{"id":21369,"date":"2026-08-01T09:50:25","date_gmt":"2026-08-01T09:50:25","guid":{"rendered":"https:\/\/www.thechinajourney.com\/?p=21369"},"modified":"2026-08-02T02:54:28","modified_gmt":"2026-08-02T02:54:28","slug":"%e4%b8%ad%e5%9c%8b%e6%9c%80%e5%a4%a7%e7%9a%84%e5%9f%8e%e5%b8%82","status":"publish","type":"post","link":"https:\/\/www.thechinajourney.com\/zh\/chinas-largest-cities\/","title":{"rendered":"\u4e2d\u570b\u4eba\u53e3\u6700\u591a\u7684\u57ce\u5e02\uff1a2025\u5e74\u5b98\u65b9\u6578\u64da"},"content":{"rendered":"\t\t<div data-elementor-type=\"wp-post\" data-elementor-id=\"21369\" class=\"elementor elementor-21369\" data-elementor-post-type=\"post\">\n\t\t\t\t<div class=\"elementor-element elementor-element-f917a36 e-flex e-con-boxed e-con e-parent\" data-id=\"f917a36\" data-element_type=\"container\" data-e-type=\"container\" data-settings=\"{&quot;background_background&quot;:&quot;classic&quot;}\">\n\t\t\t\t\t<div class=\"e-con-inner\">\n\t\t<div class=\"elementor-element elementor-element-eec71a0 e-con-full e-flex e-con e-child\" data-id=\"eec71a0\" data-element_type=\"container\" data-e-type=\"container\">\n\t\t\t\t<div class=\"elementor-element elementor-element-7f13408 elementor-widget elementor-widget-theme-post-title elementor-page-title elementor-widget-heading\" data-id=\"7f13408\" data-element_type=\"widget\" data-e-type=\"widget\" data-widget_type=\"theme-post-title.default\">\n\t\t\t\t<div class=\"elementor-widget-container\">\n\t\t\t\t\t<h1 class=\"elementor-heading-title elementor-size-default\">China\u2019s Largest Cities by Population: 2025 Official Data<\/h1>\t\t\t\t<\/div>\n\t\t\t\t<\/div>\n\t\t\t\t<div class=\"elementor-element elementor-element-8a58d16 elementor-hidden-desktop elementor-hidden-tablet elementor-widget elementor-widget-image\" data-id=\"8a58d16\" data-element_type=\"widget\" data-e-type=\"widget\" data-widget_type=\"image.default\">\n\t\t\t\t<div class=\"elementor-widget-container\">\n\t\t\t\t\t\t\t\t\t\t\t\t\t\t\t<img decoding=\"async\" width=\"800\" height=\"600\" src=\"https:\/\/www.thechinajourney.com\/wp-content\/uploads\/2026\/03\/China-largest-cities-by-population-cover-with-Shanghai-skyline-China-map-2025-official-data-and-permanent-resident-ranking-1024x768.webp\" class=\"attachment-large size-large wp-image-43287\" alt=\"China largest cities by population cover with Shanghai skyline China map 2025 official data and permanent resident ranking\" srcset=\"https:\/\/www.thechinajourney.com\/wp-content\/uploads\/2026\/03\/China-largest-cities-by-population-cover-with-Shanghai-skyline-China-map-2025-official-data-and-permanent-resident-ranking-1024x768.webp 1024w, https:\/\/www.thechinajourney.com\/wp-content\/uploads\/2026\/03\/China-largest-cities-by-population-cover-with-Shanghai-skyline-China-map-2025-official-data-and-permanent-resident-ranking-500x375.webp 500w, https:\/\/www.thechinajourney.com\/wp-content\/uploads\/2026\/03\/China-largest-cities-by-population-cover-with-Shanghai-skyline-China-map-2025-official-data-and-permanent-resident-ranking-300x225.webp 300w, https:\/\/www.thechinajourney.com\/wp-content\/uploads\/2026\/03\/China-largest-cities-by-population-cover-with-Shanghai-skyline-China-map-2025-official-data-and-permanent-resident-ranking-768x576.webp 768w, https:\/\/www.thechinajourney.com\/wp-content\/uploads\/2026\/03\/China-largest-cities-by-population-cover-with-Shanghai-skyline-China-map-2025-official-data-and-permanent-resident-ranking-16x12.webp 16w, https:\/\/www.thechinajourney.com\/wp-content\/uploads\/2026\/03\/China-largest-cities-by-population-cover-with-Shanghai-skyline-China-map-2025-official-data-and-permanent-resident-ranking-150x113.webp 150w, https:\/\/www.thechinajourney.com\/wp-content\/uploads\/2026\/03\/China-largest-cities-by-population-cover-with-Shanghai-skyline-China-map-2025-official-data-and-permanent-resident-ranking.webp 1448w\" sizes=\"(max-width: 800px) 100vw, 800px\" \/>\t\t\t\t\t\t\t\t\t\t\t\t\t\t\t<\/div>\n\t\t\t\t<\/div>\n\t\t\t\t<div class=\"elementor-element elementor-element-af49bea elementor-widget elementor-widget-template\" data-id=\"af49bea\" data-element_type=\"widget\" data-e-type=\"widget\" data-widget_type=\"template.default\">\n\t\t\t\t<div class=\"elementor-widget-container\">\n\t\t\t\t\t\t\t<div class=\"elementor-template\">\n\t\t\t\t\t<div data-elementor-type=\"container\" data-elementor-id=\"20398\" class=\"elementor elementor-20398\" data-elementor-post-type=\"elementor_library\">\n\t\t\t\t<div class=\"elementor-element elementor-element-84386e4 e-con-full e-flex e-con e-parent\" data-id=\"84386e4\" data-element_type=\"container\" data-e-type=\"container\">\n\t\t\t\t<div class=\"elementor-element elementor-element-5bd1b06 elementor-align-left elementor-widget elementor-widget-post-info\" data-id=\"5bd1b06\" data-element_type=\"widget\" data-e-type=\"widget\" data-widget_type=\"post-info.default\">\n\t\t\t\t<div class=\"elementor-widget-container\">\n\t\t\t\t\t\t\t<ul class=\"elementor-inline-items elementor-icon-list-items elementor-post-info\">\n\t\t\t\t\t\t\t\t<li class=\"elementor-icon-list-item elementor-repeater-item-cf7a261 elementor-inline-item\" itemprop=\"author\">\n\t\t\t\t\t\t<a href=\"https:\/\/www.thechinajourney.com\/zh\/author\/the-china-journey\/\">\n\t\t\t\t\t\t\t\t\t\t\t<span class=\"elementor-icon-list-icon\">\n\t\t\t\t\t\t\t\t<img decoding=\"async\" class=\"elementor-avatar\" src=\"https:\/\/www.thechinajourney.com\/wp-content\/uploads\/2025\/03\/cropped-my-back-photo-1-e1740898990369-96x96.webp\" alt=\"Picture of Anthony\" loading=\"lazy\">\n\t\t\t\t\t\t\t<\/span>\n\t\t\t\t\t\t\t\t\t<span class=\"elementor-icon-list-text elementor-post-info__item elementor-post-info__item--type-author\">\n\t\t\t\t\t\t\t<span class=\"elementor-post-info__item-prefix\">Written by <\/span>\n\t\t\t\t\t\t\t\t\t\tAnthony\t\t\t\t\t<\/span>\n\t\t\t\t\t\t\t\t\t<\/a>\n\t\t\t\t<\/li>\n\t\t\t\t<li class=\"elementor-icon-list-item elementor-repeater-item-daac7f3 elementor-inline-item\">\n\t\t\t\t\t\t\t\t\t\t\t\t\t<span class=\"elementor-icon-list-text elementor-post-info__item elementor-post-info__item--type-custom\">\n\t\t\t\t\t\t\t\t\t\tLast update 2 8 \u6708, 2026\t\t\t\t\t<\/span>\n\t\t\t\t\t\t\t\t<\/li>\n\t\t\t\t<\/ul>\n\t\t\t\t\t\t<\/div>\n\t\t\t\t<\/div>\n\t\t\t\t<\/div>\n\t\t\t\t<\/div>\n\t\t\t\t<\/div>\n\t\t\t\t\t\t<\/div>\n\t\t\t\t<\/div>\n\t\t\t\t<div class=\"elementor-element elementor-element-0ae50e3 elementor-widget elementor-widget-html\" data-id=\"0ae50e3\" data-element_type=\"widget\" data-e-type=\"widget\" data-widget_type=\"html.default\">\n\t\t\t\t<div class=\"elementor-widget-container\">\n\t\t\t\t\t<style>\n  .breadcrumbs {\n    font-size: 16px;\n    font-weight: 500;\n    text-align: left;\n    color: black;\n    overflow-x: auto;\n    white-space: nowrap;\n  }\n\n  .breadcrumbs a {\n    color: black;\n    text-decoration: none;\n  }\n\n  .breadcrumbs span {\n    margin: 0 10px;\n  }\n<\/style>\n\n<div class=\"breadcrumbs\">\n        <a href=\"https:\/\/www.thechinajourney.com\/\">The China Journey<\/a >\n        <span>-<\/span>\n  \n        <a href=\"https:\/\/www.thechinajourney.com\/china-travel-tips\/\">Travel Guide<\/a>\n        <span>-<\/span>\n       \n          \n        <a id=\"current-page\"><\/a >\n    <\/div>\n\n<script>\n  document.getElementById('current-page').textContent = document.title;\n<\/script>\n\n\t\t\t\t<\/div>\n\t\t\t\t<\/div>\n\t\t\t\t<div class=\"elementor-element elementor-element-b4460c6 elementor-widget elementor-widget-theme-post-excerpt\" data-id=\"b4460c6\" data-element_type=\"widget\" data-e-type=\"widget\" data-widget_type=\"theme-post-excerpt.default\">\n\t\t\t\t<div class=\"elementor-widget-container\">\n\t\t\t\t\tSee China\u2019s largest cities by 2025 year-end permanent resident population, based on official data published by May 30, 2026.\t\t\t\t<\/div>\n\t\t\t\t<\/div>\n\t\t\t\t<\/div>\n\t\t<div class=\"elementor-element elementor-element-cc69ebb e-con-full elementor-hidden-mobile e-flex e-con e-child\" data-id=\"cc69ebb\" data-element_type=\"container\" data-e-type=\"container\">\n\t\t\t\t<div class=\"elementor-element elementor-element-f341fbf elementor-widget elementor-widget-image\" data-id=\"f341fbf\" data-element_type=\"widget\" data-e-type=\"widget\" data-widget_type=\"image.default\">\n\t\t\t\t<div class=\"elementor-widget-container\">\n\t\t\t\t\t\t\t\t\t\t\t\t\t\t\t<img decoding=\"async\" width=\"800\" height=\"600\" src=\"https:\/\/www.thechinajourney.com\/wp-content\/uploads\/2026\/03\/China-largest-cities-by-population-cover-with-Shanghai-skyline-China-map-2025-official-data-and-permanent-resident-ranking-1024x768.webp\" class=\"attachment-large size-large wp-image-43287\" alt=\"China largest cities by population cover with Shanghai skyline China map 2025 official data and permanent resident ranking\" srcset=\"https:\/\/www.thechinajourney.com\/wp-content\/uploads\/2026\/03\/China-largest-cities-by-population-cover-with-Shanghai-skyline-China-map-2025-official-data-and-permanent-resident-ranking-1024x768.webp 1024w, https:\/\/www.thechinajourney.com\/wp-content\/uploads\/2026\/03\/China-largest-cities-by-population-cover-with-Shanghai-skyline-China-map-2025-official-data-and-permanent-resident-ranking-500x375.webp 500w, https:\/\/www.thechinajourney.com\/wp-content\/uploads\/2026\/03\/China-largest-cities-by-population-cover-with-Shanghai-skyline-China-map-2025-official-data-and-permanent-resident-ranking-300x225.webp 300w, https:\/\/www.thechinajourney.com\/wp-content\/uploads\/2026\/03\/China-largest-cities-by-population-cover-with-Shanghai-skyline-China-map-2025-official-data-and-permanent-resident-ranking-768x576.webp 768w, https:\/\/www.thechinajourney.com\/wp-content\/uploads\/2026\/03\/China-largest-cities-by-population-cover-with-Shanghai-skyline-China-map-2025-official-data-and-permanent-resident-ranking-16x12.webp 16w, https:\/\/www.thechinajourney.com\/wp-content\/uploads\/2026\/03\/China-largest-cities-by-population-cover-with-Shanghai-skyline-China-map-2025-official-data-and-permanent-resident-ranking-150x113.webp 150w, https:\/\/www.thechinajourney.com\/wp-content\/uploads\/2026\/03\/China-largest-cities-by-population-cover-with-Shanghai-skyline-China-map-2025-official-data-and-permanent-resident-ranking.webp 1448w\" sizes=\"(max-width: 800px) 100vw, 800px\" \/>\t\t\t\t\t\t\t\t\t\t\t\t\t\t\t<\/div>\n\t\t\t\t<\/div>\n\t\t\t\t<\/div>\n\t\t\t\t\t<\/div>\n\t\t\t\t<\/div>\n\t\t<div class=\"elementor-element elementor-element-2b76d46 e-flex e-con-boxed e-con e-parent\" data-id=\"2b76d46\" data-element_type=\"container\" data-e-type=\"container\">\n\t\t\t\t\t<div class=\"e-con-inner\">\n\t\t<div class=\"elementor-element elementor-element-61082bb e-con-full e-flex e-con e-child\" data-id=\"61082bb\" data-element_type=\"container\" data-e-type=\"container\">\n\t\t<div class=\"elementor-element elementor-element-7f4a291 e-con-full e-flex e-con e-child\" data-id=\"7f4a291\" data-element_type=\"container\" data-e-type=\"container\">\n\t\t\t\t<div class=\"elementor-element elementor-element-a98cb56 elementor-toc--content-ellipsis elementor-toc--minimized-on-tablet elementor-widget elementor-widget-table-of-contents\" data-id=\"a98cb56\" data-element_type=\"widget\" data-e-type=\"widget\" data-settings=\"{&quot;headings_by_tags&quot;:[&quot;h2&quot;],&quot;exclude_headings_by_selector&quot;:[],&quot;marker_view&quot;:&quot;bullets&quot;,&quot;collapse_subitems&quot;:&quot;yes&quot;,&quot;no_headings_message&quot;:&quot;No headings were found on this page.&quot;,&quot;min_height&quot;:{&quot;unit&quot;:&quot;px&quot;,&quot;size&quot;:300,&quot;sizes&quot;:[]},&quot;min_height_mobile&quot;:{&quot;unit&quot;:&quot;px&quot;,&quot;size&quot;:200,&quot;sizes&quot;:[]},&quot;icon&quot;:{&quot;value&quot;:&quot;fas fa-circle&quot;,&quot;library&quot;:&quot;fa-solid&quot;,&quot;rendered_tag&quot;:&quot;&lt;svg class=\\&quot;e-font-icon-svg e-fas-circle\\&quot; viewBox=\\&quot;0 0 512 512\\&quot; xmlns=\\&quot;http:\\\/\\\/www.w3.org\\\/2000\\\/svg\\&quot;&gt;&lt;path d=\\&quot;M256 8C119 8 8 119 8 256s111 248 248 248 248-111 248-248S393 8 256 8z\\&quot;&gt;&lt;\\\/path&gt;&lt;\\\/svg&gt;&quot;},&quot;minimize_box&quot;:&quot;yes&quot;,&quot;minimized_on&quot;:&quot;tablet&quot;,&quot;hierarchical_view&quot;:&quot;yes&quot;,&quot;min_height_tablet&quot;:{&quot;unit&quot;:&quot;px&quot;,&quot;size&quot;:&quot;&quot;,&quot;sizes&quot;:[]}}\" data-widget_type=\"table-of-contents.default\">\n\t\t\t\t<div class=\"elementor-widget-container\">\n\t\t\t\t\t\t\t\t\t<div class=\"elementor-toc__header\">\n\t\t\t\t\t\t<h4 class=\"elementor-toc__header-title\">\n\t\t\t\tTable of Contents\t\t\t<\/h4>\n\t\t\t\t\t\t\t\t\t\t<div class=\"elementor-toc__toggle-button elementor-toc__toggle-button--expand\" role=\"button\" tabindex=\"0\" aria-controls=\"elementor-toc__a98cb56\" aria-expanded=\"true\" aria-label=\"Open table of contents\"><svg aria-hidden=\"true\" class=\"e-font-icon-svg e-fas-chevron-down\" viewBox=\"0 0 448 512\" xmlns=\"http:\/\/www.w3.org\/2000\/svg\"><path d=\"M207.029 381.476L12.686 187.132c-9.373-9.373-9.373-24.569 0-33.941l22.667-22.667c9.357-9.357 24.522-9.375 33.901-.04L224 284.505l154.745-154.021c9.379-9.335 24.544-9.317 33.901.04l22.667 22.667c9.373 9.373 9.373 24.569 0 33.941L240.971 381.476c-9.373 9.372-24.569 9.372-33.942 0z\"><\/path><\/svg><\/div>\n\t\t\t\t<div class=\"elementor-toc__toggle-button elementor-toc__toggle-button--collapse\" role=\"button\" tabindex=\"0\" aria-controls=\"elementor-toc__a98cb56\" aria-expanded=\"true\" aria-label=\"Close table of contents\"><svg aria-hidden=\"true\" class=\"e-font-icon-svg e-fas-chevron-up\" viewBox=\"0 0 448 512\" xmlns=\"http:\/\/www.w3.org\/2000\/svg\"><path d=\"M240.971 130.524l194.343 194.343c9.373 9.373 9.373 24.569 0 33.941l-22.667 22.667c-9.357 9.357-24.522 9.375-33.901.04L224 227.495 69.255 381.516c-9.379 9.335-24.544 9.317-33.901-.04l-22.667-22.667c-9.373-9.373-9.373-24.569 0-33.941L207.03 130.525c9.372-9.373 24.568-9.373 33.941-.001z\"><\/path><\/svg><\/div>\n\t\t\t\t\t<\/div>\n\t\t\t\t<div id=\"elementor-toc__a98cb56\" class=\"elementor-toc__body elementor-toc__list-items--collapsible\">\n\t\t\t<div class=\"elementor-toc__spinner-container\">\n\t\t\t\t<svg class=\"elementor-toc__spinner eicon-animation-spin e-font-icon-svg e-eicon-loading\" aria-hidden=\"true\" viewBox=\"0 0 1000 1000\" xmlns=\"http:\/\/www.w3.org\/2000\/svg\"><path d=\"M500 975V858C696 858 858 696 858 500S696 142 500 142 142 304 142 500H25C25 237 238 25 500 25S975 237 975 500 763 975 500 975Z\"><\/path><\/svg>\t\t\t<\/div>\n\t\t<\/div>\n\t\t\t\t\t\t<\/div>\n\t\t\t\t<\/div>\n\t\t\t\t<div class=\"elementor-element elementor-element-41658b3 elementor-widget elementor-widget-text-editor\" data-id=\"41658b3\" data-element_type=\"widget\" data-e-type=\"widget\" data-widget_type=\"text-editor.default\">\n\t\t\t\t<div class=\"elementor-widget-container\">\n\t\t\t\t\t\t\t\t\t<h2>Quick Answer: What Are the Largest Cities in China?<\/h2>\n<p>Under the 2025 year-end permanent resident population standard, Chongqing is the largest city in China among cities with published official 2025 data, with 31.8726 million residents. This ranking counts the full administrative city area, not only the built-up urban core or metro area. That point matters because Chongqing covers a very large municipality, including urban districts, suburbs, counties, and rural areas.<\/p>\n\n<ul>\n  <li><p><strong>Largest city:<\/strong> Chongqing, with 31.8726 million permanent residents.<\/p><\/li>\n  <li><p><strong>Top 3:<\/strong> Chongqing, Shanghai, and Beijing.<\/p><\/li>\n  <li><p><strong>Top 5:<\/strong> Chongqing, Shanghai, Beijing, Chengdu, and Guangzhou.<\/p><\/li>\n  <li><p><strong>Data standard:<\/strong> 2025 year-end permanent resident population within the full administrative city boundary.<\/p><\/li>\n  <li><p><strong>Important limitation:<\/strong> Some major cities had not released official 2025 figures by May 30, 2026, so the lower ranking may change.<\/p><\/li>\n  <li><p><strong>Best way to read the ranking:<\/strong> Use it as an official administrative population ranking, not as a ranking of urban core size, density, GDP, or travel appeal.