# History of the administrative divisions of China (1949–present)

The Chinese Communist Party (CCP) initially held scattered fragments of mainland China at the start of the Chinese Civil War. By the establishment of the People's Republic of China in October 1949, the CCP controlled the majority of mainland China, forcing the Republic of China government to retreat to Taiwan.

## Founding

The Government of China made the following changes:
* China was divided into 6 greater administrative areas (大行政区 dà xíngzhèngqū) that came above provinces.$^{:13}$
* Manchuria was reorganized completely.
* Inner Mongolia was formed out of parts of Manchuria as the first autonomous region.
* The short-lived province Pingyuan was set up.
* Jiangsu was temporarily divided into two administrative regions: Subei and Sunan.
* Anhui was temporarily divided into two administrative regions: Wanbei and Wannan.
* Sichuan was temporarily divided into four administrative regions: Chuandong, Chuannan, Chuanxi and Chuanbei.

## 1950s

In 1952, the provinces of Jiangsu, Anhui and Sichuan were restored. Pingyuan and Chahar were split into their surrounding provinces. Nanjing, the old capital of the Republic of China, was deprived of its municipality status and annexed by Jiangsu province. In 1953, Changchun and Harbin were elevated to municipality status.
In 1954, a massive campaign to cut the number of provincial-level divisions was initiated. Of the 14 municipalities existing in 1953, 11 were annexed by nearby provinces, with only Beijing, Shanghai, and Tianjin remaining. The province of Liaoning was formed out of the merger of Liaodong and Liaoxi, while Songjiang, Suiyuan and Ningxia disappeared into Heilongjiang, Inner Mongolia and Gansu, respectively.
The greater administrative area level was abolished in 1954.$^{:13}$ After they were abolished, various government statistics and documents continued to use them as a matter of convenience.$^{:13}$
The process continued in 1955 with Rehe being split among Hebei, Liaoning and Inner Mongolia, and Xikang disappearing into Sichuan. In that same year Xinjiang became the second autonomous region of China, and plans for a third, Tibet Autonomous Region, were initiated. Qamdo territory was put under the planned Tibet Autonomous Region.
In 1957 two more autonomous regions were added, Ningxia (split back out of Gansu) and Guangxi (which was previously a province). In 1958 Tianjin was annexed by Hebei, leaving only two municipalities, Beijing and Shanghai. During the Great Leap Forward, townships were abolished and people's communes were introduced.

## 1960s and 1970s

In 1965 Tibet Autonomous Region was established out of the formerly self-governing Tibet Area, as well as the Qamdo Territory. In 1967 Tianjin was split back out as a municipality. In 1969, as part of the Cultural Revolution, Inner Mongolia was truncated; Hulunbuir was ceded to Heilongjiang, Jirim to Jilin, Juuuda to Liaoning, and the Alxa League split between Ejin Banner going to Gansu and the Alashan Region to Ningxia. This was reversed in 1979.

## 1980s, 1990s and 2000s

Starting in the 1980s, prefecture-level cities and county-level cities began to appear in very large numbers, usually by replacing entire prefectures and counties. People's communes ceased to exist due to the 1982 constitution and were replaced by townships. Hainan and some other islands were split out of Guangdong and set up as a Hainan Province in 1988.
In 1997, Chongqing became the fourth municipality of China. In that same year Hong Kong reverted to Chinese rule and became the first special administrative region. Macau became the second in 1999.
In the 1990s, there was a campaign to abolish district public offices as a level. By 2004 very few remained.
In the meantime, most prefectures have become prefecture-level cities.

