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Chinese cities (shi)

See the list in cities within the lingustic core. Those outside this area are listed, below:

Cities are listed by province (or equivalent), with an asterisk indicating capitals:

Aomen (Macao) no large cities
Fujian Fuzhou (Foochow)*, Xiamen, Putian, Sanming, Quanzhou, Zhangzhou, Nanping, Longyan, Ningde
Guangdong Guangzhou (Kuang-chou or Canton)*, Shantou (Swatow), Rongcheng, Shenzhen and 17 other cities (shi)
Guangxi (Kwangsi) Nanning*, Liuzhou and 11 other cities (shi)
Hainan Haikou
Hunan Changsha (Ch'ang-sha)* and 12 other cities (shi)
Jiangxi (Kiangsi) Nanchang (Nan-ch'ang)*, Pingxiang and nine other cities (shi)
上海1 (Shànghăi) 上海 (Shànghăi)*
Xianggang (Hong Kong) Xianggang* (Hong Kong or Hongkong)
Xizang (Tibet) no large cities

浙江2 (Zhèjiāng) Province

Nine cities

CityShi populationMetropolitan population3 (millions)Former names
杭州4 (Hángzhōu)*8.7007.526臨安5 (Lín'ān)
湖州6 (Húzhōu)2.8941.293
嘉兴7 (Jiāxīng)4.5023.497
金华8 (Jīnhuá)5.3624.400
宁波9 (Níngbō)7.6066.557
衢州10 (Qúzhōu)2.1231.275
绍兴11 (Shàoxīng)4.9124.532紹興 (Shàoxīng), 會稹12 (Kuàijī)
台州13 (Tāizhōu)5.9694.298
温州14 (Wēnzhōu)9.1225.941

