Taiyuan! A completely underestimated tourist city! Guide collection

Taiyuan City, abbreviated as "Bing", was called Jinyang in ancient times, and is also known as Bingzhou and Longcheng. [130] It is a prefecture-level city, provincial capital, and Type I large city under the jurisdiction of Shanxi Province, China. [131] [284] It is located in the central part of Shanxi Province and the northern end of the Jinzhong Basin. The city is located between 111°30'~113°09' east longitude and 37°27~38°25' north latitude. The total area is 6,988 square kilometers, accounting for about 4.5% of the total area of ​​Shanxi Province. [133] As of the end of 2022, the city's permanent population is 5.435 million. [132] As of the end of 2023, Taiyuan City has 6 districts, 3 counties, and 1 city under its jurisdiction. [135] The Municipal People's Government is located at No. 69, Xinjian Road, Taiyuan City. [136] The Taiyuan dialect belongs to the Taiyuan dialect of the Central District of Shanxi dialect. [174] Taiyuan City is surrounded by mountains on the east, west and north, and the Fenhe River valley plain is in the central and southern parts. The entire terrain is high in the north and low in the south. [134] Located in the interior of the continent, it has a warm temperate continental monsoon climate, with cold winters and hot summers, short springs and autumns, large temperature differences between day and night, and little and concentrated precipitation. [263] The discovery of the "Gujiao Paleolithic Cultural Site" shows that humans have lived in the Taiyuan area as early as 100,000 years ago. In ancient times, it belonged to Jizhou. [130] The Qin Dynasty established Taiyuan County in Jinyang, marking the beginning of the establishment of Taiyuan County. In 1948, the Chinese People's Liberation Army successively liberated various counties in Jinzhong and marched to the gates of Taiyuan. On October 17, the Taiyuan Municipal Government was established in Yuci. On March 1 of the following year, the Taiyuan Municipal Government and the Jinzhong Administrative Office merged to form the Taiyuan Municipal Government. On September 1, 1949, the Shanxi Provincial People's Government was established and Taiyuan City was changed to a provincial-level city. [140] [141] Taiyuan is an important central city in central China approved by the State Council, a national historical and cultural city, a national comprehensive transportation hub, and an advanced manufacturing base in North China [253]. It also has a national-level Jinzhong Cultural Ecological Protection Area [286].