## List of all provincial-level divisions since 1949

abolished  present  claimed
Administrative divisions of China :
| Greater Administrative Areas ||||||||||
| Name | Simplified Hanzi | Traditional Hanzi | Pinyin | Translation | Capital | Simplified Hanzi | Traditional Hanzi | Notes | Notes |
| Huabei | 华北 | 華北 | Huáběi | "North China" | Beijing | 北京 | 北京 | 1949–1954 | 1949–1954 |
| Dongbei | 东北 | 東北 | Dōngběi | "Northeast" | Shenyang | 沈阳 | 瀋陽 | 1949–1954 | 1949–1954 |
| Huadong | 华东 | 華東 | Huádōng | "East China" | Shanghai | 上海 | 上海 | 1949–1954 | 1949–1954 |
| Zhongnan | 中南 | 中南 | Zhōngnán | "South Central" | Wuhan | 武汉 | 武漢 | 1949–1954 | 1949–1954 |
| Xibei | 西北 | 西北 | Xīběi | "Northwest" | Xi'an | 西安 | 西安 | 1949–1954 | 1949–1954 |
| Xinan | 西南 | 西南 | Xīnán | "Southwest" | Chongqing | 重庆 | 重慶 | 1949–1954 | 1949–1954 |
| Name | Simplified Hanzi | Traditional Hanzi | Pinyin | Abbreviation | Capital | Simplified Hanzi | Traditional Hanzi | GAA | Note |
| Provinces ||||||||||
| Andong | 安东 | 安東 | Āndōng | 安 ān | Tonghua | 通化 | 通化 | Dongbei | 1949 abolished → Liaodong, Jilin |
| Anhui | 安徽 | 安徽 | Ānhuī | 皖 wǎn | Hefei | 合肥 | 合肥 | Dongbei | 1949 abolished → Wanbei, Wannan; 1952 reverted |
| Chahar | 察哈尔 | 察哈爾 | Cháhā'ěr | 察 chá | Zhangjiakou | 张家口 | 張家口 | Huabei | 1952 abolished → Inner Mongolia, Hebei |
| Fujian | 福建 | 福建 | Fújiàn | 闽 mǐn | Fuzhou | 福州 | 福州 | Huadong | The majority of Fujian is controlled by the PRC, while the ROC still retains control of Kinmen, Wuqiu and Matsu Islands under its Fujian Province |
| Gansu | 甘肃 | 甘肅 | Gānsù | 甘 gān | Lanzhou | 兰州 | 蘭州 | Xibei | 1958 Ningxia split into its own autonomous region |
| Guangdong | 广东 | 廣東 | Guǎngdōng | 粤 yuè | Guangzhou | 广州 | 廣州 | Zhongnan | 1952 & 1965 Fangchenggang, Qinzhou, Beihai → Guangxi; 1955 reverted 1988 Hainan split into its own province |
| Guangxi | 广西 | 廣西 | Guǎngxī | 桂 guì | Nanning | 南宁 | 南寧 | Zhongnan | 1958 province → autonomous region |
| Guizhou | 贵州 | 貴州 | Guìzhōu | 黔 qián | Guiyang | 贵阳 | 貴陽 | Xinan | |
| Hainan | 海南 | 海南 | Hǎinán | 琼 qióng | Haikou | 海口 | 海口 | Zhongnan | |
| Hebei | 河北 | 河北 | Héběi | 冀 jì | Baoding (49-54; 67–68) Tianjin (54-67) Shijiazhuang (present) | 保定 天津 石家庄 | 保定 天津 石家莊 | Huabei | 1967 Tianjin split into its own municipality |
| Hejiang | 合江 | 合江 | Héjiāng | 合 hé | Jiamusi | 佳木斯 | 佳木斯 | Dongbei | 1949 abolished → Heilongjiang |