<\/p><\/li>\n<\/ul>\t\t\t\t\t\t\t\t<\/div>\n\t\t\t\t<\/div>\n\t\t\t\t<div class=\"elementor-element elementor-element-032f378 elementor-widget elementor-widget-text-editor\" data-id=\"032f378\" data-element_type=\"widget\" data-e-type=\"widget\" data-widget_type=\"text-editor.default\">\n\t\t\t\t<div class=\"elementor-widget-container\">\n\t\t\t\t\t\t\t\t\t<figure id=\"attachment_43288\" aria-describedby=\"caption-attachment-43288\" style=\"width: 500px\" class=\"wp-caption aligncenter\"><img decoding=\"async\" class=\"wp-image-43288\" title=\"China largest cities by population infographic showing 2025 official data top 30 city rankings growth patterns regions and ranking limits\" src=\"https:\/\/www.thechinajourney.com\/wp-content\/uploads\/2026\/03\/China-largest-cities-by-population-infographic-showing-2025-official-data-top-30-city-rankings-growth-patterns-regions-and-ranking-limits.webp\" alt=\"China largest cities by population infographic showing 2025 official data top 30 city rankings growth patterns regions and ranking limits\" width=\"500\" height=\"1054\" srcset=\"https:\/\/www.thechinajourney.com\/wp-content\/uploads\/2026\/03\/China-largest-cities-by-population-infographic-showing-2025-official-data-top-30-city-rankings-growth-patterns-regions-and-ranking-limits.webp 864w, https:\/\/www.thechinajourney.com\/wp-content\/uploads\/2026\/03\/China-largest-cities-by-population-infographic-showing-2025-official-data-top-30-city-rankings-growth-patterns-regions-and-ranking-limits-237x500.webp 237w, https:\/\/www.thechinajourney.com\/wp-content\/uploads\/2026\/03\/China-largest-cities-by-population-infographic-showing-2025-official-data-top-30-city-rankings-growth-patterns-regions-and-ranking-limits-486x1024.webp 486w, https:\/\/www.thechinajourney.com\/wp-content\/uploads\/2026\/03\/China-largest-cities-by-population-infographic-showing-2025-official-data-top-30-city-rankings-growth-patterns-regions-and-ranking-limits-142x300.webp 142w, https:\/\/www.thechinajourney.com\/wp-content\/uploads\/2026\/03\/China-largest-cities-by-population-infographic-showing-2025-official-data-top-30-city-rankings-growth-patterns-regions-and-ranking-limits-768x1619.webp 768w, https:\/\/www.thechinajourney.com\/wp-content\/uploads\/2026\/03\/China-largest-cities-by-population-infographic-showing-2025-official-data-top-30-city-rankings-growth-patterns-regions-and-ranking-limits-729x1536.webp 729w, https:\/\/www.thechinajourney.com\/wp-content\/uploads\/2026\/03\/China-largest-cities-by-population-infographic-showing-2025-official-data-top-30-city-rankings-growth-patterns-regions-and-ranking-limits-6x12.webp 6w, https:\/\/www.thechinajourney.com\/wp-content\/uploads\/2026\/03\/China-largest-cities-by-population-infographic-showing-2025-official-data-top-30-city-rankings-growth-patterns-regions-and-ranking-limits-150x316.webp 150w\" sizes=\"(max-width: 500px) 100vw, 500px\" \/><figcaption id=\"caption-attachment-43288\" class=\"wp-caption-text\">China largest cities by population infographic<\/figcaption><\/figure><h2>How This Ranking Defines \u201cLargest City\u201d<\/h2><p>\u201cLargest city\u201d can mean different things depending on the population standard. This article uses 2025 year-end permanent resident population within each city\u2019s full administrative boundary. That means the count may include central urban districts, suburbs, counties, county-level cities, and rural areas where applicable. This is why large-area cities such as Chongqing, Nanyang, and Weifang can rank high, while cities such as Shanghai, Shenzhen, and Guangzhou may look stronger under urban core, built-up area, or density standards.<\/p><div style=\"overflow-x: auto; max-width: 100%; max-height: 500px;\"><table border=\"1\" width=\"100%\" cellspacing=\"0\" cellpadding=\"8\"><thead><tr><th>Population Term<\/th><th>What It Means<\/th><th>Why It Changes the Ranking<\/th><\/tr><\/thead><tbody><tr><td>Permanent resident population<\/td><td>People who usually live in the city for six months or more, including many non-hukou residents<\/td><td>Main standard used in this article<\/td><\/tr><tr><td>Administrative city population<\/td><td>Population within the full city-level boundary, including urban and non-urban areas<\/td><td>Favors cities with large administrative areas, such as Chongqing or Nanyang<\/td><\/tr><tr><td>Urban core \/ built-up area<\/td><td>Population in the continuously urbanized part of the city<\/td><td>Better reflects the real city center and may make Shanghai, Shenzhen, and Guangzhou look larger<\/td><\/tr><tr><td>Metro area<\/td><td>Core city plus nearby areas closely linked by commuting and economic activity<\/td><td>Better reflects a city\u2019s wider economic reach<\/td><\/tr><tr><td>Hukou population<\/td><td>People officially registered in the city\u2019s household system<\/td><td>Can miss large migrant populations in economically active cities<\/td><\/tr><\/tbody><\/table><\/div><h2>Data Sources, Update Date, and Missing Cities<\/h2><p>This ranking uses official 2025 year-end permanent resident population data published in 2026. Only cities with clear official figures available by the cutoff date are included. I would not use media estimates, encyclopedia values, or older population figures to fill missing cities, because that would make the ranking look more complete but less reliable.<\/p><ul><li><strong>Data year:<\/strong> Year-end 2025, generally reflecting population as of December 31, 2025.<\/li><li><strong>Release period:<\/strong> Mainly March to May 2026, when local statistical bulletins are commonly published.<\/li><li><strong>Cutoff date:<\/strong> May 30, 2026.<\/li><li><strong>Main sources:<\/strong> Municipal statistical bulletins, provincial statistical bulletins, local statistical bureaus, and government press releases.<\/li><li><strong>Included cities:<\/strong> Cities with published official 2025 permanent resident population figures by the cutoff date.<\/li><li><strong>Missing cities:<\/strong> Some major cities, including Harbin, Baoding, Handan, Xuzhou, and Dalian, had not released precise official 2025 figures by the cutoff date, so they are temporarily excluded.<\/li><li><strong>Update rule:<\/strong> The ranking should be updated when more cities publish official 2025 data.<\/li><\/ul><h2>China\u2019s Largest Cities by 2025 Permanent Resident Population<\/h2><p>This table ranks the 30 listed cities with official 2025 year-end permanent resident population data available by May 30, 2026. The figures use full administrative city boundaries, not built-up urban cores or metro areas. Because some major cities had not released official 2025 data by the cutoff date, this is the latest published-data ranking, not a final all-city national ranking.<\/p><div style=\"overflow-x: auto; max-width: 100%;\"><table style=\"width: 100%; border-collapse: collapse;\"><thead><tr><th>Rank<\/th><th>City<\/th><th>Chinese Name<\/th><th>Province \/ Region<\/th><th>2025 Population<\/th><th>2024 Population<\/th><th>Change<\/th><th>Growth Rate<\/th><\/tr><\/thead><tbody><tr><td>1<\/td><td>Chongqing<\/td><td>\u91cd\u5e86<\/td><td>Chongqing<\/td><td>31.8726 million<\/td><td>31.9047 million<\/td><td>-32,100<\/td><td>-0.10%<\/td><\/tr><tr><td>2<\/td><td>Shanghai<\/td><td>\u4e0a\u6d77<\/td><td>Shanghai<\/td><td>24.8541 million<\/td><td>24.8026 million<\/td><td>+51,500<\/td><td>+0.21%<\/td><\/tr><tr><td>3<\/td><td>Beijing<\/td><td>\u5317\u4eac<\/td><td>Beijing<\/td><td>21.8000 million<\/td><td>21.8320 million<\/td><td>-32,000<\/td><td>-0.15%<\/td><\/tr><tr><td>4<\/td><td>Chengdu<\/td><td>\u6210\u90fd<\/td><td>Sichuan<\/td><td>21.5350 million<\/td><td>21.4740 million<\/td><td>+61,000<\/td><td>+0.28%<\/td><\/tr><tr><td>5<\/td><td>Guangzhou<\/td><td>\u5e7f\u5dde<\/td><td>Guangdong<\/td><td>19.1010 million<\/td><td>18.9780 million<\/td><td>+123,000<\/td><td>+0.65%<\/td><\/tr><tr><td>6<\/td><td>Shenzhen<\/td><td>\u6df1\u5733<\/td><td>Guangdong<\/td><td>18.2485 million<\/td><td>17.9895 million<\/td><td>+259,000<\/td><td>+1.44%<\/td><\/tr><tr><td>7<\/td><td>Wuhan<\/td><td>\u6b66\u6c49<\/td><td>Hubei<\/td><td>13.8619 million<\/td><td>13.8091 million<\/td><td>+52,800<\/td><td>+0.38%<\/td><\/tr><tr><td>8<\/td><td>Tianjin<\/td><td>\u5929\u6d25<\/td><td>Tianjin<\/td><td>13.6300 million<\/td><td>13.6400 million<\/td><td>-10,000<\/td><td>-0.07%<\/td><\/tr><tr><td>9<\/td><td>Xi\u2019an<\/td><td>\u897f\u5b89<\/td><td>Shaanxi<\/td><td>13.2363 million<\/td><td>13.1676 million<\/td><td>+68,700<\/td><td>+0.52%<\/td><\/tr><tr><td>10<\/td><td>Zhengzhou<\/td><td>\u90d1\u5dde<\/td><td>Henan<\/td><td>13.1380 million<\/td><td>13.0860 million<\/td><td>+52,000<\/td><td>+0.40%<\/td><\/tr><tr><td>11<\/td><td>Suzhou<\/td><td>\u82cf\u5dde<\/td><td>Jiangsu<\/td><td>13.0477 million<\/td><td>12.9870 million<\/td><td>+60,700<\/td><td>+0.47%<\/td><\/tr><tr><td>12<\/td><td>Hangzhou<\/td><td>\u676d\u5dde<\/td><td>Zhejiang<\/td><td>12.7000 million<\/td><td>12.6240 million<\/td><td>+76,000<\/td><td>+0.60%<\/td><\/tr><tr><td>13<\/td><td>Shijiazhuang<\/td><td>\u77f3\u5bb6\u5e84<\/td><td>Hebei<\/td><td>11.2469 million<\/td><td>11.2466 million<\/td><td>+300<\/td><td>+0.00%<\/td><\/tr><tr><td>14<\/td><td>Dongguan<\/td><td>\u4e1c\u839e<\/td><td>Guangdong<\/td><td>10.8004 million<\/td><td>10.5708 million<\/td><td>+229,600<\/td><td>+2.17%<\/td><\/tr><tr><td>15<\/td><td>Changsha<\/td><td>\u957f\u6c99<\/td><td>Hunan<\/td><td>10.7214 million<\/td><td>10.6165 million<\/td><td>+104,900<\/td><td>+0.99%<\/td><\/tr><tr><td>16<\/td><td>Qingdao<\/td><td>\u9752\u5c9b<\/td><td>Shandong<\/td><td>10.5155 million<\/td><td>10.4425 million<\/td><td>+73,000<\/td><td>+0.70%<\/td><\/tr><tr><td>17<\/td><td>Hefei<\/td><td>\u5408\u80a5<\/td><td>Anhui<\/td><td>10.0020 million<\/td><td>9.8530 million<\/td><td>+149,000<\/td><td>+1.51%<\/td><\/tr><tr><td>18<\/td><td>Wenzhou<\/td><td>\u6e29\u5dde<\/td><td>Zhejiang<\/td><td>9.9020 million<\/td><td>9.8520 million<\/td><td>+50,000<\/td><td>+0.51%<\/td><\/tr><tr><td>19<\/td><td>Ningbo<\/td><td>\u5b81\u6ce2<\/td><td>Zhejiang<\/td><td>9.8330 million<\/td><td>9.7770 million<\/td><td>+56,000<\/td><td>+0.57%<\/td><\/tr><tr><td>20<\/td><td>Foshan<\/td><td>\u4f5b\u5c71<\/td><td>Guangdong<\/td><td>9.7919 million<\/td><td>9.6989 million<\/td><td>+93,000<\/td><td>+0.96%<\/td><\/tr><tr><td>21<\/td><td>Nanjing<\/td><td>\u5357\u4eac<\/td><td>Jiangsu<\/td><td>9.6385 million<\/td><td>9.5770 million<\/td><td>+61,500<\/td><td>+0.64%<\/td><\/tr><tr><td>22<\/td><td>Jinan<\/td><td>\u6d4e\u5357<\/td><td>Shandong<\/td><td>9.6160 million<\/td><td>9.5147 million<\/td><td>+101,300<\/td><td>+1.06%<\/td><\/tr><tr><td>23<\/td><td>Nanyang<\/td><td>\u5357\u9633<\/td><td>Henan<\/td><td>9.3950 million<\/td><td>9.4540 million<\/td><td>-59,000<\/td><td>-0.62%<\/td><\/tr><tr><td>24<\/td><td>Shenyang<\/td><td>\u6c88\u9633<\/td><td>Liaoning<\/td><td>9.2760 million<\/td><td>9.2430 million<\/td><td>+33,000<\/td><td>+0.36%<\/td><\/tr><tr><td>25<\/td><td>Weifang<\/td><td>\u6f4d\u574a<\/td><td>Shandong<\/td><td>9.2712 million<\/td><td>9.3199 million<\/td><td>-48,700<\/td><td>-0.52%<\/td><\/tr><tr><td>26<\/td><td>Changchun<\/td><td>\u957f\u6625<\/td><td>Jilin<\/td><td>9.1050 million<\/td><td>9.0851 million<\/td><td>+19,900<\/td><td>+0.22%<\/td><\/tr><tr><td>27<\/td><td>Nanning<\/td><td>\u5357\u5b81<\/td><td>Guangxi<\/td><td>9.0166 million<\/td><td>8.9719 million<\/td><td>+44,700<\/td><td>+0.50%<\/td><\/tr><tr><td>28<\/td><td>Kunming<\/td><td>\u6606\u660e<\/td><td>Yunnan<\/td><td>8.7440 million<\/td><td>8.6870 million<\/td><td>+57,000<\/td><td>+0.66%<\/td><\/tr><tr><td>29<\/td><td>Fuzhou<\/td><td>\u798f\u5dde<\/td><td>Fujian<\/td><td>8.5210 million<\/td><td>8.4600 million<\/td><td>+61,000<\/td><td>+0.72%<\/td><\/tr><tr><td>30<\/td><td>Jinhua<\/td><td>\u91d1\u534e<\/td><td>Zhejiang<\/td><td>7.2690 million<\/td><td>7.2090 million<\/td><td>+60,000<\/td><td>+0.83%<\/td><\/tr><\/tbody><\/table><\/div><h2>Key Takeaways from the 2025 Ranking<\/h2><p>The 2025 data shows where China\u2019s population is still concentrating, which cities are stabilizing, and why administrative boundaries matter when reading \u201clargest city\u201d rankings.<\/p><ul><li><strong>Largest city:<\/strong> Chongqing remains first with 31.87 million permanent residents, although its population declined slightly from 2024. Its top position is closely tied to its huge municipal boundary.<\/li><li><strong>Top tier:<\/strong> Shanghai and Beijing remain in the top three, followed by Chengdu and Guangzhou. Beijing declined slightly, while Shanghai recorded small growth.<\/li><li><strong>Fast-growing cities:<\/strong> Shenzhen, Dongguan, Hefei, Guangzhou, Changsha, and Jinan posted strong gains, reflecting the pull of manufacturing, technology, services, and regional job markets.<\/li><li><strong>New 10-million city:<\/strong> Hefei crossed the 10-million mark, confirming its rise as a fast-growing provincial capital and innovation hub.<\/li><li><strong>Cities with decline:<\/strong> Chongqing, Beijing, Tianjin, Nanyang, and Weifang recorded decreases. These shifts may reflect population control, industrial transition, migration, aging, or statistical adjustment.<\/li><li><strong>Regional pattern:<\/strong> The strongest clusters are the Yangtze River Delta, Greater Bay Area, Chengdu-Chongqing region, Shandong Peninsula, and major central or western provincial capitals.<\/li><li><strong>Main limitation:<\/strong> This is not yet a complete final national list. Missing official data from some cities may change the lower rankings later.<\/li><\/ul><h2>Short Profiles of Major Cities in the Ranking<\/h2><p>These short profiles explain why the largest listed cities have such large populations. The focus is population logic, not a full travel or city guide.<\/p><h3>Chongqing<\/h3><figure id=\"attachment_31576\" aria-describedby=\"caption-attachment-31576\" style=\"width: 500px\" class=\"wp-caption aligncenter\"><a href=\"https:\/\/www.thechinajourney.com\/chongqing-travel-guide\/\"><img decoding=\"async\" class=\"wp-image-31576\" title=\"Chongqing Shancheng Alley red wall with Chinese characters and roses at night\" src=\"https:\/\/www.thechinajourney.com\/wp-content\/uploads\/2025\/10\/Chongqing-Shancheng-Alley-red-wall-with-Chinese-characters-and-roses-at-night-e1780133125372.webp\" alt=\"Chongqing Shancheng Alley red wall with Chinese characters and roses at night\" width=\"500\" height=\"361\" srcset=\"https:\/\/www.thechinajourney.com\/wp-content\/uploads\/2025\/10\/Chongqing-Shancheng-Alley-red-wall-with-Chinese-characters-and-roses-at-night-e1780133125372.webp 1440w, https:\/\/www.thechinajourney.com\/wp-content\/uploads\/2025\/10\/Chongqing-Shancheng-Alley-red-wall-with-Chinese-characters-and-roses-at-night-e1780133125372-500x361.webp 500w, https:\/\/www.thechinajourney.com\/wp-content\/uploads\/2025\/10\/Chongqing-Shancheng-Alley-red-wall-with-Chinese-characters-and-roses-at-night-e1780133125372-1024x740.webp 1024w, https:\/\/www.thechinajourney.com\/wp-content\/uploads\/2025\/10\/Chongqing-Shancheng-Alley-red-wall-with-Chinese-characters-and-roses-at-night-e1780133125372-300x217.webp 300w, https:\/\/www.thechinajourney.com\/wp-content\/uploads\/2025\/10\/Chongqing-Shancheng-Alley-red-wall-with-Chinese-characters-and-roses-at-night-e1780133125372-768x555.webp 768w, https:\/\/www.thechinajourney.com\/wp-content\/uploads\/2025\/10\/Chongqing-Shancheng-Alley-red-wall-with-Chinese-characters-and-roses-at-night-e1780133125372-18x12.webp 18w, https:\/\/www.thechinajourney.com\/wp-content\/uploads\/2025\/10\/Chongqing-Shancheng-Alley-red-wall-with-Chinese-characters-and-roses-at-night-e1780133125372-150x108.webp 150w\" sizes=\"(max-width: 500px) 100vw, 500px\" \/><\/a><figcaption id=\"caption-attachment-31576\" class=\"wp-caption-text\">Chongqing Shancheng Alley<\/figcaption><\/figure><p><a href=\"https:\/\/www.thechinajourney.com\/chongqing-travel-guide\/\">Chongqing<\/a> ranks first mainly because it is counted as a full municipality-level administrative area, not just an urban core. Its scale includes dense city districts, towns, counties, mountainous areas, and rural communities across southwest China.<\/p><ul><li><strong>2025 population:<\/strong> 31.87 million<\/li><li><strong>Administrative level:<\/strong> Municipality directly under the central government<\/li><li><strong>Province \/ region:<\/strong> Chongqing Municipality; Chengdu-Chongqing region<\/li><li><strong>Main role:<\/strong> Upper Yangtze River economic center, major manufacturing base, and western transport hub<\/li><li><strong>Why it is large:<\/strong> Its administrative area is huge, covering both major urban districts and broad rural territory.<\/li><li><strong>Representative identity:<\/strong> Mountain city, \u201c8D\u201d urban landscape, hotpot, Yangtze River gateway<\/li><\/ul><h3>Shanghai<\/h3><figure id=\"attachment_27509\" aria-describedby=\"caption-attachment-27509\" style=\"width: 500px\" class=\"wp-caption aligncenter\"><a href=\"https:\/\/www.thechinajourney.com\/shanghai-travel-guide\/\"><img decoding=\"async\" class=\"wp-image-27509\" title=\"Night view of Jing\u2019an Temple\u2019s golden Tang style rooftops framed by Shanghai skyscrapers\" src=\"https:\/\/www.thechinajourney.com\/wp-content\/uploads\/2025\/07\/Night-view-of-Jingan-Temples-golden-Tang-style-rooftops-framed-by-Shanghai-skyscrapers-e1780133206823.webp\" alt=\"Night view of Jing\u2019an Temple\u2019s golden Tang style rooftops framed by Shanghai skyscrapers\" width=\"500\" height=\"348\" srcset=\"https:\/\/www.thechinajourney.com\/wp-content\/uploads\/2025\/07\/Night-view-of-Jingan-Temples-golden-Tang-style-rooftops-framed-by-Shanghai-skyscrapers-e1780133206823.webp 1550w, https:\/\/www.thechinajourney.com\/wp-content\/uploads\/2025\/07\/Night-view-of-Jingan-Temples-golden-Tang-style-rooftops-framed-by-Shanghai-skyscrapers-e1780133206823-500x348.webp 500w, https:\/\/www.thechinajourney.com\/wp-content\/uploads\/2025\/07\/Night-view-of-Jingan-Temples-golden-Tang-style-rooftops-framed-by-Shanghai-skyscrapers-e1780133206823-1024x713.webp 1024w, https:\/\/www.thechinajourney.com\/wp-content\/uploads\/2025\/07\/Night-view-of-Jingan-Temples-golden-Tang-style-rooftops-framed-by-Shanghai-skyscrapers-e1780133206823-300x209.webp 300w, https:\/\/www.thechinajourney.com\/wp-content\/uploads\/2025\/07\/Night-view-of-Jingan-Temples-golden-Tang-style-rooftops-framed-by-Shanghai-skyscrapers-e1780133206823-768x535.webp 768w, https:\/\/www.thechinajourney.com\/wp-content\/uploads\/2025\/07\/Night-view-of-Jingan-Temples-golden-Tang-style-rooftops-framed-by-Shanghai-skyscrapers-e1780133206823-1536x1070.webp 1536w, https:\/\/www.thechinajourney.com\/wp-content\/uploads\/2025\/07\/Night-view-of-Jingan-Temples-golden-Tang-style-rooftops-framed-by-Shanghai-skyscrapers-e1780133206823-18x12.webp 18w, https:\/\/www.thechinajourney.com\/wp-content\/uploads\/2025\/07\/Night-view-of-Jingan-Temples-golden-Tang-style-rooftops-framed-by-Shanghai-skyscrapers-e1780133206823-150x105.webp 150w\" sizes=\"(max-width: 500px) 100vw, 500px\" \/><\/a><figcaption id=\"caption-attachment-27509\" class=\"wp-caption-text\">Night view of Jing\u2019an Temple<\/figcaption><\/figure><p><a href=\"https:\/\/www.thechinajourney.com\/shanghai-travel-guide\/\">Shanghai<\/a> is China\u2019s most internationally connected modern metropolis. Unlike Chongqing, its population is concentrated in a much denser urban area, making it one of the clearest examples of China\u2019s urban core strength.