The sub provincial city is a city under the jurisdiction of a province with a sub provincial administrative structure in China. Its administrative level was officially implemented on February 25, 1994, formerly a city specifically designated in the state plan. The administrative level of the main leading cadres of the party and government organs is part-time at the provincial and ministerial level.
The sub provincial cities are second only to the municipalities directly under the Central Government in China. The 15 sub provincial cities are Shenyang, Dalian, Changchun, Harbin, Nanjing, Hangzhou, Qingdao, Jinan, Ningbo, Xiamen, Wuhan, Chengdu, Xi'an, Guangzhou and Shenzhen.
There are four in Northeast China, namely, the capital of three northeastern provinces and Dalian; There are only three in the central and western regions, namely Wuhan, Chengdu and Xi'an; The eastern coastal area is far ahead with 8 cities. But among these 15 cities, such as Shenzhen, Guangzhou, Chengdu, Wuhan, Hangzhou and other cities, they are all economically sound and well developed.
Guangzhou, referred to as Guangzhou for short, is also known as Yangcheng and Huacheng. It is the capital of Guangdong Province, a sub provincial city, a national central city, a megacity, an international metropolis, an international trade center, an international comprehensive transportation hub, a national comprehensive portal city, one of the first coastal open cities, and the headquarters of the southern war zone.
Wuhan, referred to as "Han" or "Jiangcheng" for short, is the capital of Hubei Province, the only sub provincial city and megacity in six central provinces, the central city in central China, and the core city of the Yangtze River Economic Belt.
Harbin is also called "Ice City". It is one of the 12 prefecture level cities in Heilongjiang Province. The provincial capital and sub provincial city of Heilongjiang Province, one of the central cities in Northeast China, and the core city of Harbin Metropolitan Circle, is the transportation, political, economic, cultural, and financial center in the northern part of Northeast China, and the largest area of land under the jurisdiction of cities under the jurisdiction of provinces in China.
Shenyang, also called Shengjing and Fengtian for short, is the capital of Liaoning Province, a sub provincial city, the core city of Shenyang Metropolitan Circle, and an important central city in Northeast China approved by the State Council.
Chengdu, referred to as Rong for short, or "Rongcheng, Jincheng", is the capital of Sichuan Province, a sub provincial city, a megacity, the seat of the western war zone authorities, and an important national high-tech industrial base determined by the State Council.