China’s current administrative structure is organized into four levels: province, prefecture, county, and township.

Provincial Level Divisions

At the provincial level, there are four types of divisions: provinces, autonomous regions, municipalities, and special administrative regions.

  • Provinces (23): Heilongjiang, Jilin, Liaoning, Henan, Hebei, Shandong, Shanxi, Shaanxi, Gansu, Qinghai, Anhui, Jiangsu, Zhejiang, Jiangxi, Hunan, Hubei, Sichuan, Fujian, Guangdong, Guizhou, Yunnan, Hainan, Taiwan.
  • Autonomous Regions (5): Tibet Autonomous Region, Xinjiang Uygur Autonomous Region, Inner Mongolia Autonomous Region, Ningxia Hui Autonomous Region, Guangxi Zhuang Autonomous Region.
  • Municipalities (4): Beijing, Shanghai, Tianjin, Chongqing.
  • Special Administrative Regions (2): Hong Kong SAR, Macao SAR.

Autonomous Regions

An Autonomous Region (自治区) is a type of administrative division established for areas with significant ethnic minority populations, with an administrative status equivalent to that of a province. According to the 1954 Constitution of the People’s Republic of China, autonomous areas are classified into autonomous regions, autonomous prefectures, and autonomous counties (or banners). In practice, an autonomous region can be understood as a province-level division with a degree of self-governance.

Municipalities

A Municipality (直辖市) is a province-level division administered directly by the central government. In China, municipalities generally have large populations and hold significant political, economic, and cultural importance.

Special Administrative Regions

A Special Administrative Region (SAR, 特别行政区) is a provincial-level division established under the Constitution, enjoying a special legal and administrative status. Hong Kong and Macao SARs operate under the “One Country, Two Systems” framework, retaining capitalist systems and ways of life. The establishment of SARs plays a crucial role in maintaining the prosperity and stability of Hong Kong and Macao.

Lower-level Administrative Divisions

  • Provinces and autonomous regions are subdivided into: prefecture-level cities, prefectures, autonomous prefectures, and leagues.
  • Prefecture-level cities, prefectures, autonomous prefectures, and leagues are subdivided into: county-level cities, counties, autonomous counties, and banners.
  • County-level cities, counties, autonomous counties, and banners are subdivided into: townships, towns, and sumu (a Mongolian township-level division).

As of 2017, China had a total of 334 prefecture-level divisions, including 294 prefecture-level cities, 7 prefectures, 30 autonomous prefectures, and 3 leagues.