| Due to China's large population and area, the political divisions of China have
always consisted of several levels since ancient times. The constitution of the People's Republic of China provides for three levels of government. Currently, however,
there are five practical levels of local government in mainland China:
the province, prefecture, county, township, and village. The Republic
of China on Taiwan uses a slightly different system, with streamlined provinces and
no prefectures. (see Political divisions of the Republic of China for more details)
The provinces serve an important cultural role in China. People tend to be identified in terms of their native provinces, and
each province has a stereotype that corresponds to their inhabitants. Most of the provinces of China have boundaries which were
established in the late Ming Dynasty. Major changes since then have been the reorganization of provinces in the Northeast after
the Communist takeover of mainland China in 1949 and the establishment of autonomous regions which are based on Soviet
nationality theory.
Levels
The constitution of the People's Republic of
China provides for three levels: the province, county, and township. However, two more levels have been inserted in actual
implementation: the prefecture, under provinces; and the village, under townships. (There is a six level, the district public office, under counties, but it is being
abolished.)
Each of the levels correspond to a level in the Civil service of the People's Republic of China.
Province level
The People's Republic of China administers
33 province-level (省级 shěngjí) divisions, including 22 provinces, 5 autonomous regions, 4
municipalities, and 2 special administrative regions. The Republic of
China administers 2 municipalities and 2 provinces (though both provincial governments have been largely streamlined).
In mainland China, provinces are theoretically subservient to the PRC central government, but in practice provincial officials
have a large amount of discretion with regard to economic policy. Unlike the United States, the power of the central government was (with the exception of the military) not exercised
through a parallel set of institutions until the early 1990s. The actual practical power of the provinces has created what some
economists call federalism with Chinese characteristics.
Most of the provinces of China, with the exception of the
provinces in the northeast, have boundaries which were established during the Yuan, Ming, and Qing dynasties. Sometimes provincial borders veer markedly away from cultural or geographical boundaries, a
phenomenon described as "dog's teeth interlocking" (犬牙交错 quǎnyájiāocuò). This was an
attempt by the imperial government to discourage separatism and warlordism
through a divide and rule policy. Nevertheless, provinces have come
to serve an important cultural role in China. People tend to be identified in terms of their native provinces, and each province
has a stereotype that corresponds to their inhabitants.
The most recent administrative changes have included the elevation of Hainan and
Chongqing to provincial level status and the organization of Hong Kong and Macau as Special Administrative Regions. In Taiwan, Taipei and Kaohsiung were elevated to the status of centrally administered municipalities after the retreat of the KMT-led government.
Provinces
Provinces (省 shěng) are the most common
type of province-level division.
Disputed province
Main article: Political status of
Taiwan
Since its founding in 1949, the People's Republic
of China has considered Taiwan to be its 23rd province. However, the Republic of China currently controls this province, which consists of Taiwan island and the Pescadores. The ROC also controls one county of Fuchien (or Fukien) province: Kinmen; and part of a second county:
Lienchiang. In addition, the ROC officially claims all of mainland China (including Tibet),
outer Mongolia and Tuva. Though
this claim was unofficially dropped by then ROC President Lee Teng-hui in
1991, this action was not officially approved by the National Assembly.
Maps of China published in Taiwan will often show provincial boundaries as they were in 1949 which do not match the current
administrative structure as decided by the Communist
Party of China post-1949, and include all of the areas claimed by the ROC.
Autonomous regions
Autonomous regions (自治区
zìzhìqū) are province-level divisions with a designated ethnic minority, and are guaranteed more rights under the constitution. For example, they
have a chairman (where regular provinces have governors), who must be of the ethnic group as specified by the autonomous region
(Tibetan, Uighur, etc)
Autonomous regions were established after communist takeover, following Soviet nationality policy. There are five in total.
Municipalities
Municipalities (直辖市
zhíxiáshì) are large cities that have the same administrative level as provinces. Municipalities directly control
county-level divisions, without an intervening prefecture-level. In practice, the actual metropolitan area of a municipality is
only a tiny fraction of its total area; the rest of the municipality consists of towns and farmland. Chongqing is an extreme example of this — the rural population of this municipality exceeds its urban
population.
There are 4 municipalities in the People's
Republic of China.
There are 2 municipalities administered by the ROC. These are quite different from the municipalities found in Mainland China:
rather than governing an area many times larger than the metropolitan area, they govern only a portion of the metropolitan areas
of which they are a part. See Political divisions of the Republic of China.
Since these two cities were elevated after 1949 by a government the PRC considered no longer legitimate, the PRC does not
consider them to be centrally administered municipalities and refers to Taipei, and not Jhongsing Village, as the provincial capital of Taiwan.
Special administrative regions
Special administrative regions
(特別行政區/特别行政区 tèbiéxíngzhèngqū) (SARs) are local
administrative regions enjoying a high degree of autonomy under the One country, two systems arrangement, and come directly under the Central People's Government, as provided in the
articles 12 of both basic laws of the two SARs.
