Districts of the People's Republic of China
| Administrative divisions of China |
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History: before 1912, 1912–49, 1949–present Administrative division codes |
The term district, in the context of the People's Republic of China refers to several unrelated political divisions in both ancient and modern China.
In the modern context, districts (区 qū) refer to two types of divisions in the People's Republic of China: city districts.
However, if the word "district" is encountered in the context of ancient Chinese history, then it is a translation for xian, another type of administrative division in China.
City districts
As a county-level division, a city district (市辖区, pinyin: shìxiáqū, lit. a city-governed district; also translated as a city-controlled district or a sub-city) is a subdivision of a municipality or a prefecture-level city.
Before the 1980s, cities in the People's Republic of China were administrative divisions containing mostly urban, built-up areas, with very little farmland, except for the immediate suburbs in order to ensure a large supply of food or raw materials. As a result, districts were also mostly urban or suburban in nature.
After the 1980s, prefectures began to be replaced with prefecture-level cities. From then on, "cities" in mainland China became just like any other administrative division, containing urban areas, towns, villages, and farmland. These cities are subdivided into districts, counties, autonomous counties, and county-level cities. At the same time, counties and county-level cities began to be replaced with districts, especially after 1990. From then onwards, districts were no longer just urban entities — some districts today are just like counties, with towns and townships under them governing rural areas.
Ethnic districts
A type of city districts that are specially created for ethnic minorities. Currently there are 4 ethnic districts three in Henan and one in Heilongjiang.
Ancient sense
If the word "district" is encountered in the context of ancient Chinese history, then the