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50 city profiles · Population figures are urban-area estimates · 0 favorited
Shanghai Beijing Chongqing Guangzhou Chengdu Tianjin Shenzhen Wuhan Linyi Dongguan Hangzhou Xi'an Foshan Nanjing Shenyang Qingdao Quanzhou Harbin Jinan Zhengzhou Changsha Kunming Tangshan Dalian Hefei Ningbo Fuzhou Luoyang Yantai Shijiazhuang Suzhou Nanning Wuxi Guilin Taiyuan Xiamen Guiyang Mianyang Lanzhou Urumqi Hohhot Dali Datong Yinchuan Haikou Xining Zhuhai Lijiang Lhasa Sanya
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Global finance, Art Deco Bund, neon-lit skyline.
From a fishing village to a colonial treaty port after 1842, Shanghai exploded into a cosmopolitan hub in the 1920s and re-emerged after 1990 as China's financial capital.
Humid subtropical — hot humid summers (32°C), cool damp winters (5°C).
Xiaolongbao soup dumplings Drunken crab Shengjianbao (pan-fried buns) Hairy crab in autumn The Bund Yu Garden Pudong skyline & Shanghai Tower French Concession Zhujiajiao water town Did you know? Shanghai's metro is the longest in the world at over 830 km.
Imperial capital, Forbidden City, Great Wall.
Capital for the Yuan, Ming, Qing dynasties and the People's Republic. Eight centuries of imperial planning shaped its grid of hutongs around the Forbidden City.
Continental — dry cold winters (-3°C), hot summers (30°C), spring sandstorms.
Peking duck Zhajiangmian (fried-sauce noodles) Jianbing Lamb hot pot Forbidden City Great Wall (Mutianyu/Jinshanling) Temple of Heaven Summer Palace Hutongs of Houhai Did you know? The Forbidden City has 9,999 rooms — symbolically just under heaven's 10,000.
Mountain megacity, spicy hot pot, Yangtze cruises.
Wartime capital of the Republic of China (1937–1945). Became a directly-controlled municipality in 1997 and grew into the world's largest city by area.
Humid subtropical — famous foggy winters; suffocating summers above 38°C ('furnace city').
Chongqing hot pot Xiaomian noodles Spicy chicken (laziji) Maocai Hongya Cave Three Gorges cruise departure Dazu rock carvings Ciqikou old town Liziba train-through-building Did you know? Built on hills, it has no bicycles — and buildings whose 1st floor is also their 22nd.
Population 15,310,000
Founded 214 BCE Best time to visit October–December Cantonese cuisine, Pearl River Delta trading hub.
Southern terminus of the Maritime Silk Road for 2,000 years; the only port open to foreigners during the Qing dynasty's Canton System.
Subtropical — long humid summers, mild wet winters (15°C).
Dim sum & morning tea (yum cha) Roast goose Wonton noodles Steamed seafood Canton Tower Shamian Island Chen Clan Ancestral Hall Yuexiu Park Pearl River night cruise Did you know? Cantonese say 'eat in Guangzhou' — locals prize freshness above all.
Population 14,470,000
Founded 311 BCE Best time to visit March–June and September–November Pandas, Sichuan spice, teahouse culture.
Capital of the Shu kingdom; one of the few Chinese cities to never have its name changed in over 2,300 years.
Mild humid subtropical — rarely sunny, mild winters, warm cloudy summers.
Mapo tofu Dan dan noodles Hot pot Twice-cooked pork Fuqi feipian Chengdu Research Base of Giant Panda Breeding Jinli & Kuanzhai Alley Wuhou Shrine Mount Qingcheng Dujiangyan irrigation system Did you know? Chengdu has the world's largest standalone building — the New Century Global Center.
European concession architecture, Beijing's port city.
Opened as a treaty port in 1860; nine foreign concessions left behind British, French, Italian and German districts still visible today.
Continental — cold dry winters, hot humid summers.
Goubuli baozi Jianbing guozi Mahua fried dough twists Italian Style Town Tianjin Eye (Ferris wheel on a bridge) Five Great Avenues Ancient Culture Street Did you know? Half-hour bullet train from Beijing makes it Beijing's de facto seaside.
