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Chengdu (Sichuan dialect international phonetic alphabet: /tsʰən˨˩tu˧sɿ˨˩˧/), also known as "Rongcheng", "Jinguancheng", "Jincheng", abbreviated as "Rong" and "Jin", is located in the central part of Sichuan Province, China, in the hinterland of the Chengdu Plain in the west of the Sichuan Basin. It is the capital of Sichuan Province, a sub-provincial city, and a national central city. It is the logistics, trade, finance, science and technology, culture, education center and transportation and communication hub in western China. It is also the location of the Joint Operations Command of the Western Theater Command of the People's Liberation Army of China [5] and a national pilot zone for coordinated urban and rural comprehensive supporting reforms. [6] The total permanent population of Chengdu is 21.403 million (2023 data) [7], and the Municipal People's Government is located at No. 2 Jinyue West Road, High-tech Zone. Chengdu is one of the cities in China that was developed earlier and has continued to prosper for a long time. According to the excavation records of the Jinsha Ruins, the history of Chengdu can be traced back to 3,200 years ago. [8] Chengdu was once the capital of nine regimes: Ancient Shu, Chengjia, Shu Han, Cheng Han, Qiao Shu, Former Shu, Later Shu, Li Shu, and Daxi. It is rich in the culture of the Three Kingdoms. Since the Qin and Han Dynasties, Chengdu has been famous for its prosperous agriculture, handicrafts and culture. It has been an important city in the political, economic, cultural and military center of southwest China. In the Han Dynasty, Chengdu was listed as one of the five major metropolises along with Luoyang. In the Tang Dynasty, commerce flourished and it was as famous as Yangzhou, known as "Yangzhou One and Yizhou Two" [9][10]. Chengdu has many famous places of interest such as Dujiangyan, Wuhou Temple, Du Fu Thatched Cottage, and Jinsha Ruins. It is one of the first national historical and cultural cities and one of the ten ancient capitals [11]. In 2007, it was named "China's Best Tourist City" by the National Tourism Administration of the People's Republic of China and the World Tourism Organization. [12][a] In 2009, the World Center for Excellent Tourism Destination Cities awarded Chengdu the title of "World Excellent Tourism Destination City". Chengdu is the first city in Asia to receive this honor. [13] In 2010, UNESCO approved Chengdu to join the UNESCO Global Creative Cities Network and awarded Chengdu the title of "Food Capital", making it the first "Food Capital" in Asia. [14] In 2021, the total GDP ranked second among the provincial capital cities in China, second only to Guangzhou, reaching 1,991.698 billion yuan. [15] According to the global city ranking analysis released by GaWC, Chengdu has been promoted to the "Beta+" echelon of global cities. [16] After the 2021 Summer World University Games [17] was held in Chengdu, the 2025 World Games will also be held in Chengdu.

Guilin City, abbreviated as "Gui", is a prefecture-level city under the jurisdiction of Guangxi Zhuang Autonomous Region. It is a world-famous scenic tourism city and an international tourism comprehensive transportation hub. Guilin is renowned for its karst landscape and is often described as having "the most beautiful scenery under heaven".

Shenyang City, formerly known as Shengjing and Fengtian, is a prefecture-level city, provincial capital, sub-provincial city, and megacity under the jurisdiction of Liaoning Province. It is the core city of the Shenyang metropolitan area and an important central city in Northeast Asia approved by the State Council. Shenyang is known as the birthplace of the Qing Dynasty.

Kunming, also known as "Spring City", is the capital of Yunnan Province, People's Republic of China. It is a regional central city facing South Asia and Southeast Asia, a national historical and cultural city, an international comprehensive transportation hub city[1], and also the political, economic, cultural, scientific and technological center and transportation hub of Yunnan. Kunming is known as the "Spring City" because it has a mild summer and mild winter, and a pleasant climate, with typical temperate climate characteristics. Kunming is a national historical and cultural city with the world natural heritage Yunnan Stone Forest, the national scenic spot Dianchi Lake, the Jiaozishan National Nature Reserve, the Xishan National Forest Park, and many national key cultural relics protection units. It covers an area of ​​21,013 square kilometers and has a total population of 8.4601 million in 2020. The Municipal People's Government is located in Chenggong District.