<\/p><ul><li><strong>2025 population:<\/strong> 24.85 million<\/li><li><strong>Administrative level:<\/strong> Municipality directly under the central government<\/li><li><strong>Province \/ region:<\/strong> Shanghai Municipality; Yangtze River Delta<\/li><li><strong>Main role:<\/strong> National center for finance, trade, shipping, advanced services, and global business<\/li><li><strong>Why it is large:<\/strong> Strong employment, international connectivity, and its role as the core city of the Yangtze River Delta attract residents and talent.<\/li><li><strong>Representative identity:<\/strong> The Bund, Lujiazui, and China\u2019s most globalized city image<\/li><\/ul><h3>Beijing<\/h3><figure id=\"attachment_27434\" aria-describedby=\"caption-attachment-27434\" style=\"width: 500px\" class=\"wp-caption aligncenter\"><a href=\"https:\/\/www.thechinajourney.com\/beijing-travel-guide\/\"><img decoding=\"async\" class=\"wp-image-27434\" title=\"Night view of the illuminated Zhengyangmen Gate Tower at Qianmen Street, Beijing\" src=\"https:\/\/www.thechinajourney.com\/wp-content\/uploads\/2025\/07\/Night-view-of-the-illuminated-Zhengyangmen-Gate-Tower-at-Qianmen-Street-Beijing-e1779701794318.webp\" alt=\"Night view of the illuminated Zhengyangmen Gate Tower at Qianmen Street, Beijing\" width=\"500\" height=\"359\" srcset=\"https:\/\/www.thechinajourney.com\/wp-content\/uploads\/2025\/07\/Night-view-of-the-illuminated-Zhengyangmen-Gate-Tower-at-Qianmen-Street-Beijing-e1779701794318.webp 1440w, https:\/\/www.thechinajourney.com\/wp-content\/uploads\/2025\/07\/Night-view-of-the-illuminated-Zhengyangmen-Gate-Tower-at-Qianmen-Street-Beijing-e1779701794318-500x359.webp 500w, https:\/\/www.thechinajourney.com\/wp-content\/uploads\/2025\/07\/Night-view-of-the-illuminated-Zhengyangmen-Gate-Tower-at-Qianmen-Street-Beijing-e1779701794318-1024x735.webp 1024w, https:\/\/www.thechinajourney.com\/wp-content\/uploads\/2025\/07\/Night-view-of-the-illuminated-Zhengyangmen-Gate-Tower-at-Qianmen-Street-Beijing-e1779701794318-300x215.webp 300w, https:\/\/www.thechinajourney.com\/wp-content\/uploads\/2025\/07\/Night-view-of-the-illuminated-Zhengyangmen-Gate-Tower-at-Qianmen-Street-Beijing-e1779701794318-768x551.webp 768w, https:\/\/www.thechinajourney.com\/wp-content\/uploads\/2025\/07\/Night-view-of-the-illuminated-Zhengyangmen-Gate-Tower-at-Qianmen-Street-Beijing-e1779701794318-18x12.webp 18w, https:\/\/www.thechinajourney.com\/wp-content\/uploads\/2025\/07\/Night-view-of-the-illuminated-Zhengyangmen-Gate-Tower-at-Qianmen-Street-Beijing-e1779701794318-150x108.webp 150w\" sizes=\"(max-width: 500px) 100vw, 500px\" \/><\/a><figcaption id=\"caption-attachment-27434\" class=\"wp-caption-text\">Zhengyangmen Gate Tower at Qianmen Street, Beijing<\/figcaption><\/figure><p><a href=\"https:\/\/www.thechinajourney.com\/beijing-travel-guide\/\">Beijing<\/a> remains one of China\u2019s three largest cities, even though its population has slightly declined under long-term urban management policies. Its size comes from the concentration of national-level institutions and resources.<\/p><ul><li><strong>2025 population:<\/strong> 21.80 million<\/li><li><strong>Administrative level:<\/strong> Municipality directly under the central government; national capital<\/li><li><strong>Province \/ region:<\/strong> Beijing Municipality; Beijing-Tianjin-Hebei region<\/li><li><strong>Main role:<\/strong> Political, cultural, diplomatic, educational, and technology innovation center<\/li><li><strong>Why it is large:<\/strong> Capital functions concentrate government, universities, research institutes, cultural institutions, and high-level services.<\/li><li><strong>Representative identity:<\/strong> Forbidden City, Tiananmen, top universities, and China\u2019s political-cultural center<\/li><\/ul><h3>Chengdu<\/h3><figure id=\"attachment_25972\" aria-describedby=\"caption-attachment-25972\" style=\"width: 300px\" class=\"wp-caption aligncenter\"><a href=\"https:\/\/www.thechinajourney.com\/chengdu-travel-guide\/\"><img decoding=\"async\" class=\"wp-image-25972\" title=\"Jiu Yan Qiao (Nine Eyes Bridge) Bar Street chengdu\" src=\"https:\/\/www.thechinajourney.com\/wp-content\/uploads\/2025\/06\/Jiu-Yan-Qiao-Nine-Eyes-Bridge-Bar-Street-chengdu-e1780133346740.webp\" alt=\"Jiu Yan Qiao (Nine Eyes Bridge) Bar Street chengdu\" width=\"300\" height=\"383\" srcset=\"https:\/\/www.thechinajourney.com\/wp-content\/uploads\/2025\/06\/Jiu-Yan-Qiao-Nine-Eyes-Bridge-Bar-Street-chengdu-e1780133346740.webp 1440w, https:\/\/www.thechinajourney.com\/wp-content\/uploads\/2025\/06\/Jiu-Yan-Qiao-Nine-Eyes-Bridge-Bar-Street-chengdu-e1780133346740-391x500.webp 391w, https:\/\/www.thechinajourney.com\/wp-content\/uploads\/2025\/06\/Jiu-Yan-Qiao-Nine-Eyes-Bridge-Bar-Street-chengdu-e1780133346740-801x1024.webp 801w, https:\/\/www.thechinajourney.com\/wp-content\/uploads\/2025\/06\/Jiu-Yan-Qiao-Nine-Eyes-Bridge-Bar-Street-chengdu-e1780133346740-235x300.webp 235w, https:\/\/www.thechinajourney.com\/wp-content\/uploads\/2025\/06\/Jiu-Yan-Qiao-Nine-Eyes-Bridge-Bar-Street-chengdu-e1780133346740-768x981.webp 768w, https:\/\/www.thechinajourney.com\/wp-content\/uploads\/2025\/06\/Jiu-Yan-Qiao-Nine-Eyes-Bridge-Bar-Street-chengdu-e1780133346740-1202x1536.webp 1202w, https:\/\/www.thechinajourney.com\/wp-content\/uploads\/2025\/06\/Jiu-Yan-Qiao-Nine-Eyes-Bridge-Bar-Street-chengdu-e1780133346740-9x12.webp 9w, https:\/\/www.thechinajourney.com\/wp-content\/uploads\/2025\/06\/Jiu-Yan-Qiao-Nine-Eyes-Bridge-Bar-Street-chengdu-e1780133346740-150x192.webp 150w\" sizes=\"(max-width: 300px) 100vw, 300px\" \/><\/a><figcaption id=\"caption-attachment-25972\" class=\"wp-caption-text\">Jiu Yan Qiao (Nine Eyes Bridge)<\/figcaption><\/figure><p><a href=\"https:\/\/www.thechinajourney.com\/chengdu-travel-guide\/\">Chengdu<\/a> is one of the strongest population centers in western China. It combines regional economic power with a lifestyle appeal that continues to attract residents from Sichuan and beyond.<\/p><ul><li><strong>2025 population:<\/strong> 21.54 million<\/li><li><strong>Administrative level:<\/strong> Sub-provincial city; provincial capital<\/li><li><strong>Province \/ region:<\/strong> Sichuan Province; Chengdu-Chongqing region<\/li><li><strong>Main role:<\/strong> Southwest China center for technology, commerce, finance, education, and transport<\/li><li><strong>Why it is large:<\/strong> It absorbs population through regional services, job opportunities, universities, and a strong \u201cnew first-tier city\u201d appeal.<\/li><li><strong>Representative identity:<\/strong> Giant pandas, leisure culture, Sichuan food, and a highly livable western megacity<\/li><\/ul><h3>Guangzhou<\/h3><figure id=\"attachment_32588\" aria-describedby=\"caption-attachment-32588\" style=\"width: 300px\" class=\"wp-caption aligncenter\"><a href=\"https:\/\/www.thechinajourney.com\/guangzhou-travel-guide\/\"><img decoding=\"async\" class=\"wp-image-32588\" title=\"Colorful cruise boat sailing along the Pearl River at night with Guangzhou Tower lit up in rainbow colors in the background\" src=\"https:\/\/www.thechinajourney.com\/wp-content\/uploads\/2025\/11\/Colorful-cruise-boat-sailing-along-the-Pearl-River-at-night-with-Guangzhou-Tower-lit-up-in-rainbow-colors-in-the-background-e1780133423980.webp\" alt=\"Colorful cruise boat sailing along the Pearl River at night with Guangzhou Tower lit up in rainbow colors in the background\" width=\"300\" height=\"385\" srcset=\"https:\/\/www.thechinajourney.com\/wp-content\/uploads\/2025\/11\/Colorful-cruise-boat-sailing-along-the-Pearl-River-at-night-with-Guangzhou-Tower-lit-up-in-rainbow-colors-in-the-background-e1780133423980.webp 1080w, https:\/\/www.thechinajourney.com\/wp-content\/uploads\/2025\/11\/Colorful-cruise-boat-sailing-along-the-Pearl-River-at-night-with-Guangzhou-Tower-lit-up-in-rainbow-colors-in-the-background-e1780133423980-390x500.webp 390w, https:\/\/www.thechinajourney.com\/wp-content\/uploads\/2025\/11\/Colorful-cruise-boat-sailing-along-the-Pearl-River-at-night-with-Guangzhou-Tower-lit-up-in-rainbow-colors-in-the-background-e1780133423980-798x1024.webp 798w, https:\/\/www.thechinajourney.com\/wp-content\/uploads\/2025\/11\/Colorful-cruise-boat-sailing-along-the-Pearl-River-at-night-with-Guangzhou-Tower-lit-up-in-rainbow-colors-in-the-background-e1780133423980-234x300.webp 234w, https:\/\/www.thechinajourney.com\/wp-content\/uploads\/2025\/11\/Colorful-cruise-boat-sailing-along-the-Pearl-River-at-night-with-Guangzhou-Tower-lit-up-in-rainbow-colors-in-the-background-e1780133423980-768x985.webp 768w, https:\/\/www.thechinajourney.com\/wp-content\/uploads\/2025\/11\/Colorful-cruise-boat-sailing-along-the-Pearl-River-at-night-with-Guangzhou-Tower-lit-up-in-rainbow-colors-in-the-background-e1780133423980-9x12.webp 9w, https:\/\/www.thechinajourney.com\/wp-content\/uploads\/2025\/11\/Colorful-cruise-boat-sailing-along-the-Pearl-River-at-night-with-Guangzhou-Tower-lit-up-in-rainbow-colors-in-the-background-e1780133423980-150x192.webp 150w\" sizes=\"(max-width: 300px) 100vw, 300px\" \/><\/a><figcaption id=\"caption-attachment-32588\" class=\"wp-caption-text\">Pearl River Night Cruise<\/figcaption><\/figure><p><a href=\"https:\/\/www.thechinajourney.com\/guangzhou-travel-guide\/\">Guangzhou<\/a> is one of South China\u2019s most important population and commercial centers. Its large population reflects both its historic role as a trade city and its current role in the Greater Bay Area.<\/p><ul><li><strong>2025 population:<\/strong> 19.10 million<\/li><li><strong>Administrative level:<\/strong> Sub-provincial city; provincial capital; national central city<\/li><li><strong>Province \/ region:<\/strong> Guangdong Province; Greater Bay Area<\/li><li><strong>Main role:<\/strong> South China gateway, commercial center, manufacturing base, and transport hub<\/li><li><strong>Why it is large:<\/strong> Long-standing trade networks, a strong private economy, manufacturing, logistics, and open urban culture support population inflow.<\/li><li><strong>Representative identity:<\/strong> \u201cMillennium commercial city,\u201d Cantonese culture, and one of China\u2019s great food capitals<\/li><\/ul><h3>Shenzhen<\/h3><figure id=\"attachment_32082\" aria-describedby=\"caption-attachment-32082\" style=\"width: 500px\" class=\"wp-caption aligncenter\"><a href=\"https:\/\/www.thechinajourney.com\/shenzhen-travel-guide\/\"><img decoding=\"async\" class=\"wp-image-32082\" title=\"Shenzhen Talent Park light show with tech company logos\" src=\"https:\/\/www.thechinajourney.com\/wp-content\/uploads\/2025\/10\/Shenzhen-Talent-Park-light-show-with-tech-company-logos-e1780133485206.webp\" alt=\"Shenzhen Talent Park light show with tech company logos\" width=\"500\" height=\"293\" srcset=\"https:\/\/www.thechinajourney.com\/wp-content\/uploads\/2025\/10\/Shenzhen-Talent-Park-light-show-with-tech-company-logos-e1780133485206.webp 1846w, https:\/\/www.thechinajourney.com\/wp-content\/uploads\/2025\/10\/Shenzhen-Talent-Park-light-show-with-tech-company-logos-e1780133485206-500x293.webp 500w, https:\/\/www.thechinajourney.com\/wp-content\/uploads\/2025\/10\/Shenzhen-Talent-Park-light-show-with-tech-company-logos-e1780133485206-1024x599.webp 1024w, https:\/\/www.thechinajourney.com\/wp-content\/uploads\/2025\/10\/Shenzhen-Talent-Park-light-show-with-tech-company-logos-e1780133485206-300x176.webp 300w, https:\/\/www.thechinajourney.com\/wp-content\/uploads\/2025\/10\/Shenzhen-Talent-Park-light-show-with-tech-company-logos-e1780133485206-768x449.webp 768w, https:\/\/www.thechinajourney.com\/wp-content\/uploads\/2025\/10\/Shenzhen-Talent-Park-light-show-with-tech-company-logos-e1780133485206-1536x899.webp 1536w, https:\/\/www.thechinajourney.com\/wp-content\/uploads\/2025\/10\/Shenzhen-Talent-Park-light-show-with-tech-company-logos-e1780133485206-18x12.webp 18w, https:\/\/www.thechinajourney.com\/wp-content\/uploads\/2025\/10\/Shenzhen-Talent-Park-light-show-with-tech-company-logos-e1780133485206-150x88.webp 150w\" sizes=\"(max-width: 500px) 100vw, 500px\" \/><\/a><figcaption id=\"caption-attachment-32082\" class=\"wp-caption-text\">Shenzhen Talent Park<\/figcaption><\/figure><p><a href=\"https:\/\/www.thechinajourney.com\/shenzhen-travel-guide\/\">Shenzhen<\/a> is one of China\u2019s fastest-growing major cities by population. Its rise is strongly tied to technology, finance, entrepreneurship, and its position beside Hong Kong.<\/p><ul><li><strong>2025 population:<\/strong> 18.25 million<\/li><li><strong>Administrative level:<\/strong> Sub-provincial city; Special Economic Zone<\/li><li><strong>Province \/ region:<\/strong> Guangdong Province; Greater Bay Area<\/li><li><strong>Main role:<\/strong> Technology innovation center, finance hub, advanced manufacturing base<\/li><li><strong>Why it is large:<\/strong> High-paying jobs, startup culture, technology companies, and a migrant-driven labor market continue to attract young workers.<\/li><li><strong>Representative identity:<\/strong> \u201cShenzhen speed,\u201d Huawei, Tencent, and the transformation from border town to global tech city<\/li><\/ul><h3>Wuhan<\/h3><figure id=\"attachment_38575\" aria-describedby=\"caption-attachment-38575\" style=\"width: 500px\" class=\"wp-caption aligncenter\"><a href=\"https:\/\/www.thechinajourney.com\/wuhan-travel-guide\/\"><img decoding=\"async\" class=\"wp-image-38575\" title=\"Wuhan Yangtze River Skyline Night View Modern city skyline with illuminated bridges and river reflections at dusk\" src=\"https:\/\/www.thechinajourney.com\/wp-content\/uploads\/2026\/03\/Wuhan-Yangtze-River-Skyline-Night-View-Modern-city-skyline-with-illuminated-bridges-and-river-reflections-at-dusk-e1774275544934.webp\" alt=\"Wuhan Yangtze River Skyline Night View Modern city skyline with illuminated bridges and river reflections at dusk\" width=\"500\" height=\"348\" srcset=\"https:\/\/www.thechinajourney.com\/wp-content\/uploads\/2026\/03\/Wuhan-Yangtze-River-Skyline-Night-View-Modern-city-skyline-with-illuminated-bridges-and-river-reflections-at-dusk-e1774275544934.webp 1550w, https:\/\/www.thechinajourney.com\/wp-content\/uploads\/2026\/03\/Wuhan-Yangtze-River-Skyline-Night-View-Modern-city-skyline-with-illuminated-bridges-and-river-reflections-at-dusk-e1774275544934-500x348.webp 500w, https:\/\/www.thechinajourney.com\/wp-content\/uploads\/2026\/03\/Wuhan-Yangtze-River-Skyline-Night-View-Modern-city-skyline-with-illuminated-bridges-and-river-reflections-at-dusk-e1774275544934-1024x713.webp 1024w, https:\/\/www.thechinajourney.com\/wp-content\/uploads\/2026\/03\/Wuhan-Yangtze-River-Skyline-Night-View-Modern-city-skyline-with-illuminated-bridges-and-river-reflections-at-dusk-e1774275544934-300x209.webp 300w, https:\/\/www.thechinajourney.com\/wp-content\/uploads\/2026\/03\/Wuhan-Yangtze-River-Skyline-Night-View-Modern-city-skyline-with-illuminated-bridges-and-river-reflections-at-dusk-e1774275544934-768x535.webp 768w, https:\/\/www.thechinajourney.com\/wp-content\/uploads\/2026\/03\/Wuhan-Yangtze-River-Skyline-Night-View-Modern-city-skyline-with-illuminated-bridges-and-river-reflections-at-dusk-e1774275544934-1536x1070.webp 1536w, https:\/\/www.thechinajourney.com\/wp-content\/uploads\/2026\/03\/Wuhan-Yangtze-River-Skyline-Night-View-Modern-city-skyline-with-illuminated-bridges-and-river-reflections-at-dusk-e1774275544934-18x12.webp 18w, https:\/\/www.thechinajourney.com\/wp-content\/uploads\/2026\/03\/Wuhan-Yangtze-River-Skyline-Night-View-Modern-city-skyline-with-illuminated-bridges-and-river-reflections-at-dusk-e1774275544934-150x105.webp 150w\" sizes=\"(max-width: 500px) 100vw, 500px\" \/><\/a><figcaption id=\"caption-attachment-38575\" class=\"wp-caption-text\">Wuhan Yangtze River Skyline Night View<\/figcaption><\/figure><p><a href=\"https:\/\/www.thechinajourney.com\/wuhan-travel-guide\/\">Wuhan<\/a> is the largest city in central China by this ranking. Its population reflects its role as a transport crossroads, education center, and industrial base.<\/p><ul><li><strong>2025 population:<\/strong> 13.86 million<\/li><li><strong>Administrative level:<\/strong> Sub-provincial city; provincial capital<\/li><li><strong>Province \/ region:<\/strong> Hubei Province; central China<\/li><li><strong>Main role:<\/strong> Transport hub, industrial center, education base, and Yangtze River economic node<\/li><li><strong>Why it is large:<\/strong> Its position at the Yangtze-Han river junction, strong universities, manufacturing, healthcare, and logistics support a large population base.