|
|
Basic conditions：Municipalities Directly Under the Central Government |
 |
|
Beijing |
|
|
Called "Jing" for short, Beijing is situated at the northwestern end of the North China Plain. Initially named Ji, Beijing was the capital of the State of Yan during the Spring and Autumn Period (770-476 B.C.) and the Warring States Period (475-221 B.C.), and the secondary capital under the name of Yanjing during the Liao Dynasty (916-1125). It also served as the capital during the Jin (1115-1234), Yuan (1206-1368), Ming (1368-1644) and Qing (1644-1911) dynasties and the early period of the Republic of China (1912-1949), and was called Zhongdu, Dadu, Beiping and Beijing successively. It was established as a municipality in 1928. Covering an area of 16,800 square km, Beijing is now a municipality directly under the Central Government, having under its jurisdiction 16 districts and two counties. Its permanent residents (referring to those living for more than half a year in Beijing) total 14.927 million. The statistics provided by public security departments demonstrate that Beijing's population with registered permanent residence stood at 11.629 million at the end of 2004. Beijing is China's political, cultural, scientific and educational center as well as a hub of communications. It is also a world-famous tourist destination, with abundant places of historic interest and scenic spots, including the Palace Museum, the Temple of Heaven, the Great Wall, the Ming Tombs (tombs of 13 Ming emperors), the Summer Palace and the Fragrant Hill. |
||
Shanghai |
|
|
 Called "Hu" for short, Shanghai is situated at the estuary of the Yangtze River in the middle section of China's eastern coast. A fishing village in ancient times, Shanghai was under the State of Wu during the Spring and Autumn Period . It was established as a town under the name of Shanghai in the Song Dynasty (960-1279), and became a city in 1927.One of China's four municipalities directly under the Central Government, Shanghai, covering 6,340.5 square km, has under its jurisdiction 18 districts and one county. Its population with registered permanent residence was 13.5239 Shanghai is the largest city in China and one of the major metropolises in the world. It is also the country's top industrial city, commercial and financial center, as well as scientific and technological base. |
||
Tianjin |
|
|
 Called "Jin" for short, Tianjin is situated in the northeast of the North China Plain, where the five major tributaries of the Haihe River converge and empty into the Bohai Sea. Named Zhigu during the Jin and Yuan dynasties, Tianjin was an important place for transporting grain to the capital by waterway. Later the settlement of a town under the name of Haijin was built. The settlement became a garrison town named Tianjinwei (Defense of the Heavenly Ford) in the early Ming Dynasty and was the seat of Tianjin prefectural government during the Qing Dynasty. It became a city in 1928.Covering an area of more than 11,000 square km, Tianjin is now a municipality directly under the Central Government, having 15 districts and three counties under its jurisdiction. Its permanent population was 10.2367 million at the end of 2004, including some 9.3255 million with registered residence. Tianjin is the largest industrial city, a major commercial center and a port in north | ||
Chongqing |
|
|
 Called "Yu" for short, Chongqing is situated on the upper reaches of the Yangtze River in the east of southwest China. It was under the State of Ba during the Spring and Autumn Period and the Warring States Period and was administered by Yuzhou during the Sui (581-618) and Tang (618-907) dynasties. It was the secondary capital of the Kuomintang government during the War of Resistance Against Japanese Aggression (1937-45).Chongqing was designated as a municipality directly under the Central Government in 1997, consisting of three prefectural-level cities–Chongqing, Wanxian and Fuling–and Qianjiang Prefecture formerly under Sichuan Province. Chongqing has under its jurisdiction 15 districts, four county-level cities, 17 counties and four autonomous counties. Covering 82,300 square km, it had a population of 31.4423 million at the end of 2004, including 27.7098 million permanent residents. Chongqing is encircled by Dabashan, Wushan and Daloushan mountains on the north, east and south. The Yangtze River traverses the municipality, cutting through high mountains, forming the famous Three Gorges. Chongqing has an annual |
||
