Why China's cities are often much larger than their urban centers

Countries & Cities · Published 12 October 2026 Swipe more like this →

In short: In China, a 'city' is often more than just a cluster of skyscrapers. Many function as hybrid entities that act as both a municipality and a county, governing vast stretches of farmland and rural towns alongside their dense urban cores, inheriting the large territories of the original counties they replaced.

A county-level city (shì) in the People's Republic of China represents a unique administrative hybrid. These entities are unified jurisdictions that merge the functions of a city with those of a county. While they possess judicial rights, they lack the authority to create their own local laws. Most are governed by prefecture-level divisions, though a select few report directly to province-level divisions. While they hold judicial powers, they do not have legislative rights over local laws. Most of these entities are managed by prefecture-level divisions.

The prevalence of these divisions stems from a major administrative shift during the 1980s and 1990s. During this period, many densely populated counties were converted into county-level cities to better manage rapid growth. Because these cities often replace large counties, they inherit vast territories that include towns, villages, and significant amounts of farmland. This administrative restructuring was largely driven by the need to manage more populated areas. These new cities essentially replaced existing counties.

This creates a distinction between the administrative 'city' and the actual built-up urban area. To avoid confusion, Chinese administration uses the term 'shìqū' (urban area) to describe the traditional, dense municipal center. This distinguishes the urban core from the expansive rural territories that fall under the city's jurisdiction. The rural areas within these boundaries can be many times larger than the built-up urban zones. This scale is inherited from the original counties they replaced.

The complexity of these divisions is further illustrated by 'sub-prefectural cities.' These are specific county-level cities, such as Xiantao, Qianjiang, and Tianmen in Hubei, or Jiyuan in Henan, which possess administrative powers that approach those of higher-level prefecture-level cities. These special cities are notable examples of the administrative hierarchy. They bridge the gap between different levels of governance.

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