<\/li><li><strong>Representative identity:<\/strong> \u201cThoroughfare of nine provinces,\u201d Yellow Crane Tower, and Wuhan Yangtze River Bridge<\/li><\/ul><h3>Tianjin<\/h3><figure id=\"attachment_39995\" aria-describedby=\"caption-attachment-39995\" style=\"width: 500px\" class=\"wp-caption aligncenter\"><a href=\"https:\/\/www.thechinajourney.com\/tianjin-travel-guide\/\"><img decoding=\"async\" class=\"wp-image-39995\" title=\"Tianjin Railway Station Skyline Grand station building with surrounding skyline under warm sunset light in central Tianjin\" src=\"https:\/\/www.thechinajourney.com\/wp-content\/uploads\/2026\/04\/Tianjin-Railway-Station-Skyline-Grand-station-building-with-surrounding-skyline-under-warm-sunset-light-in-central-Tianjin-e1776261134951.webp\" alt=\"Tianjin Railway Station Skyline Grand station building with surrounding skyline under warm sunset light in central Tianjin\" width=\"500\" height=\"296\" srcset=\"https:\/\/www.thechinajourney.com\/wp-content\/uploads\/2026\/04\/Tianjin-Railway-Station-Skyline-Grand-station-building-with-surrounding-skyline-under-warm-sunset-light-in-central-Tianjin-e1776261134951.webp 1827w, https:\/\/www.thechinajourney.com\/wp-content\/uploads\/2026\/04\/Tianjin-Railway-Station-Skyline-Grand-station-building-with-surrounding-skyline-under-warm-sunset-light-in-central-Tianjin-e1776261134951-500x296.webp 500w, https:\/\/www.thechinajourney.com\/wp-content\/uploads\/2026\/04\/Tianjin-Railway-Station-Skyline-Grand-station-building-with-surrounding-skyline-under-warm-sunset-light-in-central-Tianjin-e1776261134951-1024x605.webp 1024w, https:\/\/www.thechinajourney.com\/wp-content\/uploads\/2026\/04\/Tianjin-Railway-Station-Skyline-Grand-station-building-with-surrounding-skyline-under-warm-sunset-light-in-central-Tianjin-e1776261134951-300x177.webp 300w, https:\/\/www.thechinajourney.com\/wp-content\/uploads\/2026\/04\/Tianjin-Railway-Station-Skyline-Grand-station-building-with-surrounding-skyline-under-warm-sunset-light-in-central-Tianjin-e1776261134951-768x454.webp 768w, https:\/\/www.thechinajourney.com\/wp-content\/uploads\/2026\/04\/Tianjin-Railway-Station-Skyline-Grand-station-building-with-surrounding-skyline-under-warm-sunset-light-in-central-Tianjin-e1776261134951-1536x908.webp 1536w, https:\/\/www.thechinajourney.com\/wp-content\/uploads\/2026\/04\/Tianjin-Railway-Station-Skyline-Grand-station-building-with-surrounding-skyline-under-warm-sunset-light-in-central-Tianjin-e1776261134951-18x12.webp 18w, https:\/\/www.thechinajourney.com\/wp-content\/uploads\/2026\/04\/Tianjin-Railway-Station-Skyline-Grand-station-building-with-surrounding-skyline-under-warm-sunset-light-in-central-Tianjin-e1776261134951-150x89.webp 150w\" sizes=\"(max-width: 500px) 100vw, 500px\" \/><\/a><figcaption id=\"caption-attachment-39995\" class=\"wp-caption-text\">Tianjin Railway Station Skyline<\/figcaption><\/figure><p><a href=\"https:\/\/www.thechinajourney.com\/tianjin-travel-guide\/\">Tianjin<\/a> is a major northern port city and one of China\u2019s four municipalities. Its population is now stable, but its industrial and maritime role remains important.<\/p><ul><li><strong>2025 population:<\/strong> 13.63 million<\/li><li><strong>Administrative level:<\/strong> Municipality directly under the central government<\/li><li><strong>Province \/ region:<\/strong> Tianjin Municipality; Beijing-Tianjin-Hebei region<\/li><li><strong>Main role:<\/strong> Northern port gateway, industrial center, and advanced manufacturing base<\/li><li><strong>Why it is large:<\/strong> Its port economy, manufacturing base, petrochemical industries, and proximity to Beijing support its long-term population scale.<\/li><li><strong>Representative identity:<\/strong> Tianjin port culture, crosstalk, Goubuli buns, Five Great Avenues, and concession-era architecture<\/li><\/ul><h3>Xi\u2019an<\/h3><figure id=\"attachment_37773\" aria-describedby=\"caption-attachment-37773\" style=\"width: 500px\" class=\"wp-caption aligncenter\"><a href=\"https:\/\/www.thechinajourney.com\/xian-travel-guide\/\"><img decoding=\"async\" class=\"wp-image-37773\" title=\"Xi\u2019an Bell Tower Sunset \u2013 illuminated historic bell tower surrounded by busy traffic circle at colorful evening skyline\" src=\"https:\/\/www.thechinajourney.com\/wp-content\/uploads\/2026\/03\/Xian-Bell-Tower-Sunset-\u2013-illuminated-historic-bell-tower-surrounded-by-busy-traffic-circle-at-colorful-evening-skyline-e1773325022133.webp\" alt=\"Xi\u2019an Bell Tower Sunset \u2013 illuminated historic bell tower surrounded by busy traffic circle at colorful evening skyline\" width=\"500\" height=\"320\" srcset=\"https:\/\/www.thechinajourney.com\/wp-content\/uploads\/2026\/03\/Xian-Bell-Tower-Sunset-\u2013-illuminated-historic-bell-tower-surrounded-by-busy-traffic-circle-at-colorful-evening-skyline-e1773325022133.webp 1620w, https:\/\/www.thechinajourney.com\/wp-content\/uploads\/2026\/03\/Xian-Bell-Tower-Sunset-\u2013-illuminated-historic-bell-tower-surrounded-by-busy-traffic-circle-at-colorful-evening-skyline-e1773325022133-500x320.webp 500w, https:\/\/www.thechinajourney.com\/wp-content\/uploads\/2026\/03\/Xian-Bell-Tower-Sunset-\u2013-illuminated-historic-bell-tower-surrounded-by-busy-traffic-circle-at-colorful-evening-skyline-e1773325022133-1024x655.webp 1024w, https:\/\/www.thechinajourney.com\/wp-content\/uploads\/2026\/03\/Xian-Bell-Tower-Sunset-\u2013-illuminated-historic-bell-tower-surrounded-by-busy-traffic-circle-at-colorful-evening-skyline-e1773325022133-300x192.webp 300w, https:\/\/www.thechinajourney.com\/wp-content\/uploads\/2026\/03\/Xian-Bell-Tower-Sunset-\u2013-illuminated-historic-bell-tower-surrounded-by-busy-traffic-circle-at-colorful-evening-skyline-e1773325022133-768x492.webp 768w, https:\/\/www.thechinajourney.com\/wp-content\/uploads\/2026\/03\/Xian-Bell-Tower-Sunset-\u2013-illuminated-historic-bell-tower-surrounded-by-busy-traffic-circle-at-colorful-evening-skyline-e1773325022133-1536x983.webp 1536w, https:\/\/www.thechinajourney.com\/wp-content\/uploads\/2026\/03\/Xian-Bell-Tower-Sunset-\u2013-illuminated-historic-bell-tower-surrounded-by-busy-traffic-circle-at-colorful-evening-skyline-e1773325022133-18x12.webp 18w, https:\/\/www.thechinajourney.com\/wp-content\/uploads\/2026\/03\/Xian-Bell-Tower-Sunset-\u2013-illuminated-historic-bell-tower-surrounded-by-busy-traffic-circle-at-colorful-evening-skyline-e1773325022133-150x96.webp 150w\" sizes=\"(max-width: 500px) 100vw, 500px\" \/><\/a><figcaption id=\"caption-attachment-37773\" class=\"wp-caption-text\">Xi\u2019an Bell Tower Sunset<\/figcaption><\/figure><p><a href=\"https:\/\/www.thechinajourney.com\/xian-travel-guide\/\">Xi\u2019an<\/a> is both a historical capital and a modern regional center in northwest China. Its population size is supported by culture, education, industry, and technology.<\/p><ul><li><strong>2025 population:<\/strong> 13.24 million<\/li><li><strong>Administrative level:<\/strong> Sub-provincial city; provincial capital<\/li><li><strong>Province \/ region:<\/strong> Shaanxi Province; northwest China<\/li><li><strong>Main role:<\/strong> Cultural center, education base, aerospace and high-tech industry hub<\/li><li><strong>Why it is large:<\/strong> It concentrates northwest China\u2019s universities, research resources, industrial base, tourism, and regional services.<\/li><li><strong>Representative identity:<\/strong> Terracotta Warriors, ancient capital status, city wall, and Silk Road starting point<\/li><\/ul><h3>Zhengzhou<\/h3><figure id=\"attachment_39580\" aria-describedby=\"caption-attachment-39580\" style=\"width: 500px\" class=\"wp-caption aligncenter\"><a href=\"https:\/\/www.thechinajourney.com\/zhengzhou-travel-guide\/\"><img decoding=\"async\" class=\"wp-image-39580\" title=\"Zhengzhou CBD Night Skyline Illuminated landmark tower reflecting over the water in Zhengzhous modern business district\" src=\"https:\/\/www.thechinajourney.com\/wp-content\/uploads\/2026\/04\/Zhengzhou-CBD-Night-Skyline-Illuminated-landmark-tower-reflecting-over-the-water-in-Zhengzhous-modern-business-district-e1775569638302.webp\" alt=\"Zhengzhou CBD Night Skyline Illuminated landmark tower reflecting over the water in Zhengzhous modern business district\" width=\"500\" height=\"362\" srcset=\"https:\/\/www.thechinajourney.com\/wp-content\/uploads\/2026\/04\/Zhengzhou-CBD-Night-Skyline-Illuminated-landmark-tower-reflecting-over-the-water-in-Zhengzhous-modern-business-district-e1775569638302.webp 1440w, https:\/\/www.thechinajourney.com\/wp-content\/uploads\/2026\/04\/Zhengzhou-CBD-Night-Skyline-Illuminated-landmark-tower-reflecting-over-the-water-in-Zhengzhous-modern-business-district-e1775569638302-500x362.webp 500w, https:\/\/www.thechinajourney.com\/wp-content\/uploads\/2026\/04\/Zhengzhou-CBD-Night-Skyline-Illuminated-landmark-tower-reflecting-over-the-water-in-Zhengzhous-modern-business-district-e1775569638302-1024x741.webp 1024w, https:\/\/www.thechinajourney.com\/wp-content\/uploads\/2026\/04\/Zhengzhou-CBD-Night-Skyline-Illuminated-landmark-tower-reflecting-over-the-water-in-Zhengzhous-modern-business-district-e1775569638302-300x217.webp 300w, https:\/\/www.thechinajourney.com\/wp-content\/uploads\/2026\/04\/Zhengzhou-CBD-Night-Skyline-Illuminated-landmark-tower-reflecting-over-the-water-in-Zhengzhous-modern-business-district-e1775569638302-768x556.webp 768w, https:\/\/www.thechinajourney.com\/wp-content\/uploads\/2026\/04\/Zhengzhou-CBD-Night-Skyline-Illuminated-landmark-tower-reflecting-over-the-water-in-Zhengzhous-modern-business-district-e1775569638302-18x12.webp 18w, https:\/\/www.thechinajourney.com\/wp-content\/uploads\/2026\/04\/Zhengzhou-CBD-Night-Skyline-Illuminated-landmark-tower-reflecting-over-the-water-in-Zhengzhous-modern-business-district-e1775569638302-150x109.webp 150w\" sizes=\"(max-width: 500px) 100vw, 500px\" \/><\/a><figcaption id=\"caption-attachment-39580\" class=\"wp-caption-text\">Zhengzhou CBD Night Skyline<\/figcaption><\/figure><p><a href=\"https:\/\/www.thechinajourney.com\/zhengzhou-travel-guide\/\">Zhengzhou<\/a>\u2019s large population comes from its role as the core city of one of China\u2019s most populous provinces. Its transport position also makes it a major national logistics center.<\/p><ul><li><strong>2025 population:<\/strong> 13.14 million<\/li><li><strong>Administrative level:<\/strong> Provincial capital; national central city<\/li><li><strong>Province \/ region:<\/strong> Henan Province; Central Plains region<\/li><li><strong>Main role:<\/strong> Railway, logistics, aviation, manufacturing, and provincial service center<\/li><li><strong>Why it is large:<\/strong> Henan\u2019s huge population base, Zhengzhou\u2019s provincial capital role, and its national transport network concentrate people and jobs.<\/li><li><strong>Representative identity:<\/strong> Central Plains hub, Zhengzhou East Railway Station, and gateway to Shaolin Temple<\/li><\/ul><h3>Suzhou<\/h3><figure id=\"attachment_39914\" aria-describedby=\"caption-attachment-39914\" style=\"width: 300px\" class=\"wp-caption aligncenter\"><a href=\"https:\/\/www.thechinajourney.com\/suzhou-travel-guide\/\"><img decoding=\"async\" class=\"wp-image-39914\" title=\"Jinji Lake Suzhou Skyline Sunset Modern skyline with iconic Gate of the Orient reflected over lake during colorful sunset\" src=\"https:\/\/www.thechinajourney.com\/wp-content\/uploads\/2026\/04\/Jinji-Lake-Suzhou-Skyline-Sunset-Modern-skyline-with-iconic-Gate-of-the-Orient-reflected-over-lake-during-colorful-sunset-e1776160954274.webp\" alt=\"Jinji Lake Suzhou Skyline Sunset Modern skyline with iconic Gate of the Orient reflected over lake during colorful sunset\" width=\"300\" height=\"387\" srcset=\"https:\/\/www.thechinajourney.com\/wp-content\/uploads\/2026\/04\/Jinji-Lake-Suzhou-Skyline-Sunset-Modern-skyline-with-iconic-Gate-of-the-Orient-reflected-over-lake-during-colorful-sunset-e1776160954274.webp 1080w, https:\/\/www.thechinajourney.com\/wp-content\/uploads\/2026\/04\/Jinji-Lake-Suzhou-Skyline-Sunset-Modern-skyline-with-iconic-Gate-of-the-Orient-reflected-over-lake-during-colorful-sunset-e1776160954274-388x500.webp 388w, https:\/\/www.thechinajourney.com\/wp-content\/uploads\/2026\/04\/Jinji-Lake-Suzhou-Skyline-Sunset-Modern-skyline-with-iconic-Gate-of-the-Orient-reflected-over-lake-during-colorful-sunset-e1776160954274-794x1024.webp 794w, https:\/\/www.thechinajourney.com\/wp-content\/uploads\/2026\/04\/Jinji-Lake-Suzhou-Skyline-Sunset-Modern-skyline-with-iconic-Gate-of-the-Orient-reflected-over-lake-during-colorful-sunset-e1776160954274-233x300.webp 233w, https:\/\/www.thechinajourney.com\/wp-content\/uploads\/2026\/04\/Jinji-Lake-Suzhou-Skyline-Sunset-Modern-skyline-with-iconic-Gate-of-the-Orient-reflected-over-lake-during-colorful-sunset-e1776160954274-768x990.webp 768w, https:\/\/www.thechinajourney.com\/wp-content\/uploads\/2026\/04\/Jinji-Lake-Suzhou-Skyline-Sunset-Modern-skyline-with-iconic-Gate-of-the-Orient-reflected-over-lake-during-colorful-sunset-e1776160954274-9x12.webp 9w, https:\/\/www.thechinajourney.com\/wp-content\/uploads\/2026\/04\/Jinji-Lake-Suzhou-Skyline-Sunset-Modern-skyline-with-iconic-Gate-of-the-Orient-reflected-over-lake-during-colorful-sunset-e1776160954274-150x193.webp 150w\" sizes=\"(max-width: 300px) 100vw, 300px\" \/><\/a><figcaption id=\"caption-attachment-39914\" class=\"wp-caption-text\">Jinji Lake Suzhou Skyline Sunset<\/figcaption><\/figure><p><a href=\"https:\/\/www.thechinajourney.com\/suzhou-travel-guide\/\">Suzhou<\/a> is one of China\u2019s strongest prefecture-level cities. Its large population is driven less by administrative status and more by manufacturing, exports, and deep integration with Shanghai.<\/p><ul><li><strong>2025 population:<\/strong> 13.05 million<\/li><li><strong>Administrative level:<\/strong> Prefecture-level city<\/li><li><strong>Province \/ region:<\/strong> Jiangsu Province; Yangtze River Delta<\/li><li><strong>Main role:<\/strong> Advanced manufacturing center, export economy hub, and cultural tourism city<\/li><li><strong>Why it is large:<\/strong> Strong county-level economies such as Kunshan and Zhangjiagang, dense factories, and industrial parks attract workers and residents.<\/li><li><strong>Representative identity:<\/strong> Classical gardens, canals, water towns, and modern industrial parks<\/li><\/ul><h3>Hangzhou<\/h3><figure id=\"attachment_39892\" aria-describedby=\"caption-attachment-39892\" style=\"width: 500px\" class=\"wp-caption aligncenter\"><a href=\"https:\/\/www.thechinajourney.com\/hangzhou-travel-guide\/\"><img decoding=\"async\" class=\"wp-image-39892\" title=\"Hangzhou East Railway Station Exterior Contemporary transport hub with curved architecture and city skyline at sunset\" src=\"https:\/\/www.thechinajourney.com\/wp-content\/uploads\/2026\/04\/Hangzhou-East-Railway-Station-Exterior-Contemporary-transport-hub-with-curved-architecture-and-city-skyline-at-sunset-e1776084458609.webp\" alt=\"Hangzhou East Railway Station Exterior Contemporary transport hub with curved architecture and city skyline at sunset\" width=\"500\" height=\"358\" srcset=\"https:\/\/www.thechinajourney.com\/wp-content\/uploads\/2026\/04\/Hangzhou-East-Railway-Station-Exterior-Contemporary-transport-hub-with-curved-architecture-and-city-skyline-at-sunset-e1776084458609.webp 1440w, https:\/\/www.thechinajourney.com\/wp-content\/uploads\/2026\/04\/Hangzhou-East-Railway-Station-Exterior-Contemporary-transport-hub-with-curved-architecture-and-city-skyline-at-sunset-e1776084458609-500x358.webp 500w, https:\/\/www.thechinajourney.com\/wp-content\/uploads\/2026\/04\/Hangzhou-East-Railway-Station-Exterior-Contemporary-transport-hub-with-curved-architecture-and-city-skyline-at-sunset-e1776084458609-1024x734.webp 1024w, https:\/\/www.thechinajourney.com\/wp-content\/uploads\/2026\/04\/Hangzhou-East-Railway-Station-Exterior-Contemporary-transport-hub-with-curved-architecture-and-city-skyline-at-sunset-e1776084458609-300x215.webp 300w, https:\/\/www.thechinajourney.com\/wp-content\/uploads\/2026\/04\/Hangzhou-East-Railway-Station-Exterior-Contemporary-transport-hub-with-curved-architecture-and-city-skyline-at-sunset-e1776084458609-768x550.webp 768w, https:\/\/www.thechinajourney.com\/wp-content\/uploads\/2026\/04\/Hangzhou-East-Railway-Station-Exterior-Contemporary-transport-hub-with-curved-architecture-and-city-skyline-at-sunset-e1776084458609-18x12.webp 18w, https:\/\/www.thechinajourney.com\/wp-content\/uploads\/2026\/04\/Hangzhou-East-Railway-Station-Exterior-Contemporary-transport-hub-with-curved-architecture-and-city-skyline-at-sunset-e1776084458609-150x108.webp 150w\" sizes=\"(max-width: 500px) 100vw, 500px\" \/><\/a><figcaption id=\"caption-attachment-39892\" class=\"wp-caption-text\">Hangzhou East Railway Station Exterior<\/figcaption><\/figure><p><a href=\"https:\/\/www.thechinajourney.com\/hangzhou-travel-guide\/\">Hangzhou<\/a> combines digital-economy strength with famous scenic appeal. Its population growth reflects both economic opportunity and quality-of-life attraction.<\/p><ul><li><strong>2025 population:<\/strong> 12.70 million<\/li><li><strong>Administrative level:<\/strong> Sub-provincial city; provincial capital<\/li><li><strong>Province \/ region:<\/strong> Zhejiang Province; Yangtze River Delta<\/li><li><strong>Main role:<\/strong> Digital economy center, e-commerce hub, finance and tourism city<\/li><li><strong>Why it is large:<\/strong> Internet companies, private enterprise, creative industries, and strong urban living conditions attract talent.<\/li><li><strong>Representative identity:<\/strong> West Lake, Alibaba, and the mix of digital economy with classical Chinese scenery<\/li><\/ul><h3>Shijiazhuang<\/h3><figure id=\"attachment_21410\" aria-describedby=\"caption-attachment-21410\" style=\"width: 300px\" class=\"wp-caption aligncenter\"><img decoding=\"async\" class=\"wp-image-21410\" title=\"Night view of Shijiazhuang city with neon lights traffic and tall building showing I \u2764\ufe0f SJZ on its facade\" src=\"https:\/\/www.thechinajourney.com\/wp-content\/uploads\/2025\/04\/Night-view-of-Shijiazhuang-city-with-neon-lights-traffic-and-tall-building-showing-I-\u2764\ufe0f-SJZ-on-its-facade-e1780133706446.webp\" alt=\"Night view of Shijiazhuang city with neon lights traffic and tall building showing I \u2764\ufe0f SJZ on its facade\" width=\"300\" height=\"385\" srcset=\"https:\/\/www.thechinajourney.com\/wp-content\/uploads\/2025\/04\/Night-view-of-Shijiazhuang-city-with-neon-lights-traffic-and-tall-building-showing-I-\u2764\ufe0f-SJZ-on-its-facade-e1780133706446.webp 1080w, https:\/\/www.thechinajourney.com\/wp-content\/uploads\/2025\/04\/Night-view-of-Shijiazhuang-city-with-neon-lights-traffic-and-tall-building-showing-I-\u2764\ufe0f-SJZ-on-its-facade-e1780133706446-390x500.webp 390w, https:\/\/www.thechinajourney.com\/wp-content\/uploads\/2025\/04\/Night-view-of-Shijiazhuang-city-with-neon-lights-traffic-and-tall-building-showing-I-\u2764\ufe0f-SJZ-on-its-facade-e1780133706446-798x1024.webp 798w, https:\/\/www.thechinajourney.com\/wp-content\/uploads\/2025\/04\/Night-view-of-Shijiazhuang-city-with-neon-lights-traffic-and-tall-building-showing-I-\u2764\ufe0f-SJZ-on-its-facade-e1780133706446-234x300.webp 234w, https:\/\/www.thechinajourney.com\/wp-content\/uploads\/2025\/04\/Night-view-of-Shijiazhuang-city-with-neon-lights-traffic-and-tall-building-showing-I-\u2764\ufe0f-SJZ-on-its-facade-e1780133706446-768x986.webp 768w, https:\/\/www.thechinajourney.com\/wp-content\/uploads\/2025\/04\/Night-view-of-Shijiazhuang-city-with-neon-lights-traffic-and-tall-building-showing-I-\u2764\ufe0f-SJZ-on-its-facade-e1780133706446-9x12.webp 9w, https:\/\/www.thechinajourney.com\/wp-content\/uploads\/2025\/04\/Night-view-of-Shijiazhuang-city-with-neon-lights-traffic-and-tall-building-showing-I-\u2764\ufe0f-SJZ-on-its-facade-e1780133706446-150x193.webp 150w\" sizes=\"(max-width: 300px) 100vw, 300px\" \/><figcaption id=\"caption-attachment-21410\" class=\"wp-caption-text\">Night view of Shijiazhuang city<\/figcaption><\/figure><p>Shijiazhuang is a large provincial capital in North China. It is less internationally visible than Beijing or Tianjin, but it plays an important supporting role in the regional urban system.