Tech megacity, China's Silicon Valley.
A fishing village of 30,000 in 1980, transformed by Deng Xiaoping's first Special Economic Zone into a city of 13 million in 40 years.
Subtropical — warm year-round, typhoons in summer.
Cantonese seafood Fusion street food at Dongmen Hakka punpoi OCT-LOFT creative park Window of the World Dafen oil-painting village Shenzhen Bay Park Lianhuashan Park Did you know? Average age in Shenzhen is around 33 — the youngest big city in China.
Three rivers junction, hot-dry noodles, 1911 Revolution.
Where the Yangtze meets the Han River; the 1911 Wuchang Uprising here ended 2,000 years of imperial rule.
Humid subtropical — one of China's 'four furnaces' in summer.
Re gan mian (hot dry noodles) Doupi Wuchang fish Yellow Crane Tower East Lake (larger than West Lake) Hubei Provincial Museum Jianghan Road Did you know? Has more universities than any city in central China.
World's largest wholesale market for small commodities.
Birthplace of legendary general Zhuge Liang and calligrapher Wang Xizhi.
Shandong dumplings Linyi-style sea fish Yimeng Mountains Wang Xizhi Memorial Mengshan scenic area Did you know? Tens of thousands of buyers fly in here every year to source goods for the world.
Population 10,470,000
Founded 757 CE Best time to visit October–December World's factory floor.
Quiet farming county until the 1980s; now produces a huge share of the world's electronics, textiles and toys.
Subtropical — humid and warm.
Roast goose Stuffed lotus root Cantonese dim sum Keyuan Garden Opium War museum at Humen Songshan Lake Did you know? Has more migrant workers than registered residents.
West Lake, Longjing tea, Alibaba HQ.
Capital of the Southern Song dynasty (1138–1276); Marco Polo called it 'the most splendid city in the world.'
Humid subtropical — mild winters, hot wet summers.
Dongpo pork West Lake fish in vinegar Beggar's chicken Longjing shrimp West Lake Lingyin Temple Longjing tea villages Grand Canal Xixi Wetlands Did you know? Cashless capital — even temple offerings accept Alipay QR codes.
Terracotta Army, Silk Road eastern terminus.
Capital of 13 dynasties over 1,100 years, including Qin, Han and Tang. The Silk Road began here.
Continental — cold winters, hot summers, dry.
Roujiamo (Chinese hamburger) Biangbiang noodles Yangrou paomo Liangpi Terracotta Army Ancient City Wall (cycle the loop) Muslim Quarter Big Wild Goose Pagoda Mt. Huashan day trip Did you know? The 14 km city wall is the most complete ancient wall in China.
Population 9,500,000
Founded Tang dynasty Best time to visit October–December Birthplace of Wing Chun & Cantonese opera, ceramics.
Hometown of martial arts legends Ip Man and Wong Fei-hung.
Double-skin milk Steamed river fish Shunde-style cuisine Ancestral Temple (Zumiao) Ip Man Tong Nanfeng Ancient Kiln Did you know? Shunde district was UNESCO-named a Creative City of Gastronomy.
Population 9,310,000
Founded 495 BCE Best time to visit March–May (cherry blossoms) and October Ming dynasty capital, Republic of China capital.
Capital of six dynasties and the early Republic of China; site of the 1937 Nanjing Massacre.
Humid subtropical — hot summers, cool winters.
Salted duck Duck blood vermicelli soup Pidu wonton Sun Yat-sen Mausoleum Ming city wall Confucius Temple area Purple Mountain Massacre Memorial Hall Did you know? Has the longest surviving city wall in the world at 35 km.
Population 9,070,000
Founded 300 BCE Best time to visit May–September Manchu imperial heritage, heavy industry.
Original Qing dynasty capital before they took Beijing in 1644; later a Japanese-occupied industrial center.
Continental — long cold winters, short hot summers.
Manchurian dumplings Lao Bian dumplings BBQ skewers Mukden Palace (mini Forbidden City) Fuling & Zhaoling tombs 918 Memorial Museum Did you know? Mukden Palace is one of only two surviving imperial palace complexes in China.
