You may have heard of Beijing because of its status as capital of China or Shanghai as it is one of the world's largest economic hubs, but did you know there are many other megacities in China you probably have never heard of? Chongqing sits at the meeting point of the Yangtze and Jialing Rivers in southwest-central China. This made it a natural inland port which helped boost its economy and population. During the Sino-Japanese War, Chongqing became the temporary capital of China, accelerating its urban development. In 1997, Chongqing was separated from the Sichuan Province and became a direct-controlled municipality. This meant it reported directly to the central government, priority funding, and gained administrative control over its surrounding areas. Currently, with an enormous population of around thirty-two million, Chongqing was often nicknamed Mountain City because of its unique and dramatic topography. There is one city square which seems like it's on ground level but you're actually on the 22nd floor of a building! Chongqing is also sometimes called the Cyberpunk City because of its neon-lit buildings as well as fog and humidity. Some famous landmarks you can find here include Hongyadong which is a cliffside complex with eleven levels of traditional buildings that are neon lit at night. Liziba monorail Station is also famous on social media as it is the station built inside of a residential building meaning the monorail runs through the building showcasing the city's verticality. Another giant city in China you probably have never heard of is Shenzhen. In 1980, Shenzhen had a population of thirty thousand people. During this year, China chose Shenzhen as the first SEZ or Special Economic Zone meaning foreign companies could invest, factories could operate with fewer restrictions and entrepreneurs flooded in. Today, Shenzhen has close to eighteen million people and is home to many major Chinese tech giants. These include Huawei which is China's equivalent of an Apple iPhone, Tencent, DJI, and BYD. BYD or Build Your Dreams is a company that makes electric cars, buses, and trucks as well as solar panels and monorail systems. They make highly affordable cars and have spread their company across multiple continents though currently, there are only buses and trucks in North America. Going back to the topic of tech giants, these companies created an ecosystem of hardware startups, robotics labs, and drone development. These drones can be seen in the sky sometimes delivering food to designated pick up spots around the city. This just goes to show how futuristic some of these cities are! There are many more cities in China that you probably have never heard of. These can include Chengdu with its own set of twin towers to Xi'an where the terracotta soldiers stand. Many more cities such as Tianjin, Guangzhou, Wuhan, Suzhou, Hangzhou, and Nanjing. All of these cities sit above 8 million residents, which is more than New York City!
🇨🇳 𝟑𝐜𝐥𝐢𝐩𝐬𝐞
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