Megalopolises in China explained

In China, a megalopolis ^[1] is a designation by the government to promote the development of a group of cities through transportation and communication links.

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. 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] The highlighted clusters included the Beijing-Tianjin-Hebei region, the Yangtze River delta region, and the Greater Bay area. 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.

Major Chinese megalopolises

Megalopolises	Metropolitan areas	Cities	Area (km^2)	data-sort-type=number	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, OrdosShaanxi 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

• 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

Notes and References

1. In Standard for basic terminology of urban planning (GB/T 50280—98) issued in 1998, is defined as "An area in which cities are relatively densely distributed in a certain region".
2. Supersized Cities. Economist Intelligence Unit. 2012.
3. Web site: Five city clusters planned to help boost balanced growth. 王建芬. www.chinadaily.com.cn. 14 April 2018.
4. Book: Hu, Richard . Reinventing the Chinese City . 2023 . . 978-0-231-21101-7 . New York.
5. Web site: 关于长江三角洲构建世界第六大城市群的思考 . China.com.cn . 2013-04-04 .
6. Web site: 长江三角洲城市群发展规划 . Yangtze River City Cluster Development Plan . . 2016-06-01 . zh-CN .
7. News: UN report: World's biggest cities merging into 'mega-regions' . Vidal . John . 2010-03-22 . The Guardian . London .
8. Web site: 印发《珠江三角洲城乡规划一体化规划（2009-2020年）》的通知 . 广东省人民政府办公厅 . 2010-07-30 . zh-CN .
9. Web site: Outline Development Plan for the Guangdong-Hong Kong-Macao Greater Bay Area . en-HK .
10. Web site: 中共中央 国务院印发《粤港澳大湾区发展规划纲要》 . Gov.cn . 2019-02-18 . zh-CN .
11. Web site: 长江中游城市群发展规划 . Middle Yangtze River Valley City Cluster Development Plan . PDF . . 2015-04-13 . zh-CN .
12. Web site: 哈长城市群发展规划 . Harbin-Changchun City Cluster Development Plan . . 2016-03-07 . zh-CN .
13. Web site: 成渝城市群发展规划 . Chengyu City Cluster Development Plan . . 2016-04-27 . zh-CN .
14. Web site: 中原城市群发展规划 . Central Plain City Cluster Development Plan . . 2016-12-29 . zh-CN .
15. Web site: 北部湾城市群发展规划 . Beibu Gulf City Cluster Development . . 2017-02-10 . zh-CN .
16. Web site: 关中平原城市群发展规划 . Guanzhong Plain City Cluster Development Plan . . 2018-02-02 . zh-CN .
17. Web site: 呼包鄂榆城市群发展规划 . Hohhot-Baotou-Ordos-Yulin City Cluster Development Plan . . 2018-02-27 . zh-CN .
18. Web site: 兰州—西宁城市群发展规划 . Lanzhou-Xining City Cluster Development Plan . . 2018-03-13 . zh-CN .