Population 9,000,000
Founded 1891 Best time to visit May–October German colonial heritage, Tsingtao beer, beaches.
A German concession 1898–1914 left red-roofed villas, a Lutheran cathedral and the brewery still operating today.
Humid continental — cool sea breezes year-round.
Fresh seafood Tsingtao beer in plastic bags Clam noodles Badaguan villa district Zhanqiao Pier Tsingtao Brewery Museum Laoshan Mountain Did you know? Hosted the sailing events of the 2008 Beijing Olympics.
Population 8,780,000
Founded Tang dynasty Best time to visit October–March Maritime Silk Road's medieval superport.
Marco Polo's 'Zayton' — once the busiest port in the world during the Song & Yuan dynasties; UNESCO listed since 2021.
Subtropical — mild winters.
Oyster omelet Sand worm jelly Ginger duck Kaiyuan Temple Maritime Museum Qingjing Mosque Old town minka houses Did you know? Buddhist, Hindu, Manichaean and Islamic stone carvings all coexist here.
Population 8,700,000
Founded 1898 Best time to visit January for the ice festival; June–August for cool escape Ice & Snow Festival, Russian heritage.
Built around the Trans-Manchurian Railway by Russians; later a haven for White Russian émigrés.
Subarctic — winters drop to -30°C; mild short summers.
Guo bao rou (sweet & sour pork) Russian-style red sausage Borscht Harbin Ice & Snow World (Jan–Feb) Saint Sophia Cathedral Central Avenue Sun Island Did you know? Host of the world's largest ice & snow sculpture festival.
City of Springs.
Famous for 72 named freshwater springs that have bubbled through the city for 2,000 years.
Continental — hot humid summers, cold winters.
Sweet and sour Yellow River carp Jiuzhuan dachang (nine-turn intestines) Baotu Spring Daming Lake Thousand Buddha Mountain Did you know? Springs sometimes go silent in dry years — a major civic concern.
High-speed rail hub, gateway to Shaolin Temple.
One of the cradles of Chinese civilization; site of the early Shang capital.
Humid continental — four distinct seasons.
Hui mian (braised noodles) Henan stewed noodles Shaolin Temple (1.5 hr) Yellow River Scenic Area Henan Museum Did you know? China's biggest rail crossroads — almost every long-distance train stops here.
Population 8,200,000
Founded Western Han Best time to visit September–November Hunan cuisine, Mao Zedong's home province.
Where Mao Zedong went to school; the Mawangdui Han tombs revealed an unmatched 2,100-year-old preserved noblewoman.
Humid subtropical — hot wet summers.
Stinky tofu (the best in China) Mao's red-braised pork Spicy crayfish Yuelu Mountain & Academy Orange Isle (giant Mao bust) Hunan Provincial Museum Did you know? Trendy coffee and bubble tea brands like Heytea originated nearby.
Population 7,700,000
Founded 279 BCE Best time to visit Anytime — climate is Kunming's main attraction City of Eternal Spring, gateway to Yunnan.
Capital of the Dian kingdom and a key WWII Allied base on the Burma Road.
Subtropical highland — 15–22°C almost year-round.
Crossing-the-bridge noodles Steam-pot chicken Wild mushrooms Erkuai rice cakes Stone Forest (Shilin) Dian Lake Green Lake Park Western Hills Yuantong Temple Did you know? Home base for exploring Lijiang, Dali and Shangri-La.
Population 7,700,000
Founded 1878 Best time to visit April–October Industrial port, 1976 earthquake survivor city.
Devastated by the 1976 earthquake (over 240,000 dead); rebuilt entirely in the following decades.
Tangshan steamed buns Donkey burgers Earthquake Memorial Park Nanhu Eco Park Qing Eastern Tombs Did you know? China's first standard-gauge railway ran from Tangshan in 1881.
Beach resort, Japanese & Russian architecture.
Built by Russians as Dalny, then ruled by Japan 1905–1945; today a relaxed coastal city.
Humid continental — milder than the rest of Northeast China.