<\/p><ul><li><strong>2025 population:<\/strong> 11.25 million<\/li><li><strong>Administrative level:<\/strong> Provincial capital<\/li><li><strong>Province \/ region:<\/strong> Hebei Province; Beijing-Tianjin-Hebei region<\/li><li><strong>Main role:<\/strong> Railway hub, logistics center, pharmaceutical base, and provincial administration center<\/li><li><strong>Why it is large:<\/strong> As the capital of a populous province, it concentrates transport, industry, services, and government functions.<\/li><li><strong>Representative identity:<\/strong> Often described as a city shaped by railways and North China logistics<\/li><\/ul><h3>Dongguan<\/h3><figure id=\"attachment_22467\" aria-describedby=\"caption-attachment-22467\" style=\"width: 500px\" class=\"wp-caption aligncenter\"><img decoding=\"async\" class=\"wp-image-22467\" title=\"Dongguan\" src=\"https:\/\/www.thechinajourney.com\/wp-content\/uploads\/2025\/05\/Dongguan-e1747036340549.webp\" alt=\"Dongguan\" width=\"500\" height=\"375\" srcset=\"https:\/\/www.thechinajourney.com\/wp-content\/uploads\/2025\/05\/Dongguan-e1747036340549.webp 1080w, https:\/\/www.thechinajourney.com\/wp-content\/uploads\/2025\/05\/Dongguan-e1747036340549-300x225.webp 300w, https:\/\/www.thechinajourney.com\/wp-content\/uploads\/2025\/05\/Dongguan-e1747036340549-1024x768.webp 1024w, https:\/\/www.thechinajourney.com\/wp-content\/uploads\/2025\/05\/Dongguan-e1747036340549-768x576.webp 768w, https:\/\/www.thechinajourney.com\/wp-content\/uploads\/2025\/05\/Dongguan-e1747036340549-16x12.webp 16w, https:\/\/www.thechinajourney.com\/wp-content\/uploads\/2025\/05\/Dongguan-e1747036340549-150x113.webp 150w\" sizes=\"(max-width: 500px) 100vw, 500px\" \/><figcaption id=\"caption-attachment-22467\" class=\"wp-caption-text\">Dongguan<\/figcaption><\/figure><p>Dongguan is a classic example of a manufacturing-driven megacity. It is not a provincial capital, but its industrial base gives it a population scale larger than many capitals.<\/p><ul><li><strong>2025 population:<\/strong> 10.80 million<\/li><li><strong>Administrative level:<\/strong> Prefecture-level city<\/li><li><strong>Province \/ region:<\/strong> Guangdong Province; Greater Bay Area<\/li><li><strong>Main role:<\/strong> Global manufacturing base, supply-chain city, and export economy center<\/li><li><strong>Why it is large:<\/strong> Electronics, clothing, furniture, equipment manufacturing, and factory employment have attracted a large migrant population.<\/li><li><strong>Representative identity:<\/strong> \u201cWorld factory,\u201d Huawei terminal base, and a key manufacturing link between Guangzhou and Shenzhen<\/li><\/ul><h3>Changsha<\/h3><figure id=\"attachment_38070\" aria-describedby=\"caption-attachment-38070\" style=\"width: 500px\" class=\"wp-caption aligncenter\"><a href=\"https:\/\/www.thechinajourney.com\/changsha-travel-guide\/\"><img decoding=\"async\" class=\"wp-image-38070\" title=\"Changsha City Skyline Xiangjiang River Panoramic skyline with bridges spanning river and modern high rise buildings\" src=\"https:\/\/www.thechinajourney.com\/wp-content\/uploads\/2026\/03\/Changsha-City-Skyline-Xiangjiang-River-Panoramic-skyline-with-bridges-spanning-river-and-modern-high-rise-buildings-e1773928523982.webp\" alt=\"Changsha City Skyline Xiangjiang River Panoramic skyline with bridges spanning river and modern high rise buildings\" width=\"500\" height=\"350\" srcset=\"https:\/\/www.thechinajourney.com\/wp-content\/uploads\/2026\/03\/Changsha-City-Skyline-Xiangjiang-River-Panoramic-skyline-with-bridges-spanning-river-and-modern-high-rise-buildings-e1773928523982.webp 1544w, https:\/\/www.thechinajourney.com\/wp-content\/uploads\/2026\/03\/Changsha-City-Skyline-Xiangjiang-River-Panoramic-skyline-with-bridges-spanning-river-and-modern-high-rise-buildings-e1773928523982-500x350.webp 500w, https:\/\/www.thechinajourney.com\/wp-content\/uploads\/2026\/03\/Changsha-City-Skyline-Xiangjiang-River-Panoramic-skyline-with-bridges-spanning-river-and-modern-high-rise-buildings-e1773928523982-1024x716.webp 1024w, https:\/\/www.thechinajourney.com\/wp-content\/uploads\/2026\/03\/Changsha-City-Skyline-Xiangjiang-River-Panoramic-skyline-with-bridges-spanning-river-and-modern-high-rise-buildings-e1773928523982-300x210.webp 300w, https:\/\/www.thechinajourney.com\/wp-content\/uploads\/2026\/03\/Changsha-City-Skyline-Xiangjiang-River-Panoramic-skyline-with-bridges-spanning-river-and-modern-high-rise-buildings-e1773928523982-768x537.webp 768w, https:\/\/www.thechinajourney.com\/wp-content\/uploads\/2026\/03\/Changsha-City-Skyline-Xiangjiang-River-Panoramic-skyline-with-bridges-spanning-river-and-modern-high-rise-buildings-e1773928523982-1536x1074.webp 1536w, https:\/\/www.thechinajourney.com\/wp-content\/uploads\/2026\/03\/Changsha-City-Skyline-Xiangjiang-River-Panoramic-skyline-with-bridges-spanning-river-and-modern-high-rise-buildings-e1773928523982-18x12.webp 18w, https:\/\/www.thechinajourney.com\/wp-content\/uploads\/2026\/03\/Changsha-City-Skyline-Xiangjiang-River-Panoramic-skyline-with-bridges-spanning-river-and-modern-high-rise-buildings-e1773928523982-150x105.webp 150w\" sizes=\"(max-width: 500px) 100vw, 500px\" \/><\/a><figcaption id=\"caption-attachment-38070\" class=\"wp-caption-text\">Changsha City Skyline Xiangjiang River<\/figcaption><\/figure><p><a href=\"https:\/\/www.thechinajourney.com\/changsha-travel-guide\/\">Changsha<\/a> has become one of central China\u2019s most dynamic population growth cities. Its appeal comes from a mix of industry, consumption, culture, and youth-oriented urban life.<\/p><ul><li><strong>2025 population:<\/strong> 10.72 million<\/li><li><strong>Administrative level:<\/strong> Provincial capital<\/li><li><strong>Province \/ region:<\/strong> Hunan Province; central China<\/li><li><strong>Main role:<\/strong> Engineering machinery center, cultural media hub, education base, and consumer city<\/li><li><strong>Why it is large:<\/strong> Strong manufacturing, media industries, food culture, nightlife, and lower living pressure help attract young residents.<\/li><li><strong>Representative identity:<\/strong> Hunan TV, Chayan Yuese, Yuelu Mountain, and a strong \u201cinternet-famous city\u201d image<\/li><\/ul><h3>Qingdao<\/h3><figure id=\"attachment_31120\" aria-describedby=\"caption-attachment-31120\" style=\"width: 500px\" class=\"wp-caption aligncenter\"><a href=\"https:\/\/www.thechinajourney.com\/qingdao-travel-guide\/\"><img decoding=\"async\" class=\"wp-image-31120\" title=\"Seaside Architecture and Blue Ocean at Badaguan Scenic Area, Qingdao\" src=\"https:\/\/www.thechinajourney.com\/wp-content\/uploads\/2025\/09\/Seaside-Architecture-and-Blue-Ocean-at-Badaguan-Scenic-Area-Qingdao-e1776258547337.webp\" alt=\"Seaside Architecture and Blue Ocean at Badaguan Scenic Area, Qingdao\" width=\"500\" height=\"319\" srcset=\"https:\/\/www.thechinajourney.com\/wp-content\/uploads\/2025\/09\/Seaside-Architecture-and-Blue-Ocean-at-Badaguan-Scenic-Area-Qingdao-e1776258547337.webp 1620w, https:\/\/www.thechinajourney.com\/wp-content\/uploads\/2025\/09\/Seaside-Architecture-and-Blue-Ocean-at-Badaguan-Scenic-Area-Qingdao-e1776258547337-500x319.webp 500w, https:\/\/www.thechinajourney.com\/wp-content\/uploads\/2025\/09\/Seaside-Architecture-and-Blue-Ocean-at-Badaguan-Scenic-Area-Qingdao-e1776258547337-1024x654.webp 1024w, https:\/\/www.thechinajourney.com\/wp-content\/uploads\/2025\/09\/Seaside-Architecture-and-Blue-Ocean-at-Badaguan-Scenic-Area-Qingdao-e1776258547337-300x191.webp 300w, https:\/\/www.thechinajourney.com\/wp-content\/uploads\/2025\/09\/Seaside-Architecture-and-Blue-Ocean-at-Badaguan-Scenic-Area-Qingdao-e1776258547337-768x490.webp 768w, https:\/\/www.thechinajourney.com\/wp-content\/uploads\/2025\/09\/Seaside-Architecture-and-Blue-Ocean-at-Badaguan-Scenic-Area-Qingdao-e1776258547337-1536x980.webp 1536w, https:\/\/www.thechinajourney.com\/wp-content\/uploads\/2025\/09\/Seaside-Architecture-and-Blue-Ocean-at-Badaguan-Scenic-Area-Qingdao-e1776258547337-18x12.webp 18w, https:\/\/www.thechinajourney.com\/wp-content\/uploads\/2025\/09\/Seaside-Architecture-and-Blue-Ocean-at-Badaguan-Scenic-Area-Qingdao-e1776258547337-150x96.webp 150w\" sizes=\"(max-width: 500px) 100vw, 500px\" \/><\/a><figcaption id=\"caption-attachment-31120\" class=\"wp-caption-text\">Badaguan Scenic Area, Qingdao<\/figcaption><\/figure><p><a href=\"https:\/\/www.thechinajourney.com\/qingdao-travel-guide\/\">Qingdao<\/a> is one of northern China\u2019s most important coastal cities. Its population is supported by port trade, marine industries, manufacturing, and tourism.<\/p><ul><li><strong>2025 population:<\/strong> 10.52 million<\/li><li><strong>Administrative level:<\/strong> Sub-provincial city<\/li><li><strong>Province \/ region:<\/strong> Shandong Province; Shandong Peninsula<\/li><li><strong>Main role:<\/strong> Port city, maritime trade hub, manufacturing center, and coastal tourism destination<\/li><li><strong>Why it is large:<\/strong> Its deep-water port, marine economy, industrial base, and livable coastal environment support steady population growth.<\/li><li><strong>Representative identity:<\/strong> Beer, beaches, German-style architecture, Badaguan, and Laoshan<\/li><\/ul><h3>Hefei<\/h3><figure id=\"attachment_39622\" aria-describedby=\"caption-attachment-39622\" style=\"width: 500px\" class=\"wp-caption aligncenter\"><a href=\"https:\/\/www.thechinajourney.com\/hefei-travel-guide\/\"><img decoding=\"async\" class=\"wp-image-39622\" title=\"Swan Lake Viewing Platform Hefei Waterfront deck offers panoramic skyline views across Hefeis scenic urban lake district\" src=\"https:\/\/www.thechinajourney.com\/wp-content\/uploads\/2026\/04\/Swan-Lake-Viewing-Platform-Hefei-Waterfront-deck-offers-panoramic-skyline-views-across-Hefeis-scenic-urban-lake-district-e1775649111441.webp\" alt=\"Swan Lake Viewing Platform Hefei Waterfront deck offers panoramic skyline views across Hefeis scenic urban lake district\" width=\"500\" height=\"346\" srcset=\"https:\/\/www.thechinajourney.com\/wp-content\/uploads\/2026\/04\/Swan-Lake-Viewing-Platform-Hefei-Waterfront-deck-offers-panoramic-skyline-views-across-Hefeis-scenic-urban-lake-district-e1775649111441.webp 1560w, https:\/\/www.thechinajourney.com\/wp-content\/uploads\/2026\/04\/Swan-Lake-Viewing-Platform-Hefei-Waterfront-deck-offers-panoramic-skyline-views-across-Hefeis-scenic-urban-lake-district-e1775649111441-500x346.webp 500w, https:\/\/www.thechinajourney.com\/wp-content\/uploads\/2026\/04\/Swan-Lake-Viewing-Platform-Hefei-Waterfront-deck-offers-panoramic-skyline-views-across-Hefeis-scenic-urban-lake-district-e1775649111441-1024x709.webp 1024w, https:\/\/www.thechinajourney.com\/wp-content\/uploads\/2026\/04\/Swan-Lake-Viewing-Platform-Hefei-Waterfront-deck-offers-panoramic-skyline-views-across-Hefeis-scenic-urban-lake-district-e1775649111441-300x208.webp 300w, https:\/\/www.thechinajourney.com\/wp-content\/uploads\/2026\/04\/Swan-Lake-Viewing-Platform-Hefei-Waterfront-deck-offers-panoramic-skyline-views-across-Hefeis-scenic-urban-lake-district-e1775649111441-768x532.webp 768w, https:\/\/www.thechinajourney.com\/wp-content\/uploads\/2026\/04\/Swan-Lake-Viewing-Platform-Hefei-Waterfront-deck-offers-panoramic-skyline-views-across-Hefeis-scenic-urban-lake-district-e1775649111441-1536x1063.webp 1536w, https:\/\/www.thechinajourney.com\/wp-content\/uploads\/2026\/04\/Swan-Lake-Viewing-Platform-Hefei-Waterfront-deck-offers-panoramic-skyline-views-across-Hefeis-scenic-urban-lake-district-e1775649111441-18x12.webp 18w, https:\/\/www.thechinajourney.com\/wp-content\/uploads\/2026\/04\/Swan-Lake-Viewing-Platform-Hefei-Waterfront-deck-offers-panoramic-skyline-views-across-Hefeis-scenic-urban-lake-district-e1775649111441-150x104.webp 150w\" sizes=\"(max-width: 500px) 100vw, 500px\" \/><\/a><figcaption id=\"caption-attachment-39622\" class=\"wp-caption-text\">Swan Lake Viewing Platform Hefei<\/figcaption><\/figure><p>Hefei crossed the 10-million mark in 2025, making it one of the key new population stories in the ranking. Its growth reflects the rise of inland technology and innovation hubs.<\/p><ul><li><strong>2025 population:<\/strong> 10.00 million<\/li><li><strong>Administrative level:<\/strong> Provincial capital<\/li><li><strong>Province \/ region:<\/strong> Anhui Province; Yangtze River Delta region<\/li><li><strong>Main role:<\/strong> Science and technology center, new energy vehicle hub, research base, and manufacturing city<\/li><li><strong>Why it is large:<\/strong> Artificial intelligence, display technology, new energy vehicles, research institutes, and regional integration have attracted new residents.<\/li><li><strong>Representative identity:<\/strong> Fast-growing science city and one of China\u2019s rising innovation hubs<\/li><\/ul><h3>Wenzhou<\/h3><figure id=\"attachment_21606\" aria-describedby=\"caption-attachment-21606\" style=\"width: 500px\" class=\"wp-caption aligncenter\"><img decoding=\"async\" class=\"wp-image-21606\" title=\"Wenzhou city skyline at dusk with illuminated buildings and a towering skyscraper set against the backdrop of mountains and a colorful sky\" src=\"https:\/\/www.thechinajourney.com\/wp-content\/uploads\/2025\/04\/Wenzhou-city-skyline-at-dusk-with-illuminated-buildings-and-a-towering-skyscraper-set-against-the-backdrop-of-mountains-and-a-colorful-sky-e1780133846262.webp\" alt=\"Wenzhou city skyline at dusk with illuminated buildings and a towering skyscraper set against the backdrop of mountains and a colorful sky\" width=\"500\" height=\"351\" srcset=\"https:\/\/www.thechinajourney.com\/wp-content\/uploads\/2025\/04\/Wenzhou-city-skyline-at-dusk-with-illuminated-buildings-and-a-towering-skyscraper-set-against-the-backdrop-of-mountains-and-a-colorful-sky-e1780133846262.webp 1540w, https:\/\/www.thechinajourney.com\/wp-content\/uploads\/2025\/04\/Wenzhou-city-skyline-at-dusk-with-illuminated-buildings-and-a-towering-skyscraper-set-against-the-backdrop-of-mountains-and-a-colorful-sky-e1780133846262-500x351.webp 500w, https:\/\/www.thechinajourney.com\/wp-content\/uploads\/2025\/04\/Wenzhou-city-skyline-at-dusk-with-illuminated-buildings-and-a-towering-skyscraper-set-against-the-backdrop-of-mountains-and-a-colorful-sky-e1780133846262-1024x718.webp 1024w, https:\/\/www.thechinajourney.com\/wp-content\/uploads\/2025\/04\/Wenzhou-city-skyline-at-dusk-with-illuminated-buildings-and-a-towering-skyscraper-set-against-the-backdrop-of-mountains-and-a-colorful-sky-e1780133846262-300x210.webp 300w, https:\/\/www.thechinajourney.com\/wp-content\/uploads\/2025\/04\/Wenzhou-city-skyline-at-dusk-with-illuminated-buildings-and-a-towering-skyscraper-set-against-the-backdrop-of-mountains-and-a-colorful-sky-e1780133846262-768x539.webp 768w, https:\/\/www.thechinajourney.com\/wp-content\/uploads\/2025\/04\/Wenzhou-city-skyline-at-dusk-with-illuminated-buildings-and-a-towering-skyscraper-set-against-the-backdrop-of-mountains-and-a-colorful-sky-e1780133846262-1536x1077.webp 1536w, https:\/\/www.thechinajourney.com\/wp-content\/uploads\/2025\/04\/Wenzhou-city-skyline-at-dusk-with-illuminated-buildings-and-a-towering-skyscraper-set-against-the-backdrop-of-mountains-and-a-colorful-sky-e1780133846262-18x12.webp 18w, https:\/\/www.thechinajourney.com\/wp-content\/uploads\/2025\/04\/Wenzhou-city-skyline-at-dusk-with-illuminated-buildings-and-a-towering-skyscraper-set-against-the-backdrop-of-mountains-and-a-colorful-sky-e1780133846262-150x105.webp 150w\" sizes=\"(max-width: 500px) 100vw, 500px\" \/><figcaption id=\"caption-attachment-21606\" class=\"wp-caption-text\">Wenzhou city skyline at dusk<\/figcaption><\/figure><p>Wenzhou\u2019s population scale is built on private business, light manufacturing, and a long tradition of entrepreneurship. It is not a provincial capital, but its commercial energy is strong.<\/p><ul><li><strong>2025 population:<\/strong> 9.90 million<\/li><li><strong>Administrative level:<\/strong> Prefecture-level city<\/li><li><strong>Province \/ region:<\/strong> Zhejiang Province; southern Zhejiang coast<\/li><li><strong>Main role:<\/strong> Private economy center, light manufacturing base, coastal commercial city<\/li><li><strong>Why it is large:<\/strong> Footwear, eyewear, small commodities, coastal trade, and Wenzhou\u2019s nationwide business networks support population scale.