Footnotes

1. Shànghăi or Shang-hai in transliterated Pŭtōnghuà Chinese. The first character means above and the second sea, so a reasonable translation is Upon-the-Sea. In the Shanghai dialect of the Wu dialect group it transliterates as Zånhae. The shi had 23.019 million residents. The metropolitan population is the same as there are no quan within the shi and they are how I choose to restrict my definition of a metropolitan area within the shi. Since the only qu (Qingpu) that borders Suzhou Shi's core is a suburban one, I do not extend the definition of the metropolitan area beyond the shi. The source is https://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Shanghai, accessed July 31 and August 2, 2016, which cites the 2010 census.
2. Zhèjiāng or Che-Chiang or Jejyang in transliterated Pŭtōnghuà Chinese. It is also called Chekiang (former postal designation based on the Nanjing dialect). The first character is a phonetic marker coupled with the water radical. In reconstructed Old Chinese it was pronounced like tet, and was a proto-Wu term for the Yue people according to https://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Zhejiang, accessed August 10, 2016. The second character means river.
3. Metropolitan area in the case of 浙江 (Zhèjiāng) is defined as those qu and county-level shi (city) that are contiguous to the prefectural-level shi's seat or to any qu or county-level shi included by that rule. Qian (rural counties) and county-level shi that border only qian are excluded. This is still a generous definition and includes rural areas and outlying cities. By this definition Jiàndé Shi is excluded from Hángzhōu's metropolitan calculation. Also two prefectural-level shi with over a million residents have less than a million metropolitan residents when this rule is applied: Zhoushan and Lishui. In Lishui's case only Liandu Qu is included; Longquan county-level shi and all the xian are excluded. Sources for the shi and county-level populations comes from drilling down from https://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Zhejiang, with pages accessed July 31 and August 2, 2016. Where those subordinate pages lacked county-level populations, I used http://www.citypopulation.de/php/china-zhejiang-admin.php, accessed on the same dates. Both sources cited the 2010 census. While the shi of Zhoushan and Lishui have 1.121 and 2.117 million residents, their metropolitan areas, defined this way, are but 843 and 451 thousand, and so I considered them to small for the list.
4. Hángzhōu or Hang-chou or Hangjou in transliterated Pŭtōnghuà Chinese. It is also called Hangchow (former postal designation based on the Nanjing dialect). The first character is used only in naming people and places. The second refers to an administrative division, usually translated as either province, prefecture or county. In the Hangzhou dialect (Wu dialect group) it transliterates as Ɦaŋtsei. Jiàndé Shì is subordinate to Hángzhōu.
5. In today's simplified characters it would be 临安. It transliterates from Pŭtōnghuà Chinese as Lín'ān or Lin-an or Linan. The first character has meanings clustered about the concept of 'nearly'; the second character is about peacefulness.
6. Húzhōu or Hu-chou or Hujou are transliterations from Pŭtōnghuà Chinese. The first character means lake and the second refers to an administrative division, usually translated as either province, prefecture or county. In the Huzhou dialect of the Wu dialect group it transliterates as Vuciu.
7. Jiāxīng or Chia-hsing or Jyasying are transliterations from Pŭtōnghuà Chinese. It is also called Kashing (former postal designation based on the Nanjing dialect). The first character means good or commend and the second flourish or prosper. In the Wu dialect group it transliterates as Gāshīng. Hǎiníng, Pìnghú and Tóngxiāng shì are subordinate to Jiāxīng.
8. Jīnhuá or Chin-hua or Jinhwa are transliterations from Pŭtōnghuà Chinese. The first character means gold and the second Chinese/ illustrious/ flowery. I do not know how it would transliterated from the local Wu dialect. Prior to this century the prefectural level shi's center was distinct from the triple cities (county level shi) of 义乌 (Yìwū or I-wu or Yiwu or Iwu), 东阳 (Dōngyáng or Tung-yang or Dungyang) and 永康 (Yŏngkāng or Yung-k'ang or Yungkang) constituted a metropolitan area; now they are subordinate to the prefectural shi. 义 means righteous, 乌 means crow. 东 means east; 阳 means male. 永 means flowing-water or eternal; 康 means peaceful/ quiet/ happy/ healthy. I do not know the Wu dialect group's transliteration of these three cities. Lánxī Shì is also subordinate to Jīnhuá.
9. Níngbō or Ning-po or Ningbwo in transliterated Pŭtōnghuà Chinese. The first character is in its modern form and means peaceful or rather. The second character wave, ripple, storm or surge. Thus: peaceful waves. In the Wu dialect group it transliterates as Nyingpo. Yúyáo and Cíxī are shì that are subordinate to Níngbō.
10. Qúzhōu or Ch'u-chou or Chyujou are transliterations from Pŭtōnghuà Chinese. The first character means broad road and the second refers to an administrative division, usually translated as either province, prefecture or county. I do not know the Wu dialect group's transliteration of this city.Jiānshān Shì is also subordinate to Qúzhōu.
11. Shàoxīng or Shao-hsing or Shausying are transliterations from Pŭtōnghuà Chinese. It is also called Shaohing (former postal designation based on the Nanjing dialect). The first character means to connect or join, and the second to flourish or prosper. In the Wu dialect group it transliterates as Sohshing. Zhūjì and Shèngzhōu shì are subordinate to Shàoxīng.
12. In today's simplified characters it would be 会稹. Kuàijī or K'uai-chi or Kwaiji are transliterations from Pŭtōnghuà Chinese. The first character means to meet or to gather and the second, to bow low or inspect. In the Wu dialect group it would be transliterated as Kwaeji.
13. Tāizhōu or T'ai-chou or Taijou are transliterations from Pŭtōnghuà Chinese. It is also called Taichow (former postal designation based on the Nanjing dialect). The first character, when pronounced this way, refers to a mountain in the province; the second character refers to an administrative division, usually translated as either province, prefecture or county. In the Tāizhōu dialect of the Wu dialect group, it transliterates as T'e-tsiu. Línhǎi, Wēnlǐng and Yùhuán shì are subordinate to Tāizhōu.
14. Wēnzhōu or Wen-chou or Wenjou in transliterated Pŭtōnghuà Chinese. The first character is in its modern form and means warm or review. The second character refers to an administrative division, usually translated as either province, prefecture or county. In the Wenzhou dialect of the Wu dialect group it transliterates Luciou. Ruì'ān and Yuèqīng shì are subordinate to Wēnzhōu.