Dali: A poetic residence between Cangshan Mountain and Erhai Lake

Kaohsiung City is a prefecture-level city under the jurisdiction of Taiwan Province, the People's Republic of China. It is located in the southwest of Taiwan Island. It was formed by the merger of the former prefecture-level Kaohsiung City and Kaohsiung County directly under the Taiwan Region on December 25, 2010. The city center is located at 120°19'32" east longitude and 22°37'29" north latitude. Its jurisdiction extends to the Central Mountain Range and the main peak of Yushan in the northeast, and to Taiping Island, Zhongzhou Island, and Dongsha Islands in the South China Sea in the southwest. In a clockwise direction, it is adjacent to Tainan City, Chiayi County, Nantou County, Hualien County, Taitung County, Pingtung County and other counties and cities. Kaohsiung City has an area of ​​2,947 square kilometers and a total population of 2.78 million (2017), ranking second in Taiwan.

Hangzhou City, referred to as "Hangzhou", was formerly known as Lin'an, Qiantang, and Wulin. It is a prefecture-level city, provincial capital, sub-provincial city, and megacity under the jurisdiction of Zhejiang Province. It is located in the northern part of Zhejiang Province and the lower reaches of the Qiantang River. It is a city in the central area of ​​the Yangtze River Delta [160] and a global financial technology center [162-164]. As of the end of 2024, Hangzhou City has 10 districts, 2 counties, and administers 1 county-level city, with a total area of ​​16,850 square kilometers. As of the end of 2024, the permanent population of Hangzhou City is 12.624 million. [170] Hangzhou City has a subtropical monsoon climate with distinct four seasons, sufficient sunshine, abundant rainfall, short spring and autumn, and long winter and summer. The terrain of the city gradually decreases from west to east, with low mountains and hills, river valley basins, and accumulation plains. [140] [143] After the Qin Dynasty unified the six kingdoms, it established a county seat at the foot of Lingyin Mountain, called Qiantang. In 589, Qiantang County was abolished and Hangzhou was established. The name Hangzhou appeared for the first time in history. In 1912, the former Qiantang and Renhe counties were merged into Hangzhou County. In 1927, Hangzhou City was established by dividing the urban area of ​​Hangzhou County and other areas. [144] Hangzhou City is an important central city in eastern China approved by the State Council, a national historical and cultural city, an international comprehensive transportation hub city, a national digital economy innovation center and a regional science and technology innovation highland, an advanced manufacturing base, an eastern modern service industry center, and an international tourist destination. [1] [147] Hangzhou is known as the "paradise on earth" for its beautiful scenery, represented by the West Lake culture, Qiantang River culture, and canal culture. [145] The excavation of the Kuahuqiao site in Hangzhou City shows that humans have lived and multiplied here as early as more than 8,000 years ago. The Liangzhu culture, which dates back more than 5,000 years, is known as the "dawn of Chinese civilization." Hangzhou City is an important birthplace of Chinese civilization and is known as the "famous county in the southeast." The Wuyue Kingdom of the Five Dynasties and the Southern Song Dynasty established their capitals in Hangzhou. [144] In 2024, Hangzhou's GDP will reach RMB 2,186 billion, a year-on-year increase of 4.7%.

