This is a list of cities designated as National Famous Historical and Cultural Cities (国家历史文化名城) by the State Council of China. China approved 99 National Famous Historical and Cultural Cities in three batches in 1982, 1986 and 1994, and has approved a further 44 cities from August 10, 2001 to September 30, 2023, bringing the total to 143. These cities are distributed throughout every provinces, autonomous region, and municipality except for Hong Kong and Macao. Jiangsu is the province with the most National Famous Historical and Cultural Cities, having 13; Shandong and Zhejiang are second, each having 10, Guangdong, Henan, Sichuan, and Yunnan are 4th with 8 cities, and Anhui is 8th, having 7. and Hebei, Jiangxi, Shanxi, Shaanxi are 9th, each with 6 National Famous Historical and Cultural Cities.
According to the Protection Law on Cultural Relics of China, a National Famous Historical and Cultural City is a city with an unusual wealth of cultural relics of high historical value and major revolutionary significance, subject to the approval and announcement of the State Council of PR China. The local government at the county level of the place where the famous city is located must organize the formulation of plans on protection of the famous city and bring that planning into the overall city planning. Measures for the protection of famous city shall be formulated by the State Council.[1]
The first batch was published on February 8, 1982 by State Council, there are 24 Chinese cities.[2]
The second batch was published on December 8, 1986 by State Council, there are 38 cities.[3]
The third batch was published on January 4, 1994 by State Council, there are 37 cities.[4]
| align=center colspan=5 | Supplementary List for 2001–present[5] | ||||
| Number | Name | Chinese | Province | Approval date | |
| 1 | Shanhaiguan, Qinhuangdao | 秦皇岛山海关 | Hebei | 10-Aug-01 | |
| 2 | Fenghuang | 凤凰 | Hunan | 17-Dec-01 | |
| 3 | Puyang | 濮阳 | Henan | 1-Oct-01 | |
| 4 | Anqing | 安庆 | Anhui | 14-Apr-05 | |
| 5 | Tai'an | 泰安 | Shandong | 9-Mar-07 | |
| 6 | Haikou | 海口 | Hainan | 13-Mar-07 | |
| 7 | Jinhua | 金华 | Zhejiang | 18-Mar-07 | |
| 8 | Jixi | 绩溪 | Anhui | 18-Mar-07 | |
| 9 | Turpan | 吐鲁番 | Xinjiang | 27-Apr-07 | |
| 10 | Tekes | 特克斯 | Xinjiang | 6-May-07 | |
| 11 | Wuxi | 无锡 | Jiangsu | 15-Sep-07 | |
| 12 | Nantong | 南通 | Jiangsu | 2-Jan-09 | |
| 13 | Beihai | 北海 | Guangxi | 9-Nov-10 | |
| 14 | Jiaxing | 嘉兴 | Zhejiang | 27-Jan-11 | |
| 15 | Yixing | 宜兴 | Jiangsu | 27-Jan-11 | |
| 16 | Zhongshan | 中山 | Guangdong | 17-Mar-11 | |
| 17 | Taiyuan | 太原 | Shanxi | 17-Mar-11 | |
| 18 | Penglai | 蓬莱 | Shandong | 1-May-11 | |
| 19 | Huili | 会理 | Sichuan | 8-Nov-11 | |
| 20 | Kuqa | 库车 | Xinjiang | 15-Mar-12 | |
| 21 | Yining | 伊宁 | Xinjiang | 28-Jun-12 | |
| 22 | Taizhou | 泰州 | Jiangsu | 10-Feb-13 | |
| 23 | Huize | 会泽 | Yunnan | 18-May-13 | |
| 24 | Yantai | 烟台 | Shandong | 18-Nov-13 | |
| 25 | Qingzhou | 青州 | Shandong | 18-Nov-13 | |
| 26 | Huzhou | 湖州 | Zhejiang | 14-Jul-14 | |
| 27 | Qiqihar | 齐齐哈尔 | Heilongjiang | 6-Aug-14 | |
| 28 | Changzhou | 常州 | Jiangsu | 1-Aug-15 | |
| 29 | Ruijin | 瑞金 | Jiangxi | 11-Aug-15 | |
| 30 | Huizhou | 惠州 | Guangdong | 3-Oct-15 [6] | |
| 31 | Wenzhou | 温州 | Zhejiang | 22-Apr-16 [7] | |
| 32 | Gaoyou | 高邮 | Jiangsu | 28-Nov-16 [8] | |
| 33 | Yongzhou | 永州 | Hunan | 16-December-16 | |
| 34 | Longquan | 龙泉 | Zhejiang | 16-July-17 | |
| 35 | Changchun | 长春 | Jilin | 15-October-17 | |
| 36 | Yu County | 蔚县 | Hebei | 2-May-18 | |
| 37 | Liaoyang | 辽阳 | Liaoning | 29-November-20 | |
| 38 | Tonghai County | 通海 | Yunnan | 3-March-21 | |
| 39 | Yi County | 黟县 | Anhui | 2-June-21 | |
| 40 | Tongcheng | 桐城 | Anhui | 7-November-21 | |
| 41 | Fuzhou | 抚州 | Jiangxi | 11-January-22 | |
| 42 | Jiujiang | 九江 | Jiangxi | 38-March-22 | |
| 43 | Jianchuan County | 劍川 | Yunnan | 5-March-23 | |
| 44 | Putian | 莆田 | Fujian | 30-September-23 |