Xi'an, formerly known as Haojing, Chang'an, Jingzhao, Xijing, and Yongzhou, is the capital city of Shaanxi Province, People's Republic of China. It is located in the central part of China, in the south-central part of Shaanxi Province and in the middle of the Weihe Plain. It is a megacity, a national central city, and the core city of the Guanzhong urban agglomeration. Xi'an is a sub-provincial city and the political, economic, cultural, transportation, medical, and educational center of Shaanxi Province and even the northwest region[4][5][6][7]. The total permanent population is 12.9959 million. The Municipal People's Government is located in Weiyang Square, Fengcheng 8th Road, Weiyang District. Xi'an is a famous cultural and tourist city in China and even in the world. It has a very profound historical and cultural heritage and is well-known at home and abroad. It is the first city in Chinese history to be called Jing. It has a history of more than 3,100 years of city construction[8][9] and more than 1,070 years of capital history. In history, many prosperous dynasties, including Zhou, Qin, Western Han, Sui, and Tang, had their capitals here [10], which made Xi'an witness the peak period of openness, extroversion, martial spirit, and prosperity in Chinese history, and left a huge amount of relics. Xi'an currently has two of the six world cultural heritage sites and is also the starting point of the Silk Road [Note 1]. The main urban area of ​​Xi'an still retains the complete Ming Dynasty city walls and gates, moats and bridges, corner towers, urn cities, arrow towers and other facilities. In and around the city, there are a large number of ancient cultural relics such as the Mausoleum of Qin Shihuang, the Han Yang Mausoleum, the ruins of the Han Chang'an City, and the ruins of the Tang Daming Palace, which are of extremely high archaeological research value. In terms of geography and transportation, Xi'an is located in the middle of the Weihe Plain in Guanzhong. The Weihe River, the largest tributary of the Yellow River, flows from the north of the city from southwest to northeast. There are also rivers such as the Chanhe River, the Bahe River, and the Jinghe River in the north and west. It is known as "Eight Rivers Surrounding Chang'an", all of which are ecological protection areas. It is adjacent to the northern slope of the Qinling Mountains in the south and is also close to the intersection of the climates of northern and southern China. Due to its geographical location in the center of the country, Xi'an is a gateway city and an important transportation hub for the Yangtze River Delta, the Pearl River Delta, and the Beijing-Tianjin-Hebei region to the northwest and southwest. It is also a must-go place for the northwest region to go to the eastern and southern regions of the country. Xi'an Railway Station is located on the Longhai Railway and is a hub station with huge transportation volume. Xi'an currently has the 4F-level Xi'an Xianyang International Airport and domestic high-speed rail transportation hubs such as Xi'an North Station. In terms of urban transportation, Xi'an currently has 11 operating subway lines with a total mileage of 403 kilometers. It also operates the Xihu Line of the urban rail and the tram Gaoxin Yunba. Xi'an is one of China's national central cities, an important city in the Silk Road Economic Belt, the New Eurasian Continental Bridge and the Yellow River Basin, and the economic, technological, educational, energy, financial, cultural and commercial center of the Guanzhong Urban Agglomeration. Its Yanliang District is an important aviation industry base in China. In 2009, the State Council approved the "Development Plan for the Guanzhong-Tianshui Economic Zone", proposing to build Xi'an into an important national science and technology research and development center, a regional trade, logistics, exhibition center, a regional financial center, a world-class tourist destination, and an important national high-tech industry and advanced manufacturing base, and strive to build Xi'an into an international metropolis. In 2013, the State Council approved the establishment of Xixian New Area, becoming China's seventh national new area. Most of the areas under the jurisdiction of the China (Shaanxi) Pilot Free Trade Zone established in 2017 are located in Xi'an. In February 2018, the National Development and Reform Commission and the Ministry of Housing and Urban-Rural Development issued the "Development Plan for the Guanzhong Plain Urban Agglomeration" to support Xi'an in building a national central city, an international comprehensive transportation hub, and an international metropolis with historical and cultural characteristics. In terms of administrative divisions, it currently has jurisdiction over 11 districts and 2 counties and fully administers Xixian New Area, with a total area of ​​about 10,700 square kilometers (including Xixian New Area), and several officially designated economic management zones such as the High-tech Zone, Qujiang New Area, and Economic Development Zone. The Xi'an Municipal Party Committee, Municipal Government and other party and government agencies are located in the administrative center of Weiyang District.

Tianjin City, referred to as "Jin", also known as Jingu and Jinmen, is a municipality directly under the Central Government of the People's Republic of China, a national central city, and a megacity [222]. It is located in the North China region of the People's Republic of China, in the lower reaches of the Haihe River Basin, bordering the Bohai Sea to the east, Yanshan Mountain to the north, the capital Beijing to the west, and the rest of the city is adjacent to Hebei Province. As of October 2023, Tianjin has 16 districts under its jurisdiction [93], with a total area of ​​11,966.45 square kilometers. As of the end of 2024, Tianjin has a permanent population of 13.64 million. [268] Tianjin is located in the northeast of the North China Plain and has a warm temperate semi-humid monsoon climate with distinct four seasons. Tianjin has been prosperous since ancient times due to the canal transportation. After the middle of the Tang Dynasty, it became a land and water port for transporting grain and silk from the south to the north. In the Jin Dynasty, Zhigu Fort was established at the Sanchakou area where the North-South Grand Canal and the Haihe River meet. This was the earliest establishment in Tianjin. In the Yuan Dynasty, "Haijin Town" was established, which was a military stronghold and a grain transportation center. In the second year of the Yongle reign of the Ming Dynasty (1404), the city was officially built. On March 7, the third year of the Yongzheng reign, Tianjin Wei was promoted to Tianjin Prefecture, which belonged to Hejian Prefecture [243]. In the ninth year of the Yongzheng reign, Tianjin Prefecture was promoted to Tianjin Prefecture, which had six counties and one prefecture under its jurisdiction. After 1912, Tianjin Prefecture was abolished [234]. It is the only city in ancient China with a definite record of its founding time [231]. Tianjin is an important central city in China approved by the State Council, a national historical and cultural city, a modern marine city, an international comprehensive transportation hub city, a national advanced manufacturing R&D base, a northern international shipping core area, and a financial innovation operation demonstration area [1] [230]. Tianjin is a major node of the China-Mongolia-Russia Economic Corridor, a strategic fulcrum of the Maritime Silk Road, a meeting point of the Belt and Road Initiative, and the nearest eastern starting point of the Eurasian Continental Bridge. It is an important seaport for neighboring landlocked countries, the largest port city in northern China, and a key location and gateway to protect the capital. [257]

