China's Provinces and Regions
The People's Republic of China administers 33 provincial-level divisions: 22 provinces, five autonomous regions, four municipalities directly under the central government and two special administrative regions. Each profile here covers the name and its one-character abbreviation, land and climate, history, world heritage, culture, cuisine, economy and the main cities.
Key facts
- Provinces
- 22
- Autonomous regions
- 5
- Municipalities
- 4 (Beijing, Tianjin, Shanghai, Chongqing)
- Special administrative regions
- 2 (Hong Kong, Macau)
By region
North China
- Inner Mongolia内蒙古Autonomous region · capital Hohhot · 5 cities
- Beijing北京Municipality · capital Tongzhou District (seat of the municipal government)
- Tianjin天津Municipality · capital Hexi District (seat of the municipal government)
- Shanxi山西Province · capital Taiyuan · 5 cities
- Hebei河北Province · capital Shijiazhuang · 6 cities
Northeast China
East China
- Shandong山东Province · capital Jinan · 5 cities
- Anhui安徽Province · capital Hefei · 4 cities
- Jiangsu江苏Province · capital Nanjing · 5 cities
- Shanghai上海Municipality · capital Huangpu District (seat of the municipal government)
- Jiangxi江西Province · capital Nanchang · 5 cities
- Zhejiang浙江Province · capital Hangzhou · 4 cities
- Fujian福建Province · capital Fuzhou · 4 cities
Central China
South China
Southwest China
Four kinds of province
- Province
- The standard first-level unit, headed by a governor and a provincial Party secretary. Most provincial boundaries go back to the Yuan, Ming and Qing dynasties.
- Autonomous region
- A province-level area with a large population of one of China's recognised ethnic minorities — Inner Mongolia, Guangxi, Tibet, Ningxia and Xinjiang. The chair of the government must by law be a member of the region's titular nationality.
- Municipality
- A city under the direct administration of the central government, with the rank of a province: Beijing, Tianjin, Shanghai and Chongqing. Each includes large rural districts around the urban core.
- Special administrative region
- Hong Kong and Macau, returned to Chinese sovereignty in 1997 and 1999, are governed under “one country, two systems” by their own Basic Laws, with separate legal systems, currencies and immigration controls.
Mountains and nature
- ForestChishui Danxia赤水丹霞Red sandstone gorges, waterfalls and tree-fern forest
- Nature reserve · 6,032 mDaocheng Yading稻城亚丁Three sacred snow peaks of the Tibetan borderlands
- Lake · 4,122 mErhai Lake and Cangshan洱海The highland lake and nineteen-peak range of the Bai homeland
- Sacred mountain · 2,570 mMount Fanjing梵净山Maitreya's mountain and an island of ancient forest
- National parkGiant Panda National Park大熊猫国家公园One park for the panda's mountains across three provinces
- GlacierHailuogou Glacier海螺沟A glacier on Gongga's eastern flank that ends in forest
Frequently asked questions
Sources
- Administrative divisions of the People's Republic of China — The State Council of the People's Republic of China (retrieved 27 September 2026)
- National Bureau of Statistics of China — National Bureau of Statistics of China (retrieved 27 September 2026)
Related
Culture
Chinese Culture and Heritage →
History, philosophy, festivals, cuisine, arts, customs and the zodiac — the reference section on Chinese civilisation.
Learn Chinese
Learn Chinese →
Levels, HSK, courses, tools and vocabulary for learning Mandarin, from first tones to advanced reading.
Trade
China Trade and Business →
Import, export, freight forwarding, companies and business culture — the practical side of doing business with China.
Travel
Travel to China →
Destinations, visas and entry, flights, trains, hotels, connectivity and transfers.
Books
Books about China →
An editorial reading list on China's history, economy, business and travel.