Sea cucumber Grilled seafood skewers Cold noodles Xinghai Square Bangchui Island Russian Street Tiger Beach Ocean Park Did you know? Hosts the annual Dalian Beer Festival every July.
Population 7,400,000
Founded Han dynasty Best time to visit March–May and September–November Quantum computing research, Three Kingdoms history.
Strategic battleground in the Three Kingdoms era; today a quiet science and tech city.
Humid subtropical — hot summers, cool winters.
Lake crab Lord Bao duck Anhui braised dishes Lord Bao Memorial Sanhe ancient town Mount Huangshan via Hefei (3 hr) Did you know? Home to China's leading quantum-computing labs.
Population 7,400,000
Founded 738 CE Best time to visit April–May and October–November Ancient port, world's busiest container terminal.
Open to foreign trade since the Tang dynasty; one of five treaty ports forced open in 1842.
Humid subtropical — typhoon-prone summers.
Tang yuan glutinous rice balls Yellow croaker fish Drunken shrimp Tianyi Pavilion (oldest private library in Asia) Old Bund Putuoshan island day trip Did you know? Together with Zhoushan, it's the world's busiest port by cargo tonnage.
Population 7,100,000
Founded 202 BCE Best time to visit October–December Banyan trees, ancestral home for many overseas Chinese.
Birthplace of millions of Southeast Asian Chinese diaspora; major Min Chinese cultural center.
Humid subtropical — warm and rainy.
Buddha jumps over the wall (fotiaoqiang) Fish balls Lychee meat Three Lanes & Seven Alleys Gushan Mountain West Lake Park Did you know? Nicknamed 'Banyan City' for its 1,000-year-old trees.
Population 7,100,000
Founded 1600 BCE Best time to visit April (peonies) and September–October Capital of 13 dynasties, Longmen Grottoes, peonies.
One of the four ancient capitals of China; eastern terminus of the Silk Road during the Han dynasty.
Continental — four distinct seasons.
Luoyang Water Banquet (24 soup-based dishes) Longmen Grottoes (UNESCO) White Horse Temple Peony Festival in April Did you know? Buddhism entered China through the White Horse Temple in 68 CE.
Population 7,100,000
Founded 1398 Best time to visit May–October Wine, apples, beach getaways.
Founded as a Ming dynasty coastal beacon ('smoke tower'); home to China's first modern winery (Changyu, 1892).
Humid continental — mild sea-moderated.
Penglai noodles Sea cucumber Apple-fed pork Penglai Pavilion (legendary fairy isle) Changyu Wine Culture Museum Yangma Island Did you know? Site of the legendary visit of the Eight Immortals crossing the sea.
Provincial capital, gateway to Mt. Cangyan.
A 200-person village in 1900 that exploded once the railway arrived — China's youngest provincial capital.
Continental — hot humid summers, cold dry winters.
Hebei donkey burgers Wheat-based stews Cangyan Mountain hanging temple Zhaozhou Bridge (1,400 yrs old) Zhengding ancient town Did you know? Zhaozhou Bridge is the oldest open-spandrel arch bridge in the world.
Population 6,700,000
Founded 514 BCE Best time to visit March–May and September–November Classical gardens, canals, silk.
The 'Venice of the East' was a Wu kingdom capital; nine of its gardens are UNESCO World Heritage sites.
Humid subtropical — four distinct seasons.
Songshu guiyu (squirrel fish) Suzhou-style mooncakes Biluochun tea Humble Administrator's Garden Lion Grove Pingjiang Road canals Tiger Hill Tongli water town Did you know? An old saying: 'Above is heaven, below are Suzhou and Hangzhou.'
Population 6,500,000
Founded 318 CE Best time to visit October–December Green city, gateway to Vietnam.
Capital of Guangxi; cultural mix of Han and Zhuang ethnic minority.
Subtropical — long warm summers.
Old friend noodles (laoyou fen) Lemon duck Snail rice noodles (luosifen) Qingxiu Mountain Detian Waterfall (Vietnam border) Guangxi Museum Did you know? Hosts the annual China-ASEAN Expo every September.
Population 6,200,000
Founded 11th century BCE Best time to visit March–May Lake Taihu, sweet Wuxi pork ribs.