Lianyungang, formerly known as Haizhou, is a prefecture-level city in Jiangsu Province, China. Located on the central coast of China, it borders the Yellow Sea to the east and connects to Xuzhou and Suqian to the west. The city covers a land area of 7,615 square kilometers and a sea area of 7,516 square kilometers. As of 2024, Lianyungang has a permanent population of 4.5817 million. The city is known for its coastal scenery and has two national 5A-level scenic spots: Liandao and Huaguo Mountain, along with 14 4A-level scenic areas.

Shenyang City, formerly known as Shengjing and Fengtian, is a prefecture-level city, provincial capital, sub-provincial city, and megacity under the jurisdiction of Liaoning Province. It is the core city of the Shenyang metropolitan area and an important central city in Northeast Asia approved by the State Council. Shenyang is known as the birthplace of the Qing Dynasty.

Sanya City is a prefecture-level city under the jurisdiction of Hainan Province. It is located at the southernmost tip of Hainan Island and is known for its tropical climate, beautiful beaches, and luxury resorts. Sanya is one of China's most popular tourist destinations and is often called the "Hawaii of China".

Weihai is a prefecture-level city in Shandong Province, China, located at the eastern tip of the Shandong Peninsula. The city covers a total area of 5,822.52 square kilometers and has a permanent population of 2.9146 million as of 2024. Weihai has a long history dating back to the Neolithic period and was established as a prefecture-level city in 1987. The city is an important regional center of the Shandong Peninsula, a major marine industry base, and a coastal tourism city as determined by the State Council.

Shenzhen City, abbreviated as "Shen", also known as Pengcheng, is a prefecture-level city, a sub-provincial city, a national planned city, and a megacity under the jurisdiction of Guangdong Province. It is a Chinese special economic zone approved by the State Council, a national innovative city, a modern marine city, an international comprehensive transportation hub city, a national economic center, a national advanced manufacturing base, a gateway to the outside world, an important carrier of an international science and technology innovation center, and a pilot demonstration zone of socialism with Chinese characteristics [1] [346-347]. It is located in the southern part of Guangdong Province, on the east bank of the Pearl River Estuary, bordering Daya Bay and Dapeng Bay to the east, the Pearl River Estuary and Lingdingyang to the west, the Hong Kong Special Administrative Region to the south, and Dongguan City and Huizhou City to the north [191]. By the end of 2024, the city will have 9 districts, a total area of ​​1,997.47 square kilometers, and a permanent population of 17.9895 million [378]. Shenzhen has a 7,000-year history of human activities and a 1,700-year history of city construction [326]. It is a comprehensive landform with hills as the main feature, and a combination of low mountains, hills, plateaus, terraces, and plains [323]. It has a subtropical monsoon climate, with long summers and short winters, mild weather, abundant sunshine, and abundant rainfall [324]. Shenzhen's predecessor was Bao'an County [236] [238] [285]. During the Ming and Qing dynasties, the main part of the city belonged to Xin'an County of Guangzhou Prefecture [234-235]. Before the establishment of the city, it belonged to Huiyang District [239]. The name Shenzhen first appeared in historical records in the eighth year of Yongle in the Ming Dynasty (1410). In March 1979, Bao'an County was renamed Shenzhen City, which was under the dual leadership of Guangdong Province and Huiyang District. In November, it was directly under the leadership of Guangdong Province. On August 26, 1980, Shenzhen established the Shenzhen Special Economic Zone [290] [376]. Shenzhen is one of the key overseas Chinese hometowns in Guangdong Province, one of the important old revolutionary bases, and one of the birthplaces of the Dongjiang Column during the Anti-Japanese War [327-328]; it is a window of China's reform and opening up and an emerging immigrant city, creating the world-renowned "Shenzhen Speed" and is known as the "Silicon Valley of China" [254]; it is also one of the four central cities in the Guangdong-Hong Kong-Macao Greater Bay Area, a national logistics hub, an international science and technology industry innovation center [2], and one of China's three national financial centers [3]. In 2024, Shenzhen's GDP will reach 3680.187 billion yuan, an increase of 5.8% over the previous year