| Heilongjiang | 黑龙江 | 黑龍江 | Hēilóngjiāng | 黑 hēi | Qiqihar (49-54) Harbin (present) | 齐齐哈尔 哈尔滨 | 齊齊哈爾 哈爾濱 | Dongbei | 1952 part of Xing'an split into Inner Mongolia |
| Henan | 河南 | 河南 | Hénán | 豫 yù | Kaifeng (49-54) Zhengzhou (present) | 开封 郑州 | 開封 鄭州 | Zhongnan | |
| Hubei | 湖北 | 湖北 | Húběi | 鄂 è | Wuhan | 武汉 | 武漢 | Zhongnan | |
| Hunan | 湖南 | 湖南 | Húnán | 湘 xiāng | Changsha | 长沙 | 長沙 | Zhongnan | |
| Jiangsu | 江苏 | 江蘇 | Jiāngsū | 苏 sū | Nanjing | 南京 | 南京 | Huadong | 1949 abolished → Subei, Sunan; 1952 reverted |
| Jiangxi | 江西 | 江西 | Jiāngxī | 赣 gàn | Nanchang | 南昌 | 南昌 | Huadong | |
| Jilin | 吉林 | 吉林 | Jílín | 吉 jí | Jilin (49-54) Changchun (present) | 吉林 长春 | 吉林 長春 | Dongbei | 1952 north part split into Inner Mongolia |
| Liaobei | 辽北 | 遼北 | Liáoběi | 洮 táo | Liaoyuan | 辽源 | 遼源 | Dongbei | 1949 abolished → Jilin, Liaoning |
| Liaodong | 辽东 | 遼東 | Liáodōng | 关 guān | Dandong | 丹东 | 丹東 | Dongbei | 1954 abolished → Liaoning |
| Liaoning | 辽宁 | 遼寧 | Liáoníng | 辽 liáo | Shenyang | 沈阳 | 瀋陽 | Dongbei | 1949 abolished → Liaodong, Liaoxi; 1954 reverted 1952 north part split into Inner Mongolia |
| Liaoxi | 辽西 | 遼西 | Liáoxī | 辽 liáo | Jinzhou | 锦州 | 錦州 | Dongbei | 1954 abolished → Liaoning |
| Nenjiang | 嫩江 | 嫩江 | Nènjiāng | 嫩 nèn | Qiqihar | 齐齐哈尔 | 齊齊哈爾 | Dongbei | 1949 abolished → Heilongjiang |
| Ningxia | 宁夏 | 寧夏 | Níngxià | 宁 níng | Yinchuan | 银川 | 銀川 | Xibei | 1954 province → Gansu |
| Mudanjiang | 牡丹江 | 牡丹江 | Mǔdānjiāng | 丹 dān | Mudanjiang | 牡丹江 | 牡丹江 | Dongbei | 1949 abolished → Heilongjiang |
| Pingyuan | 平原 | 平原 | Píngyuán | 平 píng | Xinxiang | 新乡 | 新鄉 | Zhongnan | 1952 abolished → Henan, Shandong |
| Qinghai | 青海 | 青海 | Qīnghǎi | 青 qīng | Xining | 西宁 | 西寧 | Xibei | |
| Rehe | 热河 | 热河 | Rèhé | 热 rè | Chengde | 承德 | 承德 | Dongbei | 1955 abolished → Inner Mongolia, & Liaoning |
| Sichuan | 四川 | 四川 | Sìchuān | 川 chuān | Chengdu | 成都 | 成都 | Xinan | 1949 abolished → Chuanbei, Chuandong, Chuannan, Chuanxi; 1952 reverted 1997 Chongqing split into its own municipality |
| Shaanxi | 陕西 | 陕西 | Shǎnxī | 陕 shǎn | Xi'an | 西安 | 西安 | Xibei | |
| Shandong | 山东 | 山東 | Shāndōng | 鲁 lǔ | Jinan | 济南 | 濟南 | Huadong | |
| Shanxi | 山西 | 山西 | Shānxī | 晋 jìn | Taiyuan | 太原 | 太原 | Huabei | |
| Songjiang | 松江 | 松江 | Sōngjiāng | 松 sōng | Harbin | 哈尔滨 | 哈爾濱 | Dongbei | 1954 abolished → Heilongjiang |
| Suiyuan | 绥远 | 綏遠 | Suíyuǎn | 绥 suí | Hohhot | 呼和浩特 | 呼和浩特 | Huabei | 1954 abolished → Inner Mongolia |