An old silk and tin-mining town; today a manufacturing and resort city on Lake Taihu.
Wuxi pork ribs (sweet) Steamed buns Whitebait from Taihu Lake Taihu Lingshan Grand Buddha Yuantouzhu peninsula Tang City film studios Did you know? Lake Taihu is the source of the strange-shaped 'scholar's rocks' prized by collectors.
Population 5,400,000
Founded 111 BCE Best time to visit April–October (avoid summer crowds when possible) Karst mountains on the Li River — the cover of Chinese landscape painting.
Strategic city since the Qin canal connected the Yangtze and Pearl River systems in 214 BCE.
Humid subtropical — best in dry autumn.
Guilin rice noodles Beer fish from Yangshuo Stuffed Li River snails Li River cruise to Yangshuo Reed Flute Cave Longji rice terraces Elephant Trunk Hill Did you know? The 20-yuan banknote shows a Li River scene near Xingping.
Population 5,300,000
Founded 497 BCE Best time to visit May–October Coal capital, Shanxi noodles & vinegar.
Frequent capital of northern dynasties; long tied to coal mining.
Continental — dry, cold winters.
Daoxiao mian (knife-cut noodles) Aged Shanxi vinegar Pingyao beef Jinci Temple Pingyao ancient city (1.5 hr) Mount Wutai (3 hr) Did you know? Locals drink vinegar straight as a digestive tonic.
Garden island city, Gulangyu UNESCO heritage.
Briefly the base of Ming loyalist Koxinga; one of China's earliest Special Economic Zones.
Subtropical — warm year-round, breezy.
Oyster omelet Peanut soup Satay noodles Gulangyu Island South Putuo Temple Hulishan Fortress Zhongshan Road Did you know? Cars are banned on Gulangyu — even bicycles.
Population 4,900,000
Founded 1283 Best time to visit May–October Cool mountain climate, big-data hub.
An overlooked frontier town until China sited its national big-data center here in the 2010s.
Mild humid subtropical — averages 15°C year-round.
Sour fish soup Spicy chicken Glutinous rice cakes Qianling Park Jiaxiu Pavilion Huangguoshu Waterfall (2.5 hr) Did you know? Apple's iCloud data for Chinese users is hosted in Guiyang.
Population 4,870,000
Founded 201 BCE Best time to visit March–May and September–November China's nuclear research city, Li Bai's birthplace.
The poet Li Bai was born nearby; today host to major aerospace and nuclear research institutes.
Sichuan-style spicy dishes Mianyang rice noodles Li Bai Memorial Hall Yuewang Tower Fule Mountain Did you know? Sometimes called 'China's silicon valley of military electronics'.
Population 4,400,000
Founded 86 BCE Best time to visit May–October Beef noodle soup, Yellow River, Silk Road stop.
A key Silk Road oasis where the Yellow River cuts a green canyon through the Loess Plateau.
Cold semi-arid — long cold winters, mild summers.
Lanzhou hand-pulled beef noodles (the original) Lamb skewers Yellow River Mother sculpture Zhongshan Iron Bridge White Pagoda Hill Did you know? Real Lanzhou lamian must have a beef broth, white radish, red chili oil, green coriander and yellow noodles.
Population 4,000,000
Founded Han dynasty oasis Best time to visit May–October Most landlocked major city in the world.
Long a Uyghur and trading crossroads on the northern Silk Road.
Cold semi-arid — extreme continental.
Hand-pulled lagman noodles Lamb pilaf Naan Big plate chicken (dapanji) Heavenly Lake (Tianchi) Grand Bazaar Xinjiang Regional Museum Did you know? The farthest city in the world from any ocean — about 2,500 km.
Population 3,600,000
Founded 1581 Best time to visit June–September (grasslands are green) Mongolian dairy capital, gateway to the grasslands.
Founded by Altan Khan; capital of Inner Mongolia since 1952.
Roast lamb Milk tea Mongolian hot pot Dazhao Temple Xilamuren grasslands Inner Mongolia Museum Did you know? Mongolian script appears alongside Chinese on every street sign.