<\/li><li><strong>Representative identity:<\/strong> Entrepreneurial culture, global Wenzhou merchant networks, and Yandang Mountain<\/li><\/ul><h3>Ningbo<\/h3><figure id=\"attachment_34676\" aria-describedby=\"caption-attachment-34676\" style=\"width: 300px\" class=\"wp-caption aligncenter\"><a href=\"https:\/\/www.thechinajourney.com\/ningbo-travel-guide\/\"><img decoding=\"async\" class=\"wp-image-34676\" title=\"Xikou Tengtou Scenic Area in Ningbo Picturesque traditional village scenery with bridges, water, and ancient architecture in Tengtou, Ningbo\" src=\"https:\/\/www.thechinajourney.com\/wp-content\/uploads\/2025\/12\/Xikou-Tengtou-Scenic-Area-in-Ningbo-Picturesque-traditional-village-scenery-with-bridges-water-and-ancient-architecture-in-Tengtou-Ningbo-e1780133885103.webp\" alt=\"Xikou Tengtou Scenic Area in Ningbo Picturesque traditional village scenery with bridges, water, and ancient architecture in Tengtou, Ningbo\" width=\"300\" height=\"386\" srcset=\"https:\/\/www.thechinajourney.com\/wp-content\/uploads\/2025\/12\/Xikou-Tengtou-Scenic-Area-in-Ningbo-Picturesque-traditional-village-scenery-with-bridges-water-and-ancient-architecture-in-Tengtou-Ningbo-e1780133885103.webp 1080w, https:\/\/www.thechinajourney.com\/wp-content\/uploads\/2025\/12\/Xikou-Tengtou-Scenic-Area-in-Ningbo-Picturesque-traditional-village-scenery-with-bridges-water-and-ancient-architecture-in-Tengtou-Ningbo-e1780133885103-388x500.webp 388w, https:\/\/www.thechinajourney.com\/wp-content\/uploads\/2025\/12\/Xikou-Tengtou-Scenic-Area-in-Ningbo-Picturesque-traditional-village-scenery-with-bridges-water-and-ancient-architecture-in-Tengtou-Ningbo-e1780133885103-796x1024.webp 796w, https:\/\/www.thechinajourney.com\/wp-content\/uploads\/2025\/12\/Xikou-Tengtou-Scenic-Area-in-Ningbo-Picturesque-traditional-village-scenery-with-bridges-water-and-ancient-architecture-in-Tengtou-Ningbo-e1780133885103-233x300.webp 233w, https:\/\/www.thechinajourney.com\/wp-content\/uploads\/2025\/12\/Xikou-Tengtou-Scenic-Area-in-Ningbo-Picturesque-traditional-village-scenery-with-bridges-water-and-ancient-architecture-in-Tengtou-Ningbo-e1780133885103-768x988.webp 768w, https:\/\/www.thechinajourney.com\/wp-content\/uploads\/2025\/12\/Xikou-Tengtou-Scenic-Area-in-Ningbo-Picturesque-traditional-village-scenery-with-bridges-water-and-ancient-architecture-in-Tengtou-Ningbo-e1780133885103-9x12.webp 9w, https:\/\/www.thechinajourney.com\/wp-content\/uploads\/2025\/12\/Xikou-Tengtou-Scenic-Area-in-Ningbo-Picturesque-traditional-village-scenery-with-bridges-water-and-ancient-architecture-in-Tengtou-Ningbo-e1780133885103-150x193.webp 150w\" sizes=\"(max-width: 300px) 100vw, 300px\" \/><\/a><figcaption id=\"caption-attachment-34676\" class=\"wp-caption-text\">Xikou Tengtou Scenic Area in Ningbo<\/figcaption><\/figure><p><a href=\"https:\/\/www.thechinajourney.com\/ningbo-travel-guide\/\">Ningbo<\/a> is one of China\u2019s major port and manufacturing cities. Its population reflects strong trade, industry, and Yangtze River Delta integration rather than provincial-capital status.<\/p><ul><li><strong>2025 population:<\/strong> 9.83 million<\/li><li><strong>Administrative level:<\/strong> Sub-provincial city<\/li><li><strong>Province \/ region:<\/strong> Zhejiang Province; Yangtze River Delta<\/li><li><strong>Main role:<\/strong> Port logistics center, manufacturing base, foreign trade hub, and private economy city<\/li><li><strong>Why it is large:<\/strong> Port activity, petrochemicals, auto parts, manufacturing, and commercial links with the Yangtze River Delta support its population.<\/li><li><strong>Representative identity:<\/strong> Powerful coastal port city with deep commercial roots<\/li><\/ul><h3>Foshan<\/h3><figure id=\"attachment_39336\" aria-describedby=\"caption-attachment-39336\" style=\"width: 500px\" class=\"wp-caption aligncenter\"><a href=\"https:\/\/www.thechinajourney.com\/foshan-travel-guide\/\"><img decoding=\"async\" class=\"wp-image-39336\" title=\"Foshan Asia Arts Park Lake Sunset View Golden sky reflecting on water with city skyline and tranquil evening atmosphere\" src=\"https:\/\/www.thechinajourney.com\/wp-content\/uploads\/2026\/04\/Foshan-Asia-Arts-Park-Lake-Sunset-View-Golden-sky-reflecting-on-water-with-city-skyline-and-tranquil-evening-atmosphere-e1775272476649.webp\" alt=\"Foshan Asia Arts Park Lake Sunset View Golden sky reflecting on water with city skyline and tranquil evening atmosphere\" width=\"500\" height=\"293\" srcset=\"https:\/\/www.thechinajourney.com\/wp-content\/uploads\/2026\/04\/Foshan-Asia-Arts-Park-Lake-Sunset-View-Golden-sky-reflecting-on-water-with-city-skyline-and-tranquil-evening-atmosphere-e1775272476649.webp 1843w, https:\/\/www.thechinajourney.com\/wp-content\/uploads\/2026\/04\/Foshan-Asia-Arts-Park-Lake-Sunset-View-Golden-sky-reflecting-on-water-with-city-skyline-and-tranquil-evening-atmosphere-e1775272476649-500x293.webp 500w, https:\/\/www.thechinajourney.com\/wp-content\/uploads\/2026\/04\/Foshan-Asia-Arts-Park-Lake-Sunset-View-Golden-sky-reflecting-on-water-with-city-skyline-and-tranquil-evening-atmosphere-e1775272476649-1024x600.webp 1024w, https:\/\/www.thechinajourney.com\/wp-content\/uploads\/2026\/04\/Foshan-Asia-Arts-Park-Lake-Sunset-View-Golden-sky-reflecting-on-water-with-city-skyline-and-tranquil-evening-atmosphere-e1775272476649-300x176.webp 300w, https:\/\/www.thechinajourney.com\/wp-content\/uploads\/2026\/04\/Foshan-Asia-Arts-Park-Lake-Sunset-View-Golden-sky-reflecting-on-water-with-city-skyline-and-tranquil-evening-atmosphere-e1775272476649-768x450.webp 768w, https:\/\/www.thechinajourney.com\/wp-content\/uploads\/2026\/04\/Foshan-Asia-Arts-Park-Lake-Sunset-View-Golden-sky-reflecting-on-water-with-city-skyline-and-tranquil-evening-atmosphere-e1775272476649-1536x900.webp 1536w, https:\/\/www.thechinajourney.com\/wp-content\/uploads\/2026\/04\/Foshan-Asia-Arts-Park-Lake-Sunset-View-Golden-sky-reflecting-on-water-with-city-skyline-and-tranquil-evening-atmosphere-e1775272476649-18x12.webp 18w, https:\/\/www.thechinajourney.com\/wp-content\/uploads\/2026\/04\/Foshan-Asia-Arts-Park-Lake-Sunset-View-Golden-sky-reflecting-on-water-with-city-skyline-and-tranquil-evening-atmosphere-e1775272476649-150x88.webp 150w\" sizes=\"(max-width: 500px) 100vw, 500px\" \/><\/a><figcaption id=\"caption-attachment-39336\" class=\"wp-caption-text\">Foshan Asia Arts Park Lake Sunset View<\/figcaption><\/figure><p><a href=\"https:\/\/www.thechinajourney.com\/foshan-travel-guide\/\">Foshan<\/a> is a major manufacturing city closely tied to Guangzhou and the Greater Bay Area. Its population reflects strong private industry and dense urban-industrial development.<\/p><ul><li><strong>2025 population:<\/strong> 9.79 million<\/li><li><strong>Administrative level:<\/strong> Prefecture-level city<\/li><li><strong>Province \/ region:<\/strong> Guangdong Province; Greater Bay Area<\/li><li><strong>Main role:<\/strong> Manufacturing center, private economy city, and Pearl River Delta industrial base<\/li><li><strong>Why it is large:<\/strong> Home appliances, ceramics, furniture, metal processing, and integration with Guangzhou support jobs and population.<\/li><li><strong>Representative identity:<\/strong> Lingnan culture, martial arts heritage, Cantonese food, and one of China\u2019s strongest manufacturing economies<\/li><\/ul><h2>Why Chongqing Ranks as China\u2019s Largest City<\/h2><p>Chongqing ranks first in this list because \u201clargest\u201d here means permanent resident population within the full administrative city boundary. In 2025, Chongqing had 31.8726 million permanent residents, but that figure covers far more than the central urban area. Chongqing is a directly administered municipality with an administrative area of about 82,400 square kilometers, making it closer to a province-sized region than a normal city in many countries.<\/p><ul><li><strong>Administrative size:<\/strong> Chongqing includes central urban districts, outer districts, counties, autonomous counties, mountains, rural areas, and smaller towns across a vast area.<\/li><li><strong>Population definition:<\/strong> The 31.8726 million figure counts permanent residents across the whole municipality, not only people living in the built-up urban core.<\/li><li><strong>Common misunderstanding:<\/strong> Chongqing ranking first does not mean its city center is larger, denser, or more urbanized than Shanghai, Beijing, or Shenzhen.<\/li><li><strong>Correct interpretation:<\/strong> Under the full administrative population standard, Chongqing is China\u2019s largest city; under built-up urban area or urban-core density standards, the ranking would look different.<\/li><li><strong>Regional importance:<\/strong> Even with this statistical caveat, Chongqing is still one of western China\u2019s most important hubs, an upper Yangtze River economic center, and one of the two core cities in the Chengdu-Chongqing Economic Circle.<\/li><\/ul><h2>Population Growth and Decline Patterns in 2025<\/h2><p>The 2025 data shows a clear split between fast-growing industrial and innovation cities, stable major centers, and large administrative cities facing slower growth or slight decline.<\/p><div style=\"overflow-x: auto; max-width: 100%; max-height: 500px;\"><table border=\"1\" width=\"100%\" cellspacing=\"0\" cellpadding=\"8\"><thead><tr><th>Pattern<\/th><th>Example Cities<\/th><th>What It Suggests<\/th><\/tr><\/thead><tbody><tr><td>Strong population gain<\/td><td>Shenzhen, Dongguan, Hefei<\/td><td>Industry, technology, manufacturing, and job opportunities remain strong population magnets.<\/td><\/tr><tr><td>Stable large-city attraction<\/td><td>Shanghai, Chengdu, Guangzhou, Hangzhou, Suzhou<\/td><td>Major economic centers still attract residents, even when growth is no longer explosive.<\/td><\/tr><tr><td>New 10-million city<\/td><td>Hefei<\/td><td>Hefei\u2019s rise reflects the growing pull of inland innovation hubs and Yangtze River Delta integration.<\/td><\/tr><tr><td>Slight decline<\/td><td>Chongqing, Beijing, Tianjin<\/td><td>Decline can reflect policy adjustment, population control, statistical changes, or demographic pressure.<\/td><\/tr><tr><td>Traditional large-area cities under pressure<\/td><td>Nanyang, Weifang<\/td><td>Population may be shifting from broad administrative cities toward stronger provincial capitals and economic hubs.<\/td><\/tr><\/tbody><\/table><\/div><p>Shenzhen recorded the strongest increase among the listed cities, growing by about 259,000 people. Dongguan added about 229,600 residents, while Hefei grew by about 149,000 and crossed the 10-million mark. Guangzhou, Changsha, Jinan, Hangzhou, Qingdao, Xi\u2019an, Suzhou, and Chengdu also grew.<\/p><p>Decline does not automatically mean urban decline. For Beijing and Tianjin, population control, industrial upgrading, and regional redistribution may matter. For Nanyang and Weifang, the decline may reflect migration from traditional population-heavy areas toward stronger regional hubs.<\/p><h2>Regional Distribution of China\u2019s Largest Cities<\/h2><p>China\u2019s largest cities are not spread evenly across the country. They cluster around the strongest economic belts, coastal regions, major river corridors, and powerful provincial capitals. This pattern broadly matches China\u2019s population geography: the east, southeast coast, Yangtze River corridor, and major inland hubs carry far more population weight than the west and far northwest.<\/p><ul><li><strong>Yangtze River Delta:<\/strong> Shanghai, Suzhou, Hangzhou, Ningbo, Nanjing, Wenzhou, and Jinhua show the region\u2019s dense urban network, strong private economy, advanced manufacturing, and high city-to-city integration.<\/li><li><strong>Greater Bay Area \/ Pearl River Delta:<\/strong> Guangzhou, Shenzhen, Dongguan, and Foshan form one of China\u2019s strongest population and industrial clusters, driven by manufacturing, technology, trade, and cross-border links.<\/li><li><strong>Chengdu-Chongqing region:<\/strong> Chongqing and Chengdu both exceed 20 million residents, making this western urban region one of China\u2019s most important growth poles.<\/li><li><strong>Central China:<\/strong> Wuhan, Zhengzhou, Changsha, and Hefei show the rise of strong inland provincial capitals with transport, education, manufacturing, and technology functions.<\/li><li><strong>Shandong Peninsula:<\/strong> Qingdao, Jinan, and Weifang reflect Shandong\u2019s large population base and relatively balanced city system.<\/li><li><strong>North and Northeast China:<\/strong> Beijing, Tianjin, Shijiazhuang, Shenyang, and Changchun remain important regional centers, though growth is generally more moderate than in the south and east.<\/li><li><strong>Main pattern:<\/strong> China\u2019s largest cities concentrate in eastern China, coastal city clusters, the Yangtze River corridor, and major inland provincial capitals. The Heihe-Tengchong Line helps explain this broad divide: most of China\u2019s population and biggest cities sit to its southeast.<\/li><\/ul><h2>What These Population Rankings Do Not Mean<\/h2><p>This ranking is useful, but only if it is read correctly. A high population rank means a city has a large permanent resident population within its full administrative boundary. It does not automatically mean the city has the biggest urban core, the strongest economy, the highest density, or the best travel value.<\/p><ul><li><strong>Not urban core size:<\/strong> A city such as Chongqing ranks very high partly because its administrative area is huge. Its central built-up area is not necessarily larger than Shanghai, Beijing, Shenzhen, or Guangzhou.<\/li><li><strong>Not economic ranking:<\/strong> Population size is different from GDP, income level, innovation strength, or business influence. Smaller-area cities such as Shenzhen, Suzhou, and Hangzhou can be economically stronger than many higher-ranked population cities.<\/li><li><strong>Not travel ranking:<\/strong> A large population does not make a city more attractive to travelers. Tourism value depends on history, scenery, food, culture, transport, and visitor experience.<\/li><li><strong>Not density ranking:<\/strong> Population density depends on both population and land area. Compact cities such as Shanghai and Shenzhen can feel much denser than large-area cities with rural counties.<\/li><li><strong>Not metro area ranking:<\/strong> This list is not a metropolitan-area ranking. A metro area includes nearby commuter-linked cities and may show a different picture of a city\u2019s real economic reach.<\/li><li><strong>Best way to read the list:<\/strong> Treat this ranking as an official snapshot of administrative permanent population. It helps explain China\u2019s urban system, but it should not be used alone to judge economic power, travel appeal, density, or global city status.<\/li><\/ul><h3>A Quick Note for Travelers<\/h3><p>Population size is not a reliable guide for planning a China trip. Large cities such as Nanyang, Weifang, and Shijiazhuang may rank high by administrative population, but they are usually not first-choice destinations for most international travelers. Visitors more often prioritize Beijing, Shanghai, Xi\u2019an, Chengdu, Chongqing, Guangzhou, Hangzhou, Suzhou, and Shenzhen because they offer stronger landmark density, easier routes, famous food, or clearer cultural value. For broader route planning, use our <a href=\"https:\/\/www.thechinajourney.com\/china-travel-guide\/\">China Travel Guide<\/a>.<\/p><h2>FAQs About China\u2019s Largest Cities by Population<\/h2>\t\t\t\t\t\t\t\t<\/div>\n\t\t\t\t<\/div>\n\t\t\t\t<div class=\"elementor-element elementor-element-069e30a elementor-widget elementor-widget-n-accordion\" data-id=\"069e30a\" data-element_type=\"widget\" data-e-type=\"widget\" data-settings=\"{&quot;max_items_expended&quot;:&quot;multiple&quot;,&quot;default_state&quot;:&quot;expanded&quot;,&quot;n_accordion_animation_duration&quot;:{&quot;unit&quot;:&quot;ms&quot;,&quot;size&quot;:400,&quot;sizes&quot;:[]}}\" data-widget_type=\"nested-accordion.default\">\n\t\t\t\t<div class=\"elementor-widget-container\">\n\t\t\t\t\t\t\t<div class=\"e-n-accordion\" aria-label=\"Accordion. Open links with Enter or Space, close with Escape, and navigate with Arrow Keys\">\n\t\t\t\t\t\t<details id=\"e-n-accordion-item-6930\" class=\"e-n-accordion-item\" open>\n\t\t\t\t<summary class=\"e-n-accordion-item-title\" data-accordion-index=\"1\" tabindex=\"0\" aria-expanded=\"true\" aria-controls=\"e-n-accordion-item-6930\" >\n\t\t\t\t\t<span class='e-n-accordion-item-title-header'><div class=\"e-n-accordion-item-title-text\"> What is the largest city in China by population? <\/div><\/span>\n\t\t\t\t\t\t\t<span class='e-n-accordion-item-title-icon'>\n\t\t\t<span class='e-opened' ><svg aria-hidden=\"true\" class=\"e-font-icon-svg e-fas-angle-up\" viewBox=\"0 0 320 512\" xmlns=\"http:\/\/www.w3.org\/2000\/svg\"><path d=\"M177 159.7l136 136c9.4 9.4 9.4 24.6 0 33.9l-22.6 22.6c-9.4 9.4-24.6 9.4-33.9 0L160 255.9l-96.4 96.4c-9.4 9.4-24.6 9.4-33.9 0L7 329.7c-9.4-9.4-9.4-24.6 0-33.9l136-136c9.4-9.5 24.6-9.5 34-.1z\"><\/path><\/svg><\/span>\n\t\t\t<span class='e-closed'><svg aria-hidden=\"true\" class=\"e-font-icon-svg e-fas-angle-down\" viewBox=\"0 0 320 512\" xmlns=\"http:\/\/www.w3.org\/2000\/svg\"><path d=\"M143 352.3L7 216.3c-9.4-9.4-9.4-24.6 0-33.9l22.6-22.6c9.4-9.4 24.6-9.4 33.9 0l96.4 96.4 96.4-96.4c9.4-9.4 24.6-9.4 33.9 0l22.6 22.6c9.4 9.4 9.4 24.6 0 33.9l-136 136c-9.2 9.4-24.4 9.4-33.8 0z\"><\/path><\/svg><\/span>\n\t\t<\/span>\n\n\t\t\t\t\t\t<\/summary>\n\t\t\t\t<div role=\"region\" aria-labelledby=\"e-n-accordion-item-6930\" class=\"elementor-element elementor-element-fda93c9 e-con-full e-flex e-con e-child\" data-id=\"fda93c9\" data-element_type=\"container\" data-e-type=\"container\">\n\t\t\t\t<div class=\"elementor-element elementor-element-a4e244a elementor-widget elementor-widget-text-editor\" data-id=\"a4e244a\" data-element_type=\"widget\" data-e-type=\"widget\" data-widget_type=\"text-editor.default\">\n\t\t\t\t<div class=\"elementor-widget-container\">\n\t\t\t\t\t\t\t\t\t<p class=\"p1\">Under the 2025 year-end permanent resident population standard, Chongqing is the largest city among Chinese cities with published official 2025 data. Its permanent resident population was 31.8726 million. This figure counts the full administrative municipality, including central urban districts, outer districts, counties, rural areas, mountains, and smaller towns.