Megalopolises in China

In China, a megalopolis (Chinese: 城市群; pinyin: Chéngshì Qún)^[1] is a designation by the government to promote the development of a group of cities through transportation and communication links.

Chinese	城市群
Literal meaning	City Group
Hanyu Pinyin	Chéngshì Qún
Jyutping	Sing4 Si5 Kwan4

Conceptual history

The Economist Intelligence Unit in 2012 identified 13 megalopolises: Chang-Zhu-Tan (Greater Changsha), Chengdu, Chongqing, Greater Beijing i.e. Jing-Jin-Ji, Greater Shanghai (incl. Suzhou), Greater Xi'an, Greater Zhengzhou, Greater Guangzhou, Hefei economic circle (incl. Lu'an, Huainan, Chaohu), Shandong Peninsula, Greater Shenyang, Shenzhen and Wuhan.^[2]

As of 2018, there are nine officially approved megalopolises in China. In 2017, the National Development and Reform Commission stated that plans for six city clusters had been completed in 2016, five in 2017, with eight more forthcoming for a total of 19 city cluster plans by 2020.^{[needs update]} The new city clusters identified in 2017 were Lanzhou-Xining, Hohhot-Baotou-Ordos-Yulin, Guanzhong Plain, Western Taiwan Straits Economic Zone, and the Guangdong-Hong Kong-Macau Greater Bay Area.^[3]

The Thirteenth Five-Year Plan (covering 2016-2020) highlighted nineteen city clusters to be developed and strengthened pursuant to a geographic layout referred to as two horizontals and three verticals (liang heng san zong).^[4]: 206 The highlighted clusters included the Beijing-Tianjin-Hebei region, the Yangtze River delta region, and the Greater Bay area.^[4]: 206 Development of these clusters includes establishing regional coordination mechanisms, sharing development costs and benefits, collaborative industrial development, and shared governance approaches to ecological issues and environmental protection.^[4]: 208

Location map of the first three megalopolises in China: Jing-Jin-Ji Megalopolis (yellow, north), Yangtze River Delta Megalopolis (blue, middle) and Guangdong-Hong Kong-Macau Greater Bay Area (silver, south).

