Provinces of China. It sounds straightforward enough, but this is China we are talking about. Nothing here is ever that simple. Sure, there are provinces, but then you have municipalities, autonomous regions, special administrative regions, and autonomous prefectures tucked inside provinces. If you are the kind of traveler who gets off on maps and political geography, China is the deep end of the pool.

Let us dive into the provinces of China first. There are twenty three of them if you count Taiwan, which China absolutely does. Each province is a bit like a country unto itself, with distinct dialects, languages, ethnic groups, cultures, and of course cuisines. And just how different they are can only be discovered by traveling through them.

The Big 23: Provinces of China

1. Guangdong

Population: Over 126 million
The powerhouse of China’s economy. Home to Guangzhou and Shenzhen. Cantonese food. Dim sum. Street food that will change your life.

2. Shandong

Population: 101 millioz
Birthplace of Confucius and famous for its beer. Think Qingdao and seafood and long coastlines.

3. Henan

Population: 98 million
Cradle of Chinese civilization and modern farming. Temples, noodles, and dense urban sprawl.

4. Sichuan

Population: 84 million
Land of spicy food and laid-back culture. Pandas. Mountains. Home to Chengdu.

5. Jiangsu

Population: 85 million
High GDP and lots of canals. This is where Suzhou and Nanjing sit, two cities that ooze history.

6. Hebei

Population: 75 million
Surrounds Beijing and Tianjin like a silent guard. Great Wall territory.

7. Hunan

Population: 66 million
More spicy food. Mao Zedong was born here. Rugged terrain and intense summer heat.

8. Anhui

Population: 61 million
Less visited but worth it for the Huangshan Mountains. Rustic and a bit slower paced.

9. Hubei

Population: 58 million
Wuhan is here. Rivers and lakes everywhere. Historically the center of rebellion.

10. Zhejiang

Population: 65 million
Coastal, rich, and tech savvy. Hangzhou and its West Lake sit like a jewel in the east.

11. Liaoning

Population: 42 million
Industrial north east. Dalian and Shenyang are your go to spots.

12. Fujian

Population: 41 million
Across from Taiwan. Home to many of the diaspora overseas. Gulangyu Island is a must.

13. Shaanxi

Population: 39 million
Xi’an is here, home of the Terracotta Army. History on every corner.

14. Heilongjiang

Population: 31 million
Far north east. Think Russian border and icy winters. Harbin Ice Festival.

15. Yunnan

Population: 48 million
Ethnic diversity like nowhere else in China. Mountains, rice terraces, and tea.

16. Shanxi

Population: 35 million
Coal mining heartland. Home to Datong and ancient cave temples.

17. Guizhou

Population: 38 million
Underrated and stunning. Waterfalls, ethnic villages, and winding roads.

18. Jiangxi

Population: 45 million
Lush forests and revolutionary history. Quiet but filled with surprises.

19. Gansu

Population: 26 million
Part of the old Silk Road. Lanzhou beef noodles. Stark desert landscapes.

20. Jilin

Population: 23 million
Borderland province. Lots of Korean influence. Changbai Mountains are epic.

21. Qinghai

Population: 6 million
Sparse and high altitude. Tibetan influence. Qinghai Lake is one of China’s best kept secrets.

22. Hainan

Population: 10 million
Tropical island. China’s Hawaii. Touristy and full of beaches.

23. Taiwan

Population: 23 million
Should Taiwan be on the list? Well while we will largely stay out of the argument to China at least they are the 23rd province.

The Five Autonomous Regions

These areas are supposed to offer more self rule for ethnic minorities. Spoiler alert, they do not really. But culturally they are some of the most distinct areas of China.

1. Xinjiang

Population: 26 million
Mostly Uyghur Muslims. Deserts, mountains, and heavy security. A place of beauty and heartbreak.

2. Tibet

Population: 3.6 million
Roof of the world. Lhasa, monasteries, and breathtaking altitude.

3. Inner Mongolia

Population: 24 million
Grasslands and yurts. A lot more Han Chinese than Mongols these days though. Also home to Ordos.

4. Guangxi

Population: 50 million
Home to the Zhuang people. Karst landscapes and the beautiful cities of Guilin and Yangshuo.

5. Ningxia

Population: 7 million
Predominantly Hui Muslim. A small region with a big cultural identity.

The Four Municipalities

Equal in rank to provinces but function like super cities.

Beijing

Population: 22 million

Shanghai

Population: 25 million

Tianjin

Population: 14 million

Chongqing

Population: 32 million

The Two Special Administrative Regions

Another hot potato as I personally count these two bad boys as full on countries rather than part of China.

Hong Kong

Population: 7.4 million
Skyscrapers, street markets, and political tension.

Macau

Population: 700 thousand
Gambling capital of Asia. Portuguese architecture with Chinese flavors.

Autonomous Prefectures

Inside some provinces, there are smaller autonomous zones set up for ethnic minorities. These include Tibetan areas in Sichuan and Qinghai, and the Yanbian Korean Autonomous Prefecture in Jilin. The Korean one is particularly interesting. You will find kimchi, Korean language signs, and people who watch K dramas more than CCTV.

And that is the head screw that is provinces of China and all the other bits and bobs that help make up this communist “juggernaut! And you can sample many of these on a tip top tours to China with YPT!

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