<\/p>\t\t\t\t\t\t\t\t<\/div>\n\t\t\t\t<\/div>\n\t\t\t\t<\/div>\n\t\t\t\t\t<\/details>\n\t\t\t\t\t\t<details id=\"e-n-accordion-item-6931\" class=\"e-n-accordion-item\" >\n\t\t\t\t<summary class=\"e-n-accordion-item-title\" data-accordion-index=\"2\" tabindex=\"-1\" aria-expanded=\"false\" aria-controls=\"e-n-accordion-item-6931\" >\n\t\t\t\t\t<span class='e-n-accordion-item-title-header'><div class=\"e-n-accordion-item-title-text\"> Is Chongqing really bigger than Shanghai? <\/div><\/span>\n\t\t\t\t\t\t\t<span class='e-n-accordion-item-title-icon'>\n\t\t\t<span class='e-opened' ><svg aria-hidden=\"true\" class=\"e-font-icon-svg e-fas-angle-up\" viewBox=\"0 0 320 512\" xmlns=\"http:\/\/www.w3.org\/2000\/svg\"><path d=\"M177 159.7l136 136c9.4 9.4 9.4 24.6 0 33.9l-22.6 22.6c-9.4 9.4-24.6 9.4-33.9 0L160 255.9l-96.4 96.4c-9.4 9.4-24.6 9.4-33.9 0L7 329.7c-9.4-9.4-9.4-24.6 0-33.9l136-136c9.4-9.5 24.6-9.5 34-.1z\"><\/path><\/svg><\/span>\n\t\t\t<span class='e-closed'><svg aria-hidden=\"true\" class=\"e-font-icon-svg e-fas-angle-down\" viewBox=\"0 0 320 512\" xmlns=\"http:\/\/www.w3.org\/2000\/svg\"><path d=\"M143 352.3L7 216.3c-9.4-9.4-9.4-24.6 0-33.9l22.6-22.6c9.4-9.4 24.6-9.4 33.9 0l96.4 96.4 96.4-96.4c9.4-9.4 24.6-9.4 33.9 0l22.6 22.6c9.4 9.4 9.4 24.6 0 33.9l-136 136c-9.2 9.4-24.4 9.4-33.8 0z\"><\/path><\/svg><\/span>\n\t\t<\/span>\n\n\t\t\t\t\t\t<\/summary>\n\t\t\t\t<div role=\"region\" aria-labelledby=\"e-n-accordion-item-6931\" class=\"elementor-element elementor-element-8ba5195 e-con-full e-flex e-con e-child\" data-id=\"8ba5195\" data-element_type=\"container\" data-e-type=\"container\">\n\t\t\t\t<div class=\"elementor-element elementor-element-771b842 elementor-widget elementor-widget-text-editor\" data-id=\"771b842\" data-element_type=\"widget\" data-e-type=\"widget\" data-widget_type=\"text-editor.default\">\n\t\t\t\t<div class=\"elementor-widget-container\">\n\t\t\t\t\t\t\t\t\t<p class=\"p1\">It depends on the definition of \u201cbigger.\u201d Chongqing is larger than Shanghai by full administrative permanent population, but this does not mean its urban core is larger or denser. Chongqing covers about 82,400 square kilometers, while Shanghai is much more compact. Under built-up urban area, density, or core-city standards, Shanghai may look larger or more urbanized.<\/p>\t\t\t\t\t\t\t\t<\/div>\n\t\t\t\t<\/div>\n\t\t\t\t<\/div>\n\t\t\t\t\t<\/details>\n\t\t\t\t\t\t<details id=\"e-n-accordion-item-6932\" class=\"e-n-accordion-item\" >\n\t\t\t\t<summary class=\"e-n-accordion-item-title\" data-accordion-index=\"3\" tabindex=\"-1\" aria-expanded=\"false\" aria-controls=\"e-n-accordion-item-6932\" >\n\t\t\t\t\t<span class='e-n-accordion-item-title-header'><div class=\"e-n-accordion-item-title-text\"> What are the top 5 largest cities in China? <\/div><\/span>\n\t\t\t\t\t\t\t<span class='e-n-accordion-item-title-icon'>\n\t\t\t<span class='e-opened' ><svg aria-hidden=\"true\" class=\"e-font-icon-svg e-fas-angle-up\" viewBox=\"0 0 320 512\" xmlns=\"http:\/\/www.w3.org\/2000\/svg\"><path d=\"M177 159.7l136 136c9.4 9.4 9.4 24.6 0 33.9l-22.6 22.6c-9.4 9.4-24.6 9.4-33.9 0L160 255.9l-96.4 96.4c-9.4 9.4-24.6 9.4-33.9 0L7 329.7c-9.4-9.4-9.4-24.6 0-33.9l136-136c9.4-9.5 24.6-9.5 34-.1z\"><\/path><\/svg><\/span>\n\t\t\t<span class='e-closed'><svg aria-hidden=\"true\" class=\"e-font-icon-svg e-fas-angle-down\" viewBox=\"0 0 320 512\" xmlns=\"http:\/\/www.w3.org\/2000\/svg\"><path d=\"M143 352.3L7 216.3c-9.4-9.4-9.4-24.6 0-33.9l22.6-22.6c9.4-9.4 24.6-9.4 33.9 0l96.4 96.4 96.4-96.4c9.4-9.4 24.6-9.4 33.9 0l22.6 22.6c9.4 9.4 9.4 24.6 0 33.9l-136 136c-9.2 9.4-24.4 9.4-33.8 0z\"><\/path><\/svg><\/span>\n\t\t<\/span>\n\n\t\t\t\t\t\t<\/summary>\n\t\t\t\t<div role=\"region\" aria-labelledby=\"e-n-accordion-item-6932\" class=\"elementor-element elementor-element-370eb32 e-con-full e-flex e-con e-child\" data-id=\"370eb32\" data-element_type=\"container\" data-e-type=\"container\">\n\t\t\t\t<div class=\"elementor-element elementor-element-38132d0 elementor-widget elementor-widget-text-editor\" data-id=\"38132d0\" data-element_type=\"widget\" data-e-type=\"widget\" data-widget_type=\"text-editor.default\">\n\t\t\t\t<div class=\"elementor-widget-container\">\n\t\t\t\t\t\t\t\t\t<p class=\"p1\">Based on currently published official 2025 year-end permanent resident population data, the top five are Chongqing, Shanghai, Beijing, Chengdu, and Guangzhou. Chongqing ranks first with 31.8726 million people, followed by Shanghai with 24.8541 million, Beijing with 21.8000 million, Chengdu with 21.5350 million, and Guangzhou with 19.1010 million.<\/p>\t\t\t\t\t\t\t\t<\/div>\n\t\t\t\t<\/div>\n\t\t\t\t<\/div>\n\t\t\t\t\t<\/details>\n\t\t\t\t\t\t<details id=\"e-n-accordion-item-6933\" class=\"e-n-accordion-item\" >\n\t\t\t\t<summary class=\"e-n-accordion-item-title\" data-accordion-index=\"4\" tabindex=\"-1\" aria-expanded=\"false\" aria-controls=\"e-n-accordion-item-6933\" >\n\t\t\t\t\t<span class='e-n-accordion-item-title-header'><div class=\"e-n-accordion-item-title-text\"> How many Chinese cities have more than 10 million people? <\/div><\/span>\n\t\t\t\t\t\t\t<span class='e-n-accordion-item-title-icon'>\n\t\t\t<span class='e-opened' ><svg aria-hidden=\"true\" class=\"e-font-icon-svg e-fas-angle-up\" viewBox=\"0 0 320 512\" xmlns=\"http:\/\/www.w3.org\/2000\/svg\"><path d=\"M177 159.7l136 136c9.4 9.4 9.4 24.6 0 33.9l-22.6 22.6c-9.4 9.4-24.6 9.4-33.9 0L160 255.9l-96.4 96.4c-9.4 9.4-24.6 9.4-33.9 0L7 329.7c-9.4-9.4-9.4-24.6 0-33.9l136-136c9.4-9.5 24.6-9.5 34-.1z\"><\/path><\/svg><\/span>\n\t\t\t<span class='e-closed'><svg aria-hidden=\"true\" class=\"e-font-icon-svg e-fas-angle-down\" viewBox=\"0 0 320 512\" xmlns=\"http:\/\/www.w3.org\/2000\/svg\"><path d=\"M143 352.3L7 216.3c-9.4-9.4-9.4-24.6 0-33.9l22.6-22.6c9.4-9.4 24.6-9.4 33.9 0l96.4 96.4 96.4-96.4c9.4-9.4 24.6-9.4 33.9 0l22.6 22.6c9.4 9.4 9.4 24.6 0 33.9l-136 136c-9.2 9.4-24.4 9.4-33.8 0z\"><\/path><\/svg><\/span>\n\t\t<\/span>\n\n\t\t\t\t\t\t<\/summary>\n\t\t\t\t<div role=\"region\" aria-labelledby=\"e-n-accordion-item-6933\" class=\"elementor-element elementor-element-b9ead39 e-con-full e-flex e-con e-child\" data-id=\"b9ead39\" data-element_type=\"container\" data-e-type=\"container\">\n\t\t\t\t<div class=\"elementor-element elementor-element-d832ac5 elementor-widget elementor-widget-text-editor\" data-id=\"d832ac5\" data-element_type=\"widget\" data-e-type=\"widget\" data-widget_type=\"text-editor.default\">\n\t\t\t\t<div class=\"elementor-widget-container\">\n\t\t\t\t\t\t\t\t\t<p class=\"p1\">Based on the published 2025 official data used in this article, 17 listed cities have more than 10 million permanent residents. They range from Chongqing at 31.8726 million to Hefei at 10.0020 million. This number may change when more cities release official 2025 year-end population figures.<\/p>\t\t\t\t\t\t\t\t<\/div>\n\t\t\t\t<\/div>\n\t\t\t\t<\/div>\n\t\t\t\t\t<\/details>\n\t\t\t\t\t\t<details id=\"e-n-accordion-item-6934\" class=\"e-n-accordion-item\" >\n\t\t\t\t<summary class=\"e-n-accordion-item-title\" data-accordion-index=\"5\" tabindex=\"-1\" aria-expanded=\"false\" aria-controls=\"e-n-accordion-item-6934\" >\n\t\t\t\t\t<span class='e-n-accordion-item-title-header'><div class=\"e-n-accordion-item-title-text\"> Why are some large Chinese cities missing from the 2025 ranking? <\/div><\/span>\n\t\t\t\t\t\t\t<span class='e-n-accordion-item-title-icon'>\n\t\t\t<span class='e-opened' ><svg aria-hidden=\"true\" class=\"e-font-icon-svg e-fas-angle-up\" viewBox=\"0 0 320 512\" xmlns=\"http:\/\/www.w3.org\/2000\/svg\"><path d=\"M177 159.7l136 136c9.4 9.4 9.4 24.6 0 33.9l-22.6 22.6c-9.4 9.4-24.6 9.4-33.9 0L160 255.9l-96.4 96.4c-9.4 9.4-24.6 9.4-33.9 0L7 329.7c-9.4-9.4-9.4-24.6 0-33.9l136-136c9.4-9.5 24.6-9.5 34-.1z\"><\/path><\/svg><\/span>\n\t\t\t<span class='e-closed'><svg aria-hidden=\"true\" class=\"e-font-icon-svg e-fas-angle-down\" viewBox=\"0 0 320 512\" xmlns=\"http:\/\/www.w3.org\/2000\/svg\"><path d=\"M143 352.3L7 216.3c-9.4-9.4-9.4-24.6 0-33.9l22.6-22.6c9.4-9.4 24.6-9.4 33.9 0l96.4 96.4 96.4-96.4c9.4-9.4 24.6-9.4 33.9 0l22.6 22.6c9.4 9.4 9.4 24.6 0 33.9l-136 136c-9.2 9.4-24.4 9.4-33.8 0z\"><\/path><\/svg><\/span>\n\t\t<\/span>\n\n\t\t\t\t\t\t<\/summary>\n\t\t\t\t<div role=\"region\" aria-labelledby=\"e-n-accordion-item-6934\" class=\"elementor-element elementor-element-ce341d5 e-con-full e-flex e-con e-child\" data-id=\"ce341d5\" data-element_type=\"container\" data-e-type=\"container\">\n\t\t\t\t<div class=\"elementor-element elementor-element-7200b2f elementor-widget elementor-widget-text-editor\" data-id=\"7200b2f\" data-element_type=\"widget\" data-e-type=\"widget\" data-widget_type=\"text-editor.default\">\n\t\t\t\t<div class=\"elementor-widget-container\">\n\t\t\t\t\t\t\t\t\t<p class=\"p1\">Some major cities are missing because they had not released official, precise 2025 year-end permanent population data by the May 30, 2026 cutoff date. Cities such as Harbin, Baoding, Handan, Xuzhou, and Dalian may be large enough to affect the ranking, but they are excluded here to avoid using media estimates or outdated figures.<\/p>\t\t\t\t\t\t\t\t<\/div>\n\t\t\t\t<\/div>\n\t\t\t\t<\/div>\n\t\t\t\t\t<\/details>\n\t\t\t\t\t\t<details id=\"e-n-accordion-item-6935\" class=\"e-n-accordion-item\" >\n\t\t\t\t<summary class=\"e-n-accordion-item-title\" data-accordion-index=\"6\" tabindex=\"-1\" aria-expanded=\"false\" aria-controls=\"e-n-accordion-item-6935\" >\n\t\t\t\t\t<span class='e-n-accordion-item-title-header'><div class=\"e-n-accordion-item-title-text\"> What is the difference between permanent population and hukou population? <\/div><\/span>\n\t\t\t\t\t\t\t<span class='e-n-accordion-item-title-icon'>\n\t\t\t<span class='e-opened' ><svg aria-hidden=\"true\" class=\"e-font-icon-svg e-fas-angle-up\" viewBox=\"0 0 320 512\" xmlns=\"http:\/\/www.w3.org\/2000\/svg\"><path d=\"M177 159.7l136 136c9.4 9.4 9.4 24.6 0 33.9l-22.6 22.6c-9.4 9.4-24.6 9.4-33.9 0L160 255.9l-96.4 96.4c-9.4 9.4-24.6 9.4-33.9 0L7 329.7c-9.4-9.4-9.4-24.6 0-33.9l136-136c9.4-9.5 24.6-9.5 34-.1z\"><\/path><\/svg><\/span>\n\t\t\t<span class='e-closed'><svg aria-hidden=\"true\" class=\"e-font-icon-svg e-fas-angle-down\" viewBox=\"0 0 320 512\" xmlns=\"http:\/\/www.w3.org\/2000\/svg\"><path d=\"M143 352.3L7 216.3c-9.4-9.4-9.4-24.6 0-33.9l22.6-22.6c9.4-9.4 24.6-9.4 33.9 0l96.4 96.4 96.4-96.4c9.4-9.4 24.6-9.4 33.9 0l22.6 22.6c9.4 9.4 9.4 24.6 0 33.9l-136 136c-9.2 9.4-24.4 9.4-33.8 0z\"><\/path><\/svg><\/span>\n\t\t<\/span>\n\n\t\t\t\t\t\t<\/summary>\n\t\t\t\t<div role=\"region\" aria-labelledby=\"e-n-accordion-item-6935\" class=\"elementor-element elementor-element-6e29fc6 e-con-full e-flex e-con e-child\" data-id=\"6e29fc6\" data-element_type=\"container\" data-e-type=\"container\">\n\t\t\t\t<div class=\"elementor-element elementor-element-c3e8007 elementor-widget elementor-widget-text-editor\" data-id=\"c3e8007\" data-element_type=\"widget\" data-e-type=\"widget\" data-widget_type=\"text-editor.default\">\n\t\t\t\t<div class=\"elementor-widget-container\">\n\t\t\t\t\t\t\t\t\t<p class=\"p1\">Permanent population counts people who actually live in a city for a certain period, usually six months or more, including many migrant residents. Hukou population counts people officially registered in that city\u2019s household registration system. In fast-growing economic cities, permanent population is often more useful because many residents live and work there without local hukou.<\/p>\t\t\t\t\t\t\t\t<\/div>\n\t\t\t\t<\/div>\n\t\t\t\t<\/div>\n\t\t\t\t\t<\/details>\n\t\t\t\t\t\t<details id=\"e-n-accordion-item-6936\" class=\"e-n-accordion-item\" >\n\t\t\t\t<summary class=\"e-n-accordion-item-title\" data-accordion-index=\"7\" tabindex=\"-1\" aria-expanded=\"false\" aria-controls=\"e-n-accordion-item-6936\" >\n\t\t\t\t\t<span class='e-n-accordion-item-title-header'><div class=\"e-n-accordion-item-title-text\"> Are China\u2019s largest cities also the best cities to visit? <\/div><\/span>\n\t\t\t\t\t\t\t<span class='e-n-accordion-item-title-icon'>\n\t\t\t<span class='e-opened' ><svg aria-hidden=\"true\" class=\"e-font-icon-svg e-fas-angle-up\" viewBox=\"0 0 320 512\" xmlns=\"http:\/\/www.w3.org\/2000\/svg\"><path d=\"M177 159.7l136 136c9.4 9.4 9.4 24.6 0 33.9l-22.6 22.6c-9.4 9.4-24.6 9.4-33.9 0L160 255.9l-96.4 96.4c-9.4 9.4-24.6 9.4-33.9 0L7 329.7c-9.4-9.4-9.4-24.6 0-33.9l136-136c9.4-9.5 24.6-9.5 34-.1z\"><\/path><\/svg><\/span>\n\t\t\t<span class='e-closed'><svg aria-hidden=\"true\" class=\"e-font-icon-svg e-fas-angle-down\" viewBox=\"0 0 320 512\" xmlns=\"http:\/\/www.w3.org\/2000\/svg\"><path d=\"M143 352.3L7 216.3c-9.4-9.4-9.4-24.6 0-33.9l22.6-22.6c9.4-9.4 24.6-9.4 33.9 0l96.4 96.4 96.4-96.4c9.4-9.4 24.6-9.4 33.9 0l22.6 22.6c9.4 9.4 9.4 24.6 0 33.9l-136 136c-9.2 9.4-24.4 9.4-33.8 0z\"><\/path><\/svg><\/span>\n\t\t<\/span>\n\n\t\t\t\t\t\t<\/summary>\n\t\t\t\t<div role=\"region\" aria-labelledby=\"e-n-accordion-item-6936\" class=\"elementor-element elementor-element-9acf866 e-con-full e-flex e-con e-child\" data-id=\"9acf866\" data-element_type=\"container\" data-e-type=\"container\">\n\t\t\t\t<div class=\"elementor-element elementor-element-a073ba8 elementor-widget elementor-widget-text-editor\" data-id=\"a073ba8\" data-element_type=\"widget\" data-e-type=\"widget\" data-widget_type=\"text-editor.default\">\n\t\t\t\t<div class=\"elementor-widget-container\">\n\t\t\t\t\t\t\t\t\t<p class=\"p1\">No. The largest cities by population are not automatically the best travel destinations. Travel value depends on history, scenery, food, culture, transport access, landmark density, and route fit. Beijing, Shanghai, Xi\u2019an, Chengdu, Chongqing, Hangzhou, Suzhou, and Guangzhou are often more useful for international travelers than some higher-ranked administrative population cities.<\/p>\t\t\t\t\t\t\t\t<\/div>\n\t\t\t\t<\/div>\n\t\t\t\t<\/div>\n\t\t\t\t\t<\/details>\n\t\t\t\t\t\t<details id=\"e-n-accordion-item-6937\" class=\"e-n-accordion-item\" >\n\t\t\t\t<summary class=\"e-n-accordion-item-title\" data-accordion-index=\"8\" tabindex=\"-1\" aria-expanded=\"false\" aria-controls=\"e-n-accordion-item-6937\" >\n\t\t\t\t\t<span class='e-n-accordion-item-title-header'><div class=\"e-n-accordion-item-title-text\"> Which Chinese cities are growing fastest? <\/div><\/span>\n\t\t\t\t\t\t\t<span class='e-n-accordion-item-title-icon'>\n\t\t\t<span class='e-opened' ><svg aria-hidden=\"true\" class=\"e-font-icon-svg e-fas-angle-up\" viewBox=\"0 0 320 512\" xmlns=\"http:\/\/www.w3.org\/2000\/svg\"><path d=\"M177 159.7l136 136c9.4 9.4 9.4 24.6 0 33.9l-22.6 22.6c-9.4 9.4-24.6 9.4-33.9 0L160 255.9l-96.4 96.4c-9.4 9.4-24.6 9.4-33.9 0L7 329.7c-9.4-9.4-9.4-24.6 0-33.9l136-136c9.4-9.5 24.6-9.5 34-.1z\"><\/path><\/svg><\/span>\n\t\t\t<span class='e-closed'><svg aria-hidden=\"true\" class=\"e-font-icon-svg e-fas-angle-down\" viewBox=\"0 0 320 512\" xmlns=\"http:\/\/www.w3.org\/2000\/svg\"><path d=\"M143 352.3L7 216.3c-9.4-9.4-9.4-24.6 0-33.9l22.6-22.6c9.4-9.4 24.6-9.4 33.9 0l96.4 96.4 96.4-96.4c9.4-9.4 24.6-9.4 33.9 0l22.6 22.6c9.4 9.4 9.4 24.6 0 33.9l-136 136c-9.2 9.4-24.4 9.4-33.8 0z\"><\/path><\/svg><\/span>\n\t\t<\/span>\n\n\t\t\t\t\t\t<\/summary>\n\t\t\t\t<div role=\"region\" aria-labelledby=\"e-n-accordion-item-6937\" class=\"elementor-element elementor-element-aee6dc0 e-con-full e-flex e-con e-child\" data-id=\"aee6dc0\" data-element_type=\"container\" data-e-type=\"container\">\n\t\t\t\t<div class=\"elementor-element elementor-element-78beaf7 elementor-widget elementor-widget-text-editor\" data-id=\"78beaf7\" data-element_type=\"widget\" data-e-type=\"widget\" data-widget_type=\"text-editor.default\">\n\t\t\t\t<div class=\"elementor-widget-container\">\n\t\t\t\t\t\t\t\t\t<p class=\"p1\">Among the cities listed with official 2025 data, Shenzhen, Dongguan, Hefei, Guangzhou, Changsha, and Jinan show some of the strongest population growth. Shenzhen grew by about 259,000 people, Dongguan by about 229,600, and Hefei by about 149,000. These gains reflect strong industry, employment, manufacturing, technology, and regional city-cluster appeal.<\/p>\t\t\t\t\t\t\t\t<\/div>\n\t\t\t\t<\/div>\n\t\t\t\t<\/div>\n\t\t\t\t\t<\/details>\n\t\t\t\t\t<\/div>\n\t\t\t\t\t<script type=\"application\/ld+json\">{\"@context\":\"https:\\\/\\\/schema.org\",\"@type\":\"FAQPage\",\"mainEntity\":[{\"@type\":\"Question\",\"name\":\"What is the largest city in China by population?\",\"acceptedAnswer\":{\"@type\":\"Answer\",\"text\":\"Under the 2025 year-end permanent resident population standard, Chongqing is the largest city among Chinese cities with published official 2025 data. Its permanent resident population was 31.8726 million. This figure counts the full administrative municipality, including central urban districts, outer districts, counties, rural areas, mountains, and smaller towns.\"}},{\"@type\":\"Question\",\"name\":\"Is Chongqing really bigger than Shanghai?\",\"acceptedAnswer\":{\"@type\":\"Answer\",\"text\":\"It depends on the definition of \\u201cbigger.\\u201d Chongqing is larger than Shanghai by full administrative permanent population, but this does not mean its urban core is larger or denser. Chongqing covers about 82,400 square kilometers, while Shanghai is much more compact. Under built-up urban area, density, or core-city standards, Shanghai may look larger or more urbanized.