| Taiwan | 台湾 | 臺灣 | Táiwān | 台 tái | Taipei | 台北 | 臺北 | Huadong | claimed since 1949 the founding of the PRC; it has not been governed by the PRC since its founding |
| Xikang | 西康 | 西康 | Xīkāng | 康 kāng | Kangding (49-50) Ya'an (50-55) | 康定 雅安 | 康定 雅安 | Xinan | 1955 abolished → Sichuan & Qamdo |
| Xing'an | 兴安 | 興安 | Xīkāng | 兴 xīng | Hulunbuir | 呼伦贝尔 | 呼倫貝爾 | Dongbei | 1949 abolished → Heilongjiang |
| Xinjiang | 新疆 | 新疆 | Xīnjiāng | 疆 jiāng | Ürümqi | 乌鲁木齐 | 烏魯木齊 | Xibei | 1955 province → autonomous region |
| Yunnan | 云南 | 雲南 | Yúnnán | 滇 diān | Kunming | 昆明 | 昆明 | Xinan | |
| Zhejiang | 浙江 | 浙江 | Zhèjiāng | 浙 zhè | Hangzhou | 杭州 | 杭州 | Huadong | |
| Autonomous Regions ||||||||||
| Alxa Khoshut Banner → Alxa | 阿拉善和硕特旗→阿拉善 | 阿拉善和碩特旗→阿拉善 | Ālāshàn | 阿 ā | Bayanhot | 巴彥浩特 | 巴彥浩特 | Huabei | 1954 merge into Inner Mongolia |
| Ejin | 额济纳 | 額濟納 | Éjìnà | 额 é | Dalainhob | 达拉呼布 | 達拉呼布 | Huabei | 1954 merge into Inner Mongolia |
| Guangxi | 广西 | 廣西 | Guǎngxī | 桂 guì | Nanning | 南宁 | 南寧 | Zhongnan | 1958 province → autonomous region |
| Inner Mongolia | 内蒙古 | 內蒙古 | Nèi Měnggǔ | 蒙 měng | Ulaanhot (47-50) Hohhot (present) | 乌兰浩特 呼和浩特 | 烏蘭浩特 呼和浩特 | Huabei | 1947 created; 1969 truncated → Liaoning, Heilongjiang, Jilin, Gansu, Ningxia; 1979 reverted |
| Ningxia | 宁夏 | 寧夏 | Níngxià | 宁 níng | Yinchuan | 银川 | 銀川 | Xibei | 1958 special region → autonomous region |
| Tibet | 西藏 | 西藏 | Xīzàng | 藏 zàng | Lhasa | 拉萨 | 拉薩 | Xinan | 1965 region → autonomous region |
| Xinjiang | 新疆 | 新疆 | Xīnjiāng | 疆 jiāng | Ürümqi | 乌鲁木齐 | 烏魯木齊 | Xibei | 1955 province → autonomous region |
| Municipalities ||||||||||
| Anshan | 鞍山 | 鞍山 | Ānshān | 鞍 ān | Tiedong District | 铁东区 | 鐵東區 | Dongbei | 1954 abolished → Liaoning |
| Beijing | 北京 | 北京 | Běijīng | 京 jīng | Dongcheng District | 东城区 | 東城區 | Huabei | |
| Benxi | 本溪 | 本溪 | Běnxī | 本 běn | Pingshan District | 平山区 | 平山區 | Dongbei | 1954 abolished → Liaoning |
| Changchun | 长春 | 長春 | Chángchūn | 春 chūn | Nanguan District | 南关区 | 南關區 | Dongbei | 1953 created; 1954 abolished → Jilin |
| Chongqing | 重庆 | 重慶 | Chóngqìng | 渝 yú | Yuzhong District | 渝中区 | 渝中區 | Xinan | 1954 abolished → Sichuan; 1997 reverted |
| Dalian → Lüda | 大连→旅大 | 大連→旅大 | Dàlián | 连 lián | Xigang District | 西岗区 | 西崗區 | Dongbei | 1949 abolished → Luda, 1950 reverted, 1954 abolished → Liaoning |
| Fushun | 抚顺 | 撫順 | Fǔshùn | 抚 fǔ | Shuncheng District | 顺城区 | 順城區 | Dongbei | 1954 abolished → Liaoning |
| Harbin | 哈尔滨 | 哈爾濱 | Hārbīn | 哈 hā | Nangang District | 南岗区 | 南崗區 | Dongbei | 1953 created, 1954 abolished → Heilongjiang |