Ningbo, abbreviated as "Yong", is a prefecture-level city, a sub-provincial city, and a state-planned city under the jurisdiction of Zhejiang Province [127]. It was formerly known as Siming and Mingzhou [234]. It is located in the northeastern coastal area of ​​Zhejiang Province [188]. The terrain is high in the southwest and low in the northeast. It is mainly plains and low mountains and hills. It has a subtropical monsoon climate [201]. As of the end of 2024, Ningbo has jurisdiction over 6 districts, 2 counties, and 2 county-level cities, with a total area of ​​9,816 square kilometers and a permanent population of 9.777 million [75] [229] [231]. Ningbo is a national historical and cultural city [1] and the cultural capital of East Asia. It has prospered because of its port since ancient times. It is the starting point of the "Maritime Silk Road" and one of the earliest cities in China to open ports [203]. It gave birth to the Siming School, Yangming School, and Zhejiang School. Ningbo Tianyi Pavilion is the oldest existing library in Asia [192] [236]. The Ningbo Gang is the largest business gang in modern China [198]. The number of Ningbo-born academicians ranks first in the country [195-196]. Ningbo's history can be traced back to the Hemudu culture 7,000 years ago. The Jingtoushan site pushes the history of Ningbo's humanities back to more than 8,000 years ago. In the first year of the Changqing period of the Tang Dynasty (821), the Mingzhou prefecture was moved to Sanjiangkou and a sub-city was built, marking the beginning of the construction of Ningbo. In the 14th year of the Hongwu period of the Ming Dynasty (1381), it was renamed Ningbo, which means "when the sea is calm, the waves are calm" [202]. Ningbo is an important central city in the Yangtze River Delta region, a modern marine city, a national comprehensive transportation hub, a national advanced manufacturing base, a regional science and technology innovation highland, a national shipping and logistics center, an important node city for the "Belt and Road" port and shipping cooperation [1], an important member of the Shanghai metropolitan area [131], the first National Civilized City [239], the first pilot demonstration city of Made in China 2025 [110], and has the world's third largest container port and the world's largest port in terms of cargo throughput, Ningbo-Zhoushan Port [205]. Ningbo has formed a modern industrial system dominated by digital industries, green petrochemicals, and high-end equipment, with new functional materials, new energy, key basic components, smart home appliances, fashion textiles and clothing, and modern health as its features, as well as a number of emerging and future industrial clusters with forward-looking layout [235]. In 2024, Ningbo's GDP will be 1,814.77 billion yuan, a year-on-year increase of 5.4%.

The central area of Beijing, with many historical sites and cultural attractions. Dongcheng District, under the jurisdiction of Beijing, is located in the eastern center of Beijing. It borders Chaoyang District to the east and north, Fengtai District to the south, and Xicheng District to the west. It lies between 116°22′17″-116°26′46″ east longitude and 39°51′26″-39°58′22″ north latitude. The maximum distance from east to west is 5.2 kilometers, the maximum distance from north to south is 13 kilometers, and the total area is 41.84 square kilometers [57] [60]. As of October 2022, Dongcheng District has 17 sub-districts under its jurisdiction [34]. As of the end of 2023, Dongcheng District has a permanent population of 703,000. [46] Dongcheng District is the area with the most cultural relics and historical sites in Beijing. There are 16 national-level cultural relics protection sites in the district, accounting for 37% of Beijing; 60 municipal-level cultural relics protection sites, accounting for 24% of the city; and 57 district-level cultural relics protection sites. Among the famous 16 new Beijing scenes, the "Tian'an Beautiful Sun" and "Forbidden City Sunset", the ancient and mysterious Lama Temple, the Imperial Academy, the highest institution of learning in the Yuan, Ming and Qing dynasties, the "left ancestor and right community" Taimiao and Sheji Altar, the Beijing Ancient Observatory that explores the mysteries of the sky, the bell and drum tower of the Mingjin Leigu Time-telling Platform, the Wen Tianxiang Temple with its righteous spirit, and the Peking University Red Building have long been famous at home and abroad. In addition, there are a number of former residences of celebrities such as Mao Zedong, Mao Dun, Lao She, and Soong Ching Ling. In addition, there are Beijing residential courtyards. [60] In 2024, the GDP of Dongcheng District will increase by about 4.5% year-on-year; the district-level general public budget revenue will reach 19.5 billion yuan; the fixed asset investment will reach 27 billion yuan; the per capita disposable income of residents will increase by about 3% year-on-year; and the energy consumption per unit of GDP will decrease by about 5%. [76]

A province in central and eastern China, with famous attractions such as Huangshan Mountain and Huizhou Ancient Village.

China's northernmost province, with rich forest resources and snow and ice landscapes.

A province in northeast China. It is an important industrial base and port city cluster.

A province in south-central China, Mao Zedong's hometown, famous for Hunan cuisine and Zhangjiajie scenic area.