural heritages by the UN Educational, Scientific and Cultural Organization.

The city of Beijing has preserved the imperial architecture of the Ming Dynasty well. In the city’s center is the oblong Imperial Palace, which is surrounded by a 10-odd-meter-tall wall topped with a turret on each of the four corners and skirted by a moat. Outside of the Imperial Palace is the original Imperial City’s vermilion walls, nine km in circumference and having many symmetrical city gates. In addition, there is also a square “inner city” 20 km in circumference, and an oblong “outer city” in the south of the “inner city.” Hence the city of Beijing is in the shape of a Chinese character “凸” With the Forbidden City at the center, there is a central axis running through it from north to south, on either side of which are streets, shops and residential houses laid out in a symmetrical chequerboard pattern. Winding rivers, beautiful gardens, and ancient and solemn sacrificial altars and temples are scattered all over the city, adding beauty to its symmetrical pattern.

Shanghai Shanghai, a city directly under the Central Government, is China’s largest city, with an urban population of 9.54 million. Advantageously located,  Shanghai is located halfway down China’s mainland coastline, where the Yangtze River empties into the sea. An important comprehensive industrial base and harbor, Shanghai plays an essential role in the national economy. Major industries include metallurgy, machine-building, shipbuilding, chemicals, electronics, instruments and meters, textiles and other light industries, in addition to its highly developed commerce, banking and ocean-going shipping industry. The Pudong New Zone, separated from the old city by the Huangpu River, is now undergoing vigorous development and construction. Its look changes with each passing day. The opening and development of the Pudong New Zone is intended to build it into a modern, multi-functional, export-oriented district, on a par with the world’s best. This will lay the foundation for the transformation of Shanghai into an international economic, banking and trade center, and a modern international city.

A distant view of Nanpu Bridge in Shanghai.

Night view of the People's Hall of Chongqing. 

Shennan Avenue in Shenzhen.

Xi'an  Xi'an, capital of Shaanxi Province, is the largest city in northwest China, with an urban population of 2.72 million. Originally known as Chang’an, Xi’an is a famous ancient city in China and was the starting point of the ancient Silk Road. From the 11th century B.C. on, it served as the capital of a dozen dynasties. Hence Xi’an boasts a large number of historical sites, such as the site of the pre-historic Banpo Village, which was a matrilineal commune, the life-size terracotta horses and armored warriors excavated from sites near the mausoleum of Emperor Qin Shi Huang, the Greater and Lesser Wild Goose pagodas of the Tang Dynasty, and the Stele Forest of the Song Dynasty, all of which are well known both at home and abroad. Xi’an now is both a tourist city and one of the rising industrial bases in China, known for its advanced machine-building and textiles industries.

Wuhan  Wuhan, the capital of Hubei Province, consists of the cities of Wuchang, Hankou and Hanyang, with a total urban population of 4.28 million. As the largest city in central China and the hub of land and water transportation on the middle reaches of the Yangtze River, Wuhan has advanced iron and steel, machine-building, ship-building, textiles, chemicals and foodstuffs industries.