Bai minority, Erhai Lake, backpacker haven.
Capital of the Nanzhao and Dali kingdoms (738–1253) before Mongol conquest.
Highland subtropical — cool dry winters, mild summers.
Erkuai Cured ham Three-course tea Rushan cheese Dali Ancient City Three Pagodas Erhai Lake bike loop Cangshan Mountain Did you know? Dali was a fully independent kingdom for over 500 years.
Population 3,100,000
Founded Han dynasty Best time to visit May–October Yungang Grottoes, Hanging Monastery.
Capital of the Northern Wei dynasty in the 5th century — when the spectacular grottoes were carved.
Continental — cold winters, mild summers.
Shanxi knife-shaved noodles Smoked tofu Yungang Grottoes (UNESCO) Hanging Monastery Datong city wall Mount Heng Did you know? The Hanging Monastery has clung to a cliff for 1,500 years.
Hui Muslim culture, Western Xia tombs.
Capital of the mysterious Western Xia (Tangut) empire crushed by Genghis Khan in 1227.
Hand-grabbed mutton Eight-treasure tea Goji berries Western Xia Imperial Tombs Sand Lake Helan Mountain rock art Did you know? Ningxia is now producing internationally awarded wines.
Population 2,900,000
Founded Tang dynasty Best time to visit November–April Hainan capital, tropical port.
Long a place of exile under the Tang and Song; today a duty-free shopping hub.
Wenchang chicken Hainan rice noodles Coconut everything Qilou Old Town Wugong Temple Volcano Cluster Park Did you know? Hainan aims to be a global free-trade port by 2035.
Gateway to Qinghai Lake & the Tibetan Plateau.
Long the meeting point of Han, Tibetan, Hui and Mongolian peoples.
Cold semi-arid highland — cool summers (2,275 m altitude).
Yak yogurt Hand-pulled mutton Qinghai-style noodles Kumbum Monastery (Ta'er Si) Qinghai Lake Dongguan Mosque Did you know? Used as an altitude warm-up by climbers heading deeper into Tibet.
Population 2,440,000
Founded 1980 (SEZ) Best time to visit October–December 'City of romance', bridge to Hong Kong & Macao.
Linked to Macao for centuries; now joined to Hong Kong by the 55 km HK-Zhuhai-Macao Bridge.
Subtropical — mild and breezy.
Fresh seafood Ducal soup Wanzai dried seafood Lover's Road promenade Hengqin Chimelong Ocean Kingdom Outer islands Did you know? China's longest sea bridge crosses to Hong Kong from here.
Population 1,250,000
Founded Song dynasty Best time to visit March–May and September–November UNESCO old town, Naxi culture, Jade Dragon Snow Mountain.
A trading post on the Tea-Horse Road ruled for centuries by Naxi Mu chieftains.
Highland subtropical — cool, sunny, thin air.
Naxi baba flatbread Yak butter tea Crossing-the-bridge noodles Lijiang Old Town Jade Dragon Snow Mountain Tiger Leaping Gorge Lugu Lake Did you know? The Naxi Dongba script is the world's only living pictographic writing system.
Lhasa 拉萨
Tibet Autonomous Region
Population 1,100,000
Founded 7th century CE Best time to visit April–June and September–October Tibetan Buddhism, Potala Palace, 3,650 m altitude.
Founded by King Songtsen Gampo; the spiritual and political heart of Tibet for over 1,300 years.
High-altitude — sunny year-round, freezing nights, thin air.
Yak butter tea Tsampa Momos Yak meat noodles Potala Palace Jokhang Temple & Barkhor Street Sera & Drepung Monasteries Yamdrok Lake Did you know? Foreign visitors require a special Tibet Travel Permit on top of a Chinese visa.
Tropical beach resort, China's Hawaii.
A backwater Qing-era exile post turned 5-star resort destination since the 1990s.
Tropical — 25°C average, monsoonal in summer.
Wenchang chicken Coconut chicken hot pot Tropical seafood Yalong Bay Tianya Haijiao Nanshan Temple (108 m Guanyin statue) Did you know? Hainan is China's only province where foreigners can land visa-free for 30 days.