Unlike provinces, autonomous regions and municipalities, which legal basis is provided for in Article 30 of the 1982
Constitution that governs administrative divisions, special administrative regions are provided for in Article 31 in
anticipation of the retrocession of Hong Kong and Macau. The two SARs were established in 1997 and 1999 when the sovereignty of
the two entities was transferred (from the United Kingdom and Portugal respectively) to the People's Republic of China.
The two special administrative regions come directly under the Central People's Government. As opposed to other
provincial-level administrative divisions (provinces, municipalities and autonomous regions), SARs reserve a much higher level of
autonomy, with their own courts of last resort, legal systems, passports, currencies, customs control, immigration policies, extradition, etc., except diplomatic relations and national defence. The SARs participate in various international
organisations and sporting events as separate members/teams from the PRC.
Both SARs are small, and neither uses the administrative structure of mainland China. Hong Kong is divided into 18 districts, each with a consultative district council. Macau is divided into two concelhos and seven freguesias (parishes) with no formal
duties.
See also:
Prefecture level
For a complete listing of all the prefecture-level divisions of China, see the article for each province.
Prefecture-level (地级 dìjí) divisions are a level of administration that exists only on mainland China,
not Taiwan. As of February 1, 2004, there
are 333 prefecture-level divisions, including 283 cities, 17 prefectures, 30 autonomous prefectures, and 3 leagues in mainland
China.
The vast majority of prefecture-level divisions are prefecture-level cities (地级市 dìjíshì). These are not really "cities" in the traditional sense of the word, since they are actually large administrative regions
that cover both urban and rural areas. Most provinces are divided into only prefecture-level cities.
Prefectures (地区 dìqū) are
another level of government found at the prefecture-level. These used to be the dominant prefecture-level division across all of
China, which is why this administrative level is called "prefecture-level". However, they were replaced for the most part by
prefecture-level cities in the 1990s. Today, prefectures are restricted mostly to Xinjiang and
Tibet.
Leagues (盟 méng) are effectively
the same as prefectures, but they are to be found only in Inner
Mongolia. Like prefectures, leagues have mostly been replaced with prefecture-level cities. The unique name is a holdover
from earlier forms of administration in Mongolia.
Autonomous prefectures (自治州
zìzhìzhōu) are prefectures with one or several designated ethnic minority/minorities. These are mostly to be found in the western parts of the
country.
County level
For a complete listing of all the county-level divisions of China, follow the links in these tables
As of December 15, 2004, there are
2862 county-level (县级 xiànjí) divisions, including 851 districts, 374 cities, 1465 counties, 117 autonomous
counties, 49 banners, 3 autonomous banners, 2 special regions and 1 forestry area in mainland China. The Republic of China governs 23 county-level divisions, including 18
counties and 5 provincial municipalities.
Counties (县 xiàn) are the most common county-level
division. Counties have continuously existed since the Warring States Period, much earlier than any other level of government in China. In Sinologist literature, xian are often translated as "districts" or "prefectures".
Wikipedia will try to maintain consistency and translate all of them as "counties".
Autonomous counties (自治县
zìzhìxiàn) are counties with one or several designated ethnic minority/minorities. These are analogous to autonomous regions (at the province-level)
and autonomous prefectures (at the prefecture-level).
Inner Mongolia has banners (旗 qí) and autonomous banners (自治旗 zìzhìqí), which are the same as counties and
autonomous counties except in name. The name is a holdover from earlier forms of administration in Mongolia.
County-level cities (县级市
xiànjíshì) are, like prefecture-level cities, not "cities" in the traditional sense
of the word, since they are actually large administrative regions that cover both urban and rural areas. It was popular for
counties to become county-level cities in the 1990s, though this has since been halted.
In Taiwan, county-level cities are known as provincial cities
(省轄市 shěngxiáshì).
Districts (市辖区 shìxiáqū or
simply 区 qū) are another type of county-level division. These were formerly the subdivisions of urban areas,
consisting of built-up areas only. In recent years, however, many counties have been converted into districts, so that today
districts are often just like counties, with towns, villages, and farmland.
In addition there are a few special cases. There is a forestry area (林区 línqū) in Hubei province, Shennongjia, that is a county-level division; so are two special districts (特区 tèqū)
in Guizhou province.
Township level
As of December 31, 2003 there are
44067 township-level (乡级 xiāngjí) divisions, including 20226 towns, 16636 townships, 1147 ethnic
townships, 279 sumu, 2 ethnic sumu, 5751 subdistricts, and 26 district public offices in mainland China. The Republic of China administers 32 county-administered cities, 226 rural townships, and 61 urban townships. See Political divisions of
the Republic of China.
In general, urban areas are divided into subdistricts
(街道办事处 jiēdàobànshìchù or simply 街办 jiēbàn, literally
"street offices"), while rural areas are divided into towns (镇
zhèn), townships (乡 xiāng), and
ethnic townships
(民族乡 mínzúxiāng). Sumu (苏木 sūmù) and ethnic sumu (民族苏木 mínzúsūmù) are the same as townships and ethnic
townships, but are unique to Inner Mongolia.
The Republic of China is different from mainland China in that
it also has county-administered cities
(縣轄市 xiànxiáshì), which are cities at the township level. The People's Republic of China has no equivalent of this.