| Guangzhou | 广州 | 廣州 | Guǎngzhōu | 穗 suì | Yuexiu District | 越秀区 | 越秀區 | Zhongnan | 1954 abolished → Guangdong |
| Nanjing | 南京 | 南京 | Nánjīng | 宁 níng | Xuanwu District | 宣武区 | 宣武區 | Huadong | 1952 abolished → Jiangsu |
| Shanghai | 上海 | 上海 | Shànghǎi | 沪 hù | Huangpu District | 黄浦区 | 黃浦區 | Huadong | |
| Shenyang | 沈阳 | 瀋陽 | Shěnyáng | 沈 shěn | Shenhe District | 沈河区 | 瀋河區 | Dongbei | 1954 abolished → Liaoning |
| Tianjin | 天津 | 天津 | Tiānjīn | 津 jīn | Heping District | 和平区 | 和平區 | Huabei | 1954 abolished → Hebei, 1967 reverted |
| Hankou → Wuhan | 汉口→武汉 | 漢口→武漢 | Wǔhàn | 汉 hàn | Jiang'an District | 江岸区 | 江岸區 | Zhongnan | 1949 abolished → Hubei |
| Xi'an | 西安 | 西安 | Xī'ān | 镐 hào | Weiyang District | 未央区 | 未央區 | Xibei | 1954 abolished → Shaanxi |
| Special Administrative Regions ||||||||||
| Hainan | 海南 | 海南 | Hǎinán | 琼 qióng | Haikou | 海口 | 海口 | Zhongnan | 1949 abolished → Guangdong |
| Hong Kong | 香港 | 香港 | Xiānggǎng | 港 gǎng | Hong Kong | 香港 | 香港 | Zhongnan | 1997 created (Transfer of sovereignty over Hong Kong) |
| Macau | 澳门 | 澳門 | Àomén | 澳 ào | Macau | 澳门 | 澳門 | Zhongnan | 1999 created (Transfer of sovereignty over Macau) |
| Administrative Territories ||||||||||
| Chuanbei | 川北 | 川北 | Chuānběi | 充 chōng | Nanchong | 南充 | 南充 | Xinan | 1950 created; 1952 abolished → Sichuan |
| Chuandong | 川东 | 川東 | Chuāndōng | 渝 yú | Chongqing | 重庆 | 重慶 | Xinan | 1950 created; 1952 abolished → Sichuan |
| Chuannan | 川南 | 川南 | Chuānnán | 泸 lú | Luzhou | 泸州 | 瀘州 | Xinan | 1950 created; 1952 abolished → Sichuan |
| Chuanxi | 川西 | 川西 | Chuānxī | 蓉 róng | Chengdu | 成都 | 成都 | Xinan | 1950 created; 1952 abolished → Sichuan |
| Subei | 苏北 | 蘇北 | Sūběi | 扬 yáng | Yangzhou | 扬州 | 揚州 | Huadong | 1949 created; 1952 abolished → Jiangsu |
| Sunan | 苏南 | 蘇南 | Sūnán | 锡 xī | Wuxi | 无锡 | 無錫 | Huadong | 1949 created; 1952 abolished → Jiangsu |
| Wanbei | 皖北 | 皖北 | Wǎnběi | 合 hé | Hefei | 合肥 | 合肥 | Huadong | 1949 created; 1952 abolished → Anhui |
| Wannan | 皖南 | 皖南 | Wǎnnán | 芜 wú | Wuhu | 芜湖 | 蕪湖 | Huadong | 1949 created; 1952 abolished → Anhui |
| Lüda | 旅大 | 旅大 | Lǚdà | 旅 Lǚ | Dalian | 大连 | 大連 | Dongbei | 1949 created; 1950 abolished → Dalian |
| Regions ||||||||||
| Tibet | 西藏 | 西藏 | Xīzàng | 藏 zàng | Lhasa | 拉萨 | 拉薩 | Xinan | 1965 region → autonomous region |
| Territories ||||||||||
| Qamdo | 昌都 | 昌都 | Chāngdū | 昌 chāng | Qamdo | 昌都 | 昌都 | Xinan | 1965 merge into Tibet |