Hangzhou City, referred to as "Hangzhou", was formerly known as Lin'an, Qiantang, and Wulin. It is a prefecture-level city, provincial capital, sub-provincial city, and megacity under the jurisdiction of Zhejiang Province. It is located in the northern part of Zhejiang Province and the lower reaches of the Qiantang River. It is a city in the central area of ​​the Yangtze River Delta [160] and a global financial technology center [162-164]. As of the end of 2024, Hangzhou City has 10 districts, 2 counties, and administers 1 county-level city, with a total area of ​​16,850 square kilometers. As of the end of 2024, the permanent population of Hangzhou City is 12.624 million. [170] Hangzhou City has a subtropical monsoon climate with distinct four seasons, sufficient sunshine, abundant rainfall, short spring and autumn, and long winter and summer. The terrain of the city gradually decreases from west to east, with low mountains and hills, river valley basins, and accumulation plains. [140] [143] After the Qin Dynasty unified the six kingdoms, it established a county seat at the foot of Lingyin Mountain, called Qiantang. In 589, Qiantang County was abolished and Hangzhou was established. The name Hangzhou appeared for the first time in history. In 1912, the former Qiantang and Renhe counties were merged into Hangzhou County. In 1927, Hangzhou City was established by dividing the urban area of ​​Hangzhou County and other areas. [144] Hangzhou City is an important central city in eastern China approved by the State Council, a national historical and cultural city, an international comprehensive transportation hub city, a national digital economy innovation center and a regional science and technology innovation highland, an advanced manufacturing base, an eastern modern service industry center, and an international tourist destination. [1] [147] Hangzhou is known as the "paradise on earth" for its beautiful scenery, represented by the West Lake culture, Qiantang River culture, and canal culture. [145] The excavation of the Kuahuqiao site in Hangzhou City shows that humans have lived and multiplied here as early as more than 8,000 years ago. The Liangzhu culture, which dates back more than 5,000 years, is known as the "dawn of Chinese civilization." Hangzhou City is an important birthplace of Chinese civilization and is known as the "famous county in the southeast." The Wuyue Kingdom of the Five Dynasties and the Southern Song Dynasty established their capitals in Hangzhou. [144] In 2024, Hangzhou's GDP will reach RMB 2,186 billion, a year-on-year increase of 4.7%.

Guangzhou City (Guangzhou City, Canton [166]), referred to as "Sui", also known as Yangcheng, Huacheng, and Wuyangcheng, [162] is a prefecture-level city, provincial capital, sub-provincial city, national central city, megacity, [53] a world-class city under the jurisdiction of Guangdong Province. It is located in the south-central part of Guangdong Province and the northern edge of the Pearl River Delta [46] [81], with a total area of ​​7,434.40 square kilometers [1] [14]. The common languages ​​are Cantonese and Mandarin. [35] As of March 2025, Guangzhou City has 11 districts under its jurisdiction. As of the end of 2024, Guangzhou City has a permanent population of 18.978 million. [448] Guangzhou City has a significant marine climate, and both the ocean and the continent have a significant impact on Guangzhou's climate. [115] [116] Guangzhou City is a hilly area, with high terrain in the northeast and low terrain in the southwest. [34] As early as the Neolithic period six or seven thousand years ago, our ancestors lived and multiplied on this land. [82] The city of Guangzhou in the Qin Dynasty was named Renxiao City because it was built by the Qin general Renxiao. Its official name is Panyu City. [113] In the third year of Shunzhi in the Qing Dynasty (1646), Zhu Yuanzhang's descendants proclaimed themselves emperors in Guangzhou, with the reign title "Shaowu". This was known as the "Southern Ming" regime, which lasted only 40 days. [113] On October 14, 1949, Guangzhou was liberated and became a centrally administered municipality. In 1950, it was changed to the leadership of the Central South Military and Political Committee. In 1954, it was transferred to the leadership of Guangdong Province and became a provincial-level city. In 1994, it was upgraded to a sub-provincial city. [226] Guangzhou is the core city of the Guangzhou Metropolitan Area. It is an important central city, international trade center and comprehensive transportation hub in China approved by the State Council. [80] It is an international trade center, a national advanced manufacturing base, a comprehensive portal, and an important carrier of the international science and technology innovation center. [76] [169] [413] Guangzhou's main industries are shipping services, science and technology services, special finance, international trade, professional services and other productive services. [125] Guangzhou is one of the first national historical and cultural cities, one of the starting points of the Maritime Silk Road, and is known as the "Millennium Commercial Capital". It has been a place where Chinese and foreign cultures have blended since ancient times, one of the birthplaces of Cantonese culture, and the headquarters of China's Southern Theater Command. [170-171] In 2024, Guangzhou's GDP will be 3,103.25 billion yuan, an increase of 2.1% over the previous year at comparable prices.

Leshan City (Sichuan dialect pinyin: No2san1; local pronunciation: [nʊʔ3sã55]), formerly known as Jiazhou and Jiading, is a prefecture-level city under the jurisdiction of Sichuan Province, People's Republic of China, located in the south-central part of Sichuan Province. The city borders Zigong City and Yibin City to the east, Liangshan Prefecture to the south, Ya'an City to the west, and Meishan City to the north. It is located in the southwest of the Sichuan Basin, with the Chengdu Plain in the north, the hilly area of ​​central Sichuan in the east, and the Xiaoliangshan Mountains in the southwest. The terrain is high in the southwest and low in the northeast. The Minjiang River runs from north to south, merges with the Dadu River and the Qingyi River in the urban area, and then flows out of the city to the southeast. The total area of ​​the city is 12,720 square kilometers, with a population of 3.2605 million. The Municipal People's Government is located in the Shizhong District. Leshan is a national historical and cultural city and an excellent tourist city in China. The famous Leshan Giant Buddha is located on the south side of Lingyun Temple on the east bank of the Minjiang River. Mount Emei, one of the four famous Buddhist mountains in China, is located in the northwest of the city.

Zhoushan City is a prefecture-level city under the jurisdiction of Zhejiang Province. It is the first prefecture-level city in China established with archipelago system. Zhoushan is located at the intersection of China's eastern golden coastline and the Yangtze River golden waterway, and is China's largest archipelago and an important port city.