Direct-administered municipality

A direct-administered municipality is a special kind of area in China. These areas are also called municipalities. Even though they are called cities, they are much bigger than normal cities. They are like whole provinces because they include a big city in the middle and many towns and countryside areas around it.

Right now, China has four of these special areas: Beijing, Chongqing, Shanghai, and Tianjin. These municipalities are directly linked to the top leaders of China. This means they get special attention and help from the country's government.

These municipalities are very important. They include some of the biggest and most busy places in China. They help control large parts of the country and are key for trade, culture, and government work.

History

During the time of the Republic of China, the first big cities to become municipalities were Nanjing, Shanghai, Beijing, Tianjin, Qingdao, Chongqing, Xi'an, Guangzhou, Hankou (now part of Wuhan), Shenyang, and Harbin. These cities became municipalities in 1927, after they were named cities in the 1920s.

After the People's Republic of China was created in 1949, more cities became municipalities, but some later changed back to regular cities. By 1997, only Beijing, Shanghai, and Tianjin were municipalities, until Chongqing joined them again that year.

Position in hierarchy

Municipalities are the biggest and most important cities in the People's Republic of China. Some smaller cities may also call themselves municipalities when talking in English.

There are three main levels of cities in China:

1. Municipalities (直辖市; 直轄市; zhíxiáshì),
2. Prefecture-level cities (地级市; 地級市; dìjíshì), including sub-provincial cities, and
3. County-level cities (县级市; 縣級市; xiànjíshì), including sub-prefectural cities.

Administration

In a municipality, the top leader is called the mayor. The mayor is also part of the National People's Congress, which makes laws in China. The person who mainly runs the municipality is the Chinese Communist Party Committee Secretary.

Current municipalities

Government

In China, there are special cities called direct-administered municipalities. These are very important cities. They are managed directly by the country's central government, not by a nearby province. Even though they are called cities, they are larger and more complex than a regular city.

Former ROC and PRC municipalities