Also, the urban townships and
rural townships of the
Republic of China are the same as towns and townships of the mainland; the difference is in the translation to English.
District public offices (区公所
qūgōngsuǒ) are a vestigial level of government in mainland China. These once represented an extra level of
government between the county- and township-levels. Today there are very few of these remaining and they are gradually being
phased out.
Village level
The village level serves as organizational (census, mail system) and not so much importance in political representative power.
Basic local divisions like neighborhoods and communities are not informal like in the West, but have defined boundaries and
designated heads (one per area):
In general, urban areas are organized into neighborhood committees (居民委员会
jūmínwěiyuánhuì or simply 居委会 jūwěihuì), while rural areas are organized
into village committees
(村民委员会 cūnmínwěiyuánhuì or simply 村委会
cūnwěihuì) or villager groups (村民小组 cūnmínxiǎozǔ). A "village"
in this case can either be a natural village (自然村 zìráncūn), or one that spontaneously and naturally
exists, or an administrative village (行政村 xíngzhèngcūn), which is a bureaucratic
entity.
Instead of neighborhood committees and sub-districts, a city could have:
Special cases
Although every single administrative division has a clearly defined level associated with it, sometimes an entity may be given
more autonomy than its level allows for.
For example, a few of the largest prefecture-level cities are given more autonomy. These are known as sub-provincial cities (副省级市
fùshěngjíshì), meaning that they are given a level of power higher than a prefecture, but still lower than a
province. Such cities are half a level higher than what they would normally be. Although these cities still belong to
provinces, their special status gives them a high degree of autonomy within their respective provinces.
A similar case exists with some county-level cities. Some county-level cities are given more autonomy. These cities are known
as sub-prefecture-level cities
(副地级市 fùdìjíshì), meaning that they are given a level of power higher than a county, but still
lower than a prefecture. Such cities are also half a level higher than what they would normally be. Sub-prefecture-level
cities are often not put into any prefecture (i.e. they are directly administered by their province).
An extreme example is Pudong District of Shanghai. Although its status as a district would define it as county-level, the district head of Pudong is
given sub-provincial powers. In other words, it is one and a half levels higher than what it would normally be.
Summary
This table summarizes the divisions of the area administered by the People's Republic of China.
| Level |
Name |
Types |
| 1 |
Province level |
|
| 2 |
Prefecture level |
|
| 3 |
County level |
|
| 4 |
Township level |
|
| 5 |
Village level (informal) |
- Neighborhood
committees (居民委员会 jūmínwěiyuánhuì)
- Village committees
(村民委员会 cūnmínwěiyuánhuì) or Village groups (村民小组
cūnmínxiǎozǔ)
- Administrative
villages (行政村 xíngzhèngcūn)
- Natural villages
(自然村 zìráncūn)
|
Note: Province-, prefecture-, and county-level data are accurate as of December 15, 2004. Township-level data are accurate as of December 31, 2003.
History
Main article: History of the political divisions of China
Before the establishment of the Qin Dynasty, China was ruled by a network
of kings, nobles, and tribes. The rivalry of these groups culminated in the Warring States Period, and the state of Qin
eventually emerged dominant.
The Qin Dynasty was determined not to allow China to fall back into
disunity, and therefore designed the first hierarchical administrative divisions in China, based on two levels: jùn
commanderies and xiàn counties (xian is usually translated as "districts" or "prefectures" in Sinologist literature, but here we will use "county", the contemporary term). The Han Dynasty that came immediately after added zhōu (usually translated as "provinces") as
a third level on top, forming a three-tier structure.
The Sui Dynasty and Tang
Dynasty abolised commanderies, and added circuits (dào, later lù under the Song) on top, maintaining a three-tier system that lasted through the Song Dynasty. (As a second-level division, zhou are translated as "prefectures".) The
Mongol-established Yuan Dynasty introduced the modern precursors to
provinces, bringing the number of levels to four. This system was
then kept more or less intact until the Qing Dynasty, the last imperial
dynasty to rule China.
The Republic of China streamlined the levels to just provinces
and counties, and made the first attempt to extend political
administration beyond the county level by establishing townships
below counties. This was also the system officially adopted by the People's Republic of China in 1949, which defined the
administrative divisions of China as three levels: provinces, counties, and townships.
In practice, however, more levels were inserted. Greater administrative areas were inserted on top of provinces, but they were soon abolished,
in 1954. Prefectures
were inserted between provinces and counties; they continue be ubiquitously applied to nearly all areas of China. District public offices were inserted between counties and
townships; once ubiquitous as well, they are currently being abolished, and very few remain.
The most recent developments major developments have been the establishment of Chongqing as a municipality and the
creation of Hong Kong and Macau special administrative regions.
Reform
Main article: Reform of the political divisions of China
In recent years there have been calls to reform the administrative divisions and levels of China. Rumours of an impending
major reform have also spread through various online bulletin boards.
The abolishment of district public offices is an
ongoing reform to remove an extra level of administration from between the county and township levels. There have also been calls
to abolish the prefecture level, and some provinces have transferred some of the power prefectures currently hold to the counties
they govern.
External links
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