\"}},{\"@type\":\"Question\",\"name\":\"What are the top 5 largest cities in China?\",\"acceptedAnswer\":{\"@type\":\"Answer\",\"text\":\"Based on currently published official 2025 year-end permanent resident population data, the top five are Chongqing, Shanghai, Beijing, Chengdu, and Guangzhou. Chongqing ranks first with 31.8726 million people, followed by Shanghai with 24.8541 million, Beijing with 21.8000 million, Chengdu with 21.5350 million, and Guangzhou with 19.1010 million.\"}},{\"@type\":\"Question\",\"name\":\"How many Chinese cities have more than 10 million people?\",\"acceptedAnswer\":{\"@type\":\"Answer\",\"text\":\"Based on the published 2025 official data used in this article, 17 listed cities have more than 10 million permanent residents. They range from Chongqing at 31.8726 million to Hefei at 10.0020 million. This number may change when more cities release official 2025 year-end population figures.\"}},{\"@type\":\"Question\",\"name\":\"Why are some large Chinese cities missing from the 2025 ranking?\",\"acceptedAnswer\":{\"@type\":\"Answer\",\"text\":\"Some major cities are missing because they had not released official, precise 2025 year-end permanent population data by the May 30, 2026 cutoff date. Cities such as Harbin, Baoding, Handan, Xuzhou, and Dalian may be large enough to affect the ranking, but they are excluded here to avoid using media estimates or outdated figures.\"}},{\"@type\":\"Question\",\"name\":\"What is the difference between permanent population and hukou population?\",\"acceptedAnswer\":{\"@type\":\"Answer\",\"text\":\"Permanent population counts people who actually live in a city for a certain period, usually six months or more, including many migrant residents. Hukou population counts people officially registered in that city\\u2019s household registration system. In fast-growing economic cities, permanent population is often more useful because many residents live and work there without local hukou.\"}},{\"@type\":\"Question\",\"name\":\"Are China\\u2019s largest cities also the best cities to visit?\",\"acceptedAnswer\":{\"@type\":\"Answer\",\"text\":\"No. The largest cities by population are not automatically the best travel destinations. Travel value depends on history, scenery, food, culture, transport access, landmark density, and route fit. Beijing, Shanghai, Xi\\u2019an, Chengdu, Chongqing, Hangzhou, Suzhou, and Guangzhou are often more useful for international travelers than some higher-ranked administrative population cities.\"}},{\"@type\":\"Question\",\"name\":\"Which Chinese cities are growing fastest?\",\"acceptedAnswer\":{\"@type\":\"Answer\",\"text\":\"Among the cities listed with official 2025 data, Shenzhen, Dongguan, Hefei, Guangzhou, Changsha, and Jinan show some of the strongest population growth. Shenzhen grew by about 259,000 people, Dongguan by about 229,600, and Hefei by about 149,000. These gains reflect strong industry, employment, manufacturing, technology, and regional city-cluster appeal.\"}}]}<\/script>\n\t\t\t\t\t\t\t<\/div>\n\t\t\t\t<\/div>\n\t\t\t\t<div class=\"elementor-element elementor-element-be714ff elementor-widget elementor-widget-text-editor\" data-id=\"be714ff\" data-element_type=\"widget\" data-e-type=\"widget\" data-widget_type=\"text-editor.default\">\n\t\t\t\t<div class=\"elementor-widget-container\">\n\t\t\t\t\t\t\t\t\t<h2>Final Thoughts: How to Understand China\u2019s Largest Cities<\/h2>\n<p>This ranking uses 2025 year-end permanent resident population within full administrative boundaries. That standard is important. Chongqing ranking first reflects its vast municipality-level administrative area, not necessarily the largest or densest urban core in China. A different standard, such as built-up urban area, metro population, GDP, or population density, would produce a different ranking.<\/p>\n<p>The real value of this list is not memorizing rank numbers. It helps show how China\u2019s urban system is changing: population continues to concentrate in the Yangtze River Delta, the Greater Bay Area, the Chengdu-Chongqing region, and strong provincial capitals. Some cities are still growing fast, while others are stabilizing or adjusting. As more official data is released, especially for missing cities, the lower part of the ranking may change.<\/p>\n\n<h2>Data Sources for the 2025 Population Ranking<\/h2>\n<p>The ranking is based on 2025 year-end permanent resident population figures published by official statistical bulletins, government data pages, official population releases, and listed source pages available by the cutoff date. The source list below matches the cities included in the ranking.<\/p>\n\n<ul>\n  <li><p><a href=\"http:\/\/wap.cq.gov.cn\/ywdt\/jrcq\/202603\/t20260327_15570016.html\">Chongqing: 2025 Statistical Bulletin<\/a><\/p><\/li>\n  <li><p><a href=\"https:\/\/tjj.sh.gov.cn\/tjgb\/20260330\/e0772941e8e041eaaad2df850b44ef98.html\">Shanghai: 2025 Statistical Bulletin<\/a><\/p><\/li>\n  <li><p><a href=\"https:\/\/www.beijing.gov.cn\/renwen\/bjgk\/rk\/rktj\/202603\/t20260327_4567368.html\">Beijing: Official Population Data Release<\/a><\/p><\/li>\n  <li><p><a href=\"https:\/\/www.chengdu.gov.cn\/cdsrmzf\/c169549\/detail_one.shtml\">Chengdu: 2025 Statistical Bulletin<\/a><\/p><\/li>\n  <li><p><a href=\"https:\/\/www.gz.gov.cn\/zlgz\/gzgk\/rkmz\/\">Guangzhou: Official Population Data Page<\/a><\/p><\/li>\n  <li><p><a href=\"https:\/\/www.sz.gov.cn\/cn\/xxgk\/zfxxgj\/zwdt\/content\/post_12806017.html\">Shenzhen: Official Government Data Release<\/a><\/p><\/li>\n  <li><p><a href=\"https:\/\/tjj.hubei.gov.cn\/tjsj\/tjgb\/ndtjgb\/qstjgb\/202603\/t20260318_5894639.shtml\">Wuhan: Hubei 2025 Statistical Bulletin<\/a><\/p><\/li>\n  <li><p><a href=\"https:\/\/www.tj.gov.cn\/sq\/tjgb\/202603\/t20260327_7271193.html\">Tianjin: 2025 Statistical Bulletin<\/a><\/p><\/li>\n  <li><p><a href=\"https:\/\/tjj.xa.gov.cn\/tjsj\/tjgb\/1.html\">Xi\u2019an: 2025 Statistical Bulletin<\/a><\/p><\/li>\n  <li><p><a href=\"https:\/\/tjj.zhengzhou.gov.cn\/fxtj\/10069073.jhtml\">Zhengzhou: 2025 Statistical Bulletin<\/a><\/p><\/li>\n  <li><p><a href=\"https:\/\/tjj.suzhou.gov.cn\/sztjj\/tjgb\/202604\/3dc4b574cabd4e86b36ec5d3280e927c.shtml\">Suzhou: 2025 Statistical Bulletin<\/a><\/p><\/li>\n  <li><p><a href=\"https:\/\/www.hangzhou.gov.cn\/col\/col812269\/art\/2026\/art_ab24a8fdd8494eb6beffe7673559301d.html\">Hangzhou: 2025 Statistical Bulletin<\/a><\/p><\/li>\n  <li><p><a href=\"https:\/\/www.sjz.gov.cn\/columns\/839b1981-330e-4901-aba5-6c392154ce03\/202605\/26\/06f23d4b-7e86-4109-bd56-5c75925b6e28.html\">Shijiazhuang: Official Government Data Release<\/a><\/p><\/li>\n  <li><p><a href=\"https:\/\/tjj.dg.gov.cn\/gkmlpt\/content\/4\/4537\/post_4537415.html#832\">Dongguan: 2025 Statistical Bulletin<\/a><\/p><\/li>\n  <li><p><a href=\"http:\/\/www.changsha.gov.cn\/szf\/ztzl\/sjfb\/tjgb\/202604\/t20260420_12364158.html\">Changsha: 2025 Statistical Bulletin<\/a><\/p><\/li>\n  <li><p><a href=\"http:\/\/www.qingdao.gov.cn\/yfqd\/qdgk\/rkjk\/202009\/t20200903_66.shtml\">Qingdao: Official Population Data Page<\/a><\/p><\/li>\n  <li><p><a href=\"https:\/\/www.ah.gov.cn\/hfwy\/yxah\/xzqh\/index.html\">Hefei: Official Administrative and Population Data Page<\/a><\/p><\/li>\n  <li><p><a href=\"https:\/\/wztjj.wenzhou.gov.cn\/col\/col1243860\/art\/2026\/art_6b64720d4146465a8c44635883de903a.html\">Wenzhou: 2025 Statistical Bulletin<\/a><\/p><\/li>\n  <li><p><a href=\"https:\/\/tjj.ningbo.gov.cn\/col\/col1229629384\/art\/2026\/art_fd3a0053ea34bff6630b44758b379b05.html\">Ningbo: 2025 Statistical Bulletin<\/a><\/p><\/li>\n  <li><p><a href=\"https:\/\/finance.jrj.com.cn\/2026\/05\/29115057250906.shtml\">Foshan: 2025 Population Data Report Used for Published Population Figure<\/a><\/p><\/li>\n  <li><p><a href=\"http:\/\/tjj.nanjing.gov.cn\/bmfw\/njsj\/202604\/t20260403_5818444.html\">Nanjing: 2025 Statistical Bulletin<\/a><\/p><\/li>\n  <li><p><a href=\"http:\/\/www.jnxc.gov.cn\/show-78-8970-1.html\">Jinan: 2025 Statistical Bulletin<\/a><\/p><\/li>\n  <li><p><a href=\"https:\/\/tj.nanyang.gov.cn\/2026\/04-20\/1398809.html\">Nanyang: 2025 Statistical Bulletin<\/a><\/p><\/li>\n  <li><p><a href=\"https:\/\/tjj.shenyang.gov.cn\/sjfb\/sqfx\/202605\/t20260515_5027160.html\">Shenyang: 2025 Statistical Bulletin<\/a><\/p><\/li>\n  <li><p><a href=\"https:\/\/tjj.weifang.gov.cn\/55356\/1306569853.html\">Weifang: 2025 Statistical Bulletin<\/a><\/p><\/li>\n  <li><p><a href=\"http:\/\/tjj.changchun.gov.cn\/tjgb\/202605\/t20260509_3486019.html\">Changchun: 2025 Statistical Bulletin<\/a><\/p><\/li>\n  <li><p><a href=\"https:\/\/www.nanning.gov.cn\/ywzx\/nnyw\/2026nzwdt\/t6621118.html\">Nanning: Official Population Data Release<\/a><\/p><\/li>\n  <li><p><a href=\"https:\/\/tjj.km.gov.cn\/c\/2026-05-21\/5083313.shtml\">Kunming: 2025 Statistical Bulletin<\/a><\/p><\/li>\n  <li><p><a href=\"https:\/\/www.fuzhou.gov.cn\/zwgk\/tjxx\/ndbg\/202604\/t20260414_5308173.htm\">Fuzhou: 2025 Statistical Bulletin<\/a><\/p><\/li>\n  <li><p><a href=\"http:\/\/tjj.jinhua.gov.cn\/col\/col1229317895\/art\/2026\/art_7bf4836ea4b5443f806fb6046a1cb616.html\">Jinhua: 2025 Statistical Bulletin<\/a><\/p><\/li>\n<\/ul>\t\t\t\t\t\t\t\t<\/div>\n\t\t\t\t<\/div>\n\t\t\t\t<div class=\"elementor-element elementor-element-5ae3978 elementor-widget elementor-widget-template\" data-id=\"5ae3978\" data-element_type=\"widget\" data-e-type=\"widget\" data-widget_type=\"template.default\">\n\t\t\t\t<div class=\"elementor-widget-container\">\n\t\t\t\t\t\t\t<div class=\"elementor-template\">\n\t\t\t\t\t<div data-elementor-type=\"container\" data-elementor-id=\"29171\" class=\"elementor elementor-29171\" data-elementor-post-type=\"elementor_library\">\n\t\t\t\t<div class=\"elementor-element elementor-element-1cf8455 e-flex e-con-boxed e-con e-parent\" data-id=\"1cf8455\" data-element_type=\"container\" data-e-type=\"container\">\n\t\t\t\t\t<div class=\"e-con-inner\">\n\t\t\t\t<div class=\"elementor-element elementor-element-d4ff235 elementor-widget elementor-widget-heading\" data-id=\"d4ff235\" data-element_type=\"widget\" data-e-type=\"widget\" data-widget_type=\"heading.default\">\n\t\t\t\t<div class=\"elementor-widget-container\">\n\t\t\t\t\t<h2 class=\"elementor-heading-title elementor-size-default\">More China Travel Tips<\/h2>\t\t\t\t<\/div>\n\t\t\t\t<\/div>\n\t\t\t\t<div class=\"elementor-element elementor-element-737b335 elementor-posts--thumbnail-none elementor-grid-tablet-1 elementor-grid-1 elementor-grid-mobile-1 elementor-widget elementor-widget-posts\" data-id=\"737b335\" data-element_type=\"widget\" data-e-type=\"widget\" data-settings=\"{&quot;classic_row_gap&quot;:{&quot;unit&quot;:&quot;px&quot;,&quot;size&quot;:10,&quot;sizes&quot;:[]},&quot;classic_columns_tablet&quot;:&quot;1&quot;,&quot;classic_columns&quot;:&quot;1&quot;,&quot;classic_columns_mobile&quot;:&quot;1&quot;,&quot;classic_row_gap_tablet&quot;:{&quot;unit&quot;:&quot;px&quot;,&quot;size&quot;:&quot;&quot;,&quot;sizes&quot;:[]},&quot;classic_row_gap_mobile&quot;:{&quot;unit&quot;:&quot;px&quot;,&quot;size&quot;:&quot;&quot;,&quot;sizes&quot;:[]}}\" data-widget_type=\"posts.classic\">\n\t\t\t\t<div class=\"elementor-widget-container\">\n\t\t\t\t\t\t\t<div class=\"elementor-posts-container elementor-posts elementor-posts--skin-classic elementor-grid\" role=\"list\">\n\t\t\t\t<article class=\"elementor-post elementor-grid-item post-23210 post type-post status-publish format-standard has-post-thumbnail hentry category-travel-tips tag-guide tag-high-speed-rail tag-travel-tips\" role=\"listitem\">\n\t\t\t\t<div class=\"elementor-post__text\">\n\t\t\t\t<div class=\"elementor-post__title\">\n\t\t\t<a href=\"https:\/\/www.thechinajourney.com\/zh\/chinas-high-speed-rail-hsr\/\" >\n\t\t\t\tChina High-Speed Rail: Tickets, Stations &#038; Travel Tips\t\t\t<\/a>\n\t\t<\/div>\n\t\t\t\t<\/div>\n\t\t\t\t<\/article>\n\t\t\t\t<article class=\"elementor-post elementor-grid-item post-44192 post type-post status-publish format-standard has-post-thumbnail hentry category-travel-guide category-travel-tips tag-transportation tag-travel-insurance tag-travel-tips\" role=\"listitem\">\n\t\t\t\t<div class=\"elementor-post__text\">\n\t\t\t\t<div class=\"elementor-post__title\">\n\t\t\t<a href=\"https:\/\/www.thechinajourney.com\/zh\/china-travel-insurance\/\" >\n\t\t\t\tChina Travel Insurance: What Travelers Need to Know\t\t\t<\/a>\n\t\t<\/div>\n\t\t\t\t<\/div>\n\t\t\t\t<\/article>\n\t\t\t\t<article class=\"elementor-post elementor-grid-item post-36424 post type-post status-publish format-standard has-post-thumbnail hentry category-travel-tips tag-guide tag-travel-guide tag-travel-tips\" role=\"listitem\">\n\t\t\t\t<div class=\"elementor-post__text\">\n\t\t\t\t<div class=\"elementor-post__title\">\n\t\t\t<a href=\"https:\/\/www.thechinajourney.com\/zh\/how-many-cities-are-realistic-for-one-china-trip\/\" >\n\t\t\t\tHow Many Cities Are Realistic for One China Trip\t\t\t<\/a>\n\t\t<\/div>\n\t\t\t\t<\/div>\n\t\t\t\t<\/article>\n\t\t\t\t<article class=\"elementor-post elementor-grid-item post-5979 post type-post status-publish format-standard has-post-thumbnail hentry category-travel-tips tag-guide tag-travel-tips\" role=\"listitem\">\n\t\t\t\t<div class=\"elementor-post__text\">\n\t\t\t\t<div class=\"elementor-post__title\">\n\t\t\t<a href=\"https:\/\/www.thechinajourney.com\/zh\/best-time-to-visit-china\/\" >\n\t\t\t\tBest &amp; Worst Time to Visit China\t\t\t<\/a>\n\t\t<\/div>\n\t\t\t\t<\/div>\n\t\t\t\t<\/article>\n\t\t\t\t<article class=\"elementor-post elementor-grid-item post-36419 post type-post status-publish format-standard has-post-thumbnail hentry category-travel-tips tag-guide tag-travel-guide tag-travel-tips\" role=\"listitem\">\n\t\t\t\t<div class=\"elementor-post__text\">\n\t\t\t\t<div class=\"elementor-post__title\">\n\t\t\t<a href=\"https:\/\/www.thechinajourney.com\/zh\/how-long-to-spend-in-china\/\" >\n\t\t\t\tHow Long to Spend in China? First-Time Travel Guide\t\t\t<\/a>\n\t\t<\/div>\n\t\t\t\t<\/div>\n\t\t\t\t<\/article>\n\t\t\t\t<article class=\"elementor-post elementor-grid-item post-36400 post type-post status-publish format-standard has-post-thumbnail hentry category-travel-tips tag-guide tag-travel-guide tag-travel-route tag-travel-tips\" role=\"listitem\">\n\t\t\t\t<div class=\"elementor-post__text\">\n\t\t\t\t<div class=\"elementor-post__title\">\n\t\t\t<a href=\"https:\/\/www.thechinajourney.com\/zh\/travel-by-theme-in-china\/\" >\n\t\t\t\tTravel by Theme in China: Choose the Right Trip Style\t\t\t<\/a>\n\t\t<\/div>\n\t\t\t\t<\/div>\n\t\t\t\t<\/article>\n\t\t\t\t<article class=\"elementor-post elementor-grid-item post-36411 post type-post status-publish format-standard has-post-thumbnail hentry category-travel-tips tag-guide tag-travel-guide tag-travel-tips\" role=\"listitem\">\n\t\t\t\t<div class=\"elementor-post__text\">\n\t\t\t\t<div class=\"elementor-post__title\">\n\t\t\t<a href=\"https:\/\/www.thechinajourney.com\/zh\/how-to-plan-a-china-trip\/\" >\n\t\t\t\tHow to Plan a China Trip\t\t\t<\/a>\n\t\t<\/div>\n\t\t\t\t<\/div>\n\t\t\t\t<\/article>\n\t\t\t\t<article class=\"elementor-post elementor-grid-item post-36435 post type-post status-publish format-standard has-post-thumbnail hentry category-travel-tips tag-city-travel-guide tag-guide tag-travel-guide tag-travel-tips\" role=\"listitem\">\n\t\t\t\t<div class=\"elementor-post__text\">\n\t\t\t\t<div class=\"elementor-post__title\">\n\t\t\t<a href=\"https:\/\/www.thechinajourney.com\/zh\/china-city-travel-guide\/\" >\n\t\t\t\tChina City Travel Guide\t\t\t<\/a>\n\t\t<\/div>\n\t\t\t\t<\/div>\n\t\t\t\t<\/article>\n\t\t\t\t<article class=\"elementor-post elementor-grid-item post-37102 post type-post status-publish format-standard has-post-thumbnail hentry category-travel-tips tag-guide tag-travel-guide tag-vpn\" role=\"listitem\">\n\t\t\t\t<div class=\"elementor-post__text\">\n\t\t\t\t<div class=\"elementor-post__title\">\n\t\t\t<a href=\"https:\/\/www.thechinajourney.com\/zh\/best-vpn-for-china-travel\/\" >\n\t\t\t\tBest VPNs for China Travel: Options Travelers Still Use\t\t\t<\/a>\n\t\t<\/div>\n\t\t\t\t<\/div>\n\t\t\t\t<\/article>\n\t\t\t\t<article class=\"elementor-post elementor-grid-item post-7307 post type-post status-publish format-standard has-post-thumbnail hentry category-travel-tips tag-best-city tag-city-rank tag-guide tag-travel-guide\" role=\"listitem\">\n\t\t\t\t<div class=\"elementor-post__text\">\n\t\t\t\t<div class=\"elementor-post__title\">\n\t\t\t<a href=\"https:\/\/www.thechinajourney.com\/zh\/best-places-and-cities-to-visit-in-china\/\" >\n\t\t\t\tBest Places &amp; Cities to Visit in China\t\t\t<\/a>\n\t\t<\/div>\n\t\t\t\t<\/div>\n\t\t\t\t<\/article>\n\t\t\t\t<\/div>\n\t\t\n\t\t\t\t\t\t<\/div>\n\t\t\t\t<\/div>\n\t\t\t\t\t<\/div>\n\t\t\t\t<\/div>\n\t\t\t\t<\/div>\n\t\t\t\t<\/div>\n\t\t\t\t\t\t<\/div>\n\t\t\t\t<\/div>\n\t\t\t\t<\/div>\n\t\t\t\t<\/div>\n\t\t\t\t\t<\/div>\n\t\t\t\t<\/div>\n\t\t\t\t<\/div>\n\t\t","protected":false},"excerpt":{"rendered":"<p>\u6839\u64da\u622a\u81f32026\u5e745\u670830\u65e5\u516c\u5e03\u7684\u5b98\u65b9\u6578\u64da\uff0c\u67e5\u770b\u63092025\u5e74\u672b\u5e38\u4f4f\u4eba\u53e3\u6392\u5217\u7684\u4e2d\u570b\u6700\u5927\u57ce\u5e02\u3002<\/p>","protected":false},"author":2,"featured_media":43287,"comment_status":"open","ping_status":"open","sticky":false,"template":"elementor_header_footer","format":"standard","meta":{"footnotes":""},"categories":[268],"tags":[120,53,265],"class_list":["post-21369","post","type-post","status-publish","format-standard","has-post-thumbnail","hentry","category-travel-tips","tag-city-rank","tag-guide","tag-travel-tips"],"aioseo_notices":[],"aioseo_head":"\n\t\t<!-- 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