Major Chinese megalopolises

Megalopolises	Metropolitan areas	Cities	Area ( km2)	Population	Date of approval
Yangtze River Delta Megalopolis[5]	Shanghai, Nanjing Metropolitan Area, Hangzhou Metropolitan Area, Hefei Metropolitan Area, Suzhou-Wuxi-Changzhou Metropolitan Area, Ningbo Metropolitan Area	Municipality: Shanghai Jiangsu: Nanjing, Wuxi, Changzhou, Suzhou, Nantong, Yancheng, Yangzhou, Zhenjiang, Taizhou Zhejiang: Hangzhou, Ningbo, Jiaxing, Huzhou, Shaoxing, Jinhua, Zhoushan, Taizhou Anhui: Hefei, Wuhu, Ma'anshan, Tongling, Anqing, Chuzhou, Chizhou, Xuancheng	350,000	240,000,000 (2020)	22 May 2016 [6]
Guangdong-Hong Kong-Macao Greater Bay Area[7]	Guangzhou-Foshan-Zhaoqing Metropolitan Area, Shenzhen-Dongguan-Huizhou Metropolitan Area, Zhuhai-Zhongshan-Jiangmen Metropolitan Area[8]	Guangdong: Guangzhou, Foshan, Zhaoqing, Shenzhen, Dongguan, Huizhou, Zhuhai, Jiangmen, Zhongshan SARs: Hong Kong, Macau	56,000	70,000,000 (2017)	18 February 2019 [9][10]
Jing-Jin-Ji Megalopolis	Beijing Metropolitan Area, Tianjin Metropolitan Area	Municipalities: Beijing, Tianjin Hebei: Xiong'an New Area, Tangshan, Baoding, Shijiazhuang, Langfang, Zhangjiakou, Chengde, Cangzhou, Qinhuangdao, Xingtai, Handan, Hengshui	217,100	130,000,000	Pending approval
Shandong Peninsula Megalopolis	Jinan Metropolitan Area, Qingdao Metropolitan Area	Shandong: Jinan, Qingdao, Yantai, Weihai, Zibo, Binzhou, Dongying, Tai'an, Weifang, Rizhao, Linyi		28,000,000	Pending approval
Mid-Southern Liaoning Megalopolis	Shenyang Metropolitan Area, Dalian Metropolitan Area	Liaoning: Shenyang, Dalian, Benxi, Liaoyang, Anshan, Yingkou, Pulandian, Gaizhou		27,000,000	Pending approval
Yangtze River Midstream Megalopolis	Wuhan Metropolitan Area, Circum-Changzhutan City Cluster, Circum-Poyang Lake City Cluster	Hubei: Wuhan, Huangshi, Ezhou, Huanggang, Xiaogan, Xianning, Xiantao, Qianjiang, Tianmen, Xiangyang, Yichang, Jinzhou Hunan: Changsha, Zhuzhou, Xiangtan, Yueyang, Yiyang, Changde, Hengyang, Loudi Jiangxi: Nanchang, Jiujiang, Jingdezhen, Yingtan, Xinyu, Yichun, Pingxiang, Shangrao, Fuzhou, Ji'an	317,000	121,000,000 (2014)	26 March 2015 [11]
Harbin-Changchun Megalopolis	Harbin Metropolitan Area, Changchun-Jilin Metropolitan Area	Heilongjiang: Harbin, Daqing, Qiqihar, Suihua, Mudanjiang Jilin: Changchun, Jilin, Siping, Liaoyuan, Songyuan, Yanbian Korean Autonomous Prefecture	51,100	20,000,000 (2015)	23 February 2016 [12]
Chengyu Megalopolis	Chengdu Metropolitan Area, Chongqing Metropolitan Area	Municipality: Chongqing Sichuan: Chengdu, Leshan, Luzhou, Mianyang, Nanchong, Yibin, Meishan, Ziyang, Deyang, Suining, Neijiang, Zigong, Yongchuan, Dazhou, Guang'an	185,000	90,940,000 (2014)	12 April 2016 [13]
Central Plain Megalopolis	Greater Zhengzhou Metropolitan Area	Henan: Zhengzhou, Kaifeng, Luoyang, Nanyang, Shangqiu, Anyang, Xinxiang, Pingdingshan, Xuchang, Jiaozuo, Zhoukou, Xinyang, Zhumadian, Hebi, Puyang, Luohe, Sanmenxia, Jiyuan Shanxi: Changzhi, Jincheng, Yuncheng Hebei: Xingtai, Handan Anhui: Liaocheng, Heze Shandong: Huaibei, Bengbu, Suzhou, Fuyang, Bozhou	287,000	24,170,000	28 December 2016 [14]
Beibu Gulf Megalopolis	Nanning, Nanning-Beihai-Qinzhou-Fangchenggang, Zhanjiang-Maoming-Yangjiang, Haikou, Zhanjiang	Guangxi: Nanning, Beihai, Qinzhou, Fangchenggang, Yulin, Chongzuo Guangdong: Zhanjiang, Maoming, Yangjiang Hainan: Haikou, Zhangzhou, Dongfang, Chengmai, Lingao, Changjiang	116,600	41,410,000 (2015)	20 January 2017 [15]
Guanzhong Plain Megalopolis	Greater Xi'an Metropolitan Area	Shaanxi: Xi'an, Baoji, Xianyang, Tongchuan, Weinan, Yangling Agricultural Hi-tech Industries Demonstration Zone, Shangluo (Shangzhou District, Luonan County, Danfeng County and Zhashui County) Shanxi: Yuncheng (Pinglu County and Yuanqu County excluded), Linyi (Yaodu District, Houma City, Xiangfen County, Huozhou, Quwo County, Yicheng County, Hongtong County and Fushan County) Gansu: Tianshui, Pingliang (Kongtong District, Huating County, Jingchuan County, Chongxin County and Lingtai County), downtown Qingyang	107,100	38,630,000 (2016)	9 January 2018 [16]
Hohhot-Baotou-Ordos-Yulin Megalopolis		Inner Mongolia: Hohhot, Baotou, Ordos Shaanxi: Yulin	175,000	11,384,000 (2016)	5 February 2018 [17]
Lanzhou-Xining Megalopolis	Lanzhou-Baiyin Metropolitan Area, Xining-Haidong Metropolitan Area	Gansu: Lanzhou, Baiyin (Baiyin District, Pingchuan District, Jingyuan County, Jingtai County), Dingxi (Anding District, Longxi County, Weiyuan County, Lintao County), Linxia Hui Autonomous Prefecture (Linxia City, Dongxiang Autonomous County, Yongjing County, Jishishan Bonan, Dongxiang and Salar Autonomous County) Qinghai: Xining, Haidong, Haibei Tibetan Autonomous Prefecture (Haiyan County), Hainan Tibetan Autonomous Prefecture (Gonghe County, Guide County, Guinan County), Huangnan Tibetan Autonomous Prefecture (Tongren County, Jianzha County)	97,500	11,930,000 (2016)	22 February 2018 [18]

See also

• China portal
• Economy portal

• City proper
• Global city
• List of cities by population
• List of cities in the Far East by population
• List of country subdivisions by GDP over 100 billion US dollars
• List of largest cities
• List of metropolitan areas by population
• List of regions of China
• Megacity
• Megalopolis
• Metropolis
• Metropolitan area
• Urban area

References

1. In Standard for basic terminology of urban planning (GB/T 50280—98) issued in 1998, 城市群 is defined as "An area in which cities are relatively densely distributed in a certain region".
2. "Supersized Cities". Economist Intelligence Unit. 2012. {{cite journal}}: Cite journal requires |journal= (help)
3. 王建芬. "Five city clusters planned to help boost balanced growth". www.chinadaily.com.cn. Retrieved 14 April 2018.
4. Hu, Richard (2023). Reinventing the Chinese City. New York: Columbia University Press. ISBN 978-0-231-21101-7.
5. "关于长江三角洲构建世界第六大城市群的思考". China.com.cn. Retrieved 4 April 2013.
6. "长江三角洲城市群发展规划" [Yangtze River City Cluster Development Plan] (PDF) (in Chinese (China)). National Development and Reform Commission and Ministry of Housing and Urban-Rural Development. 1 June 2016.
7. Vidal, John (22 March 2010). "UN report: World's biggest cities merging into 'mega-regions'". The Guardian. London.
8. "印发《珠江三角洲城乡规划一体化规划（2009-2020年）》的通知" (in Chinese (China)). 广东省人民政府办公厅. 30 July 2010.
9. "Outline Development Plan for the Guangdong-Hong Kong-Macao Greater Bay Area" (PDF).
10. "中共中央 国务院印发《粤港澳大湾区发展规划纲要》". Gov.cn (in Chinese (China)). 18 February 2019.
11. "长江中游城市群发展规划" [Middle Yangtze River Valley City Cluster Development Plan] (PDF) (in Chinese (China)). National Development and Reform Commission and Ministry of Housing and Urban-Rural Development. 13 April 2015.
12. "哈长城市群发展规划" [Harbin-Changchun City Cluster Development Plan] (PDF) (in Chinese (China)). National Development and Reform Commission and Ministry of Housing and Urban-Rural Development. 7 March 2016.
13. "成渝城市群发展规划" [Chengyu City Cluster Development Plan] (PDF) (in Chinese (China)). National Development and Reform Commission and Ministry of Housing and Urban-Rural Development. 27 April 2016.
14. "中原城市群发展规划" [Central Plain City Cluster Development Plan] (PDF) (in Chinese (China)). National Development and Reform Commission and Ministry of Housing and Urban-Rural Development. 29 December 2016.
15. "北部湾城市群发展规划" [Beibu Gulf City Cluster Development] (PDF) (in Chinese (China)). National Development and Reform Commission and Ministry of Housing and Urban-Rural Development. 10 February 2017.
16. "关中平原城市群发展规划" [Guanzhong Plain City Cluster Development Plan] (PDF) (in Chinese (China)). National Development and Reform Commission and Ministry of Housing and Urban-Rural Development. 2 February 2018.
17. "呼包鄂榆城市群发展规划" [Hohhot-Baotou-Ordos-Yulin City Cluster Development Plan] (PDF) (in Chinese (China)). National Development and Reform Commission and Ministry of Housing and Urban-Rural Development. 27 February 2018.
18. "兰州—西宁城市群发展规划" [Lanzhou-Xining City Cluster Development Plan] (PDF) (in Chinese (China)). National Development and Reform Commission and Ministry of Housing and Urban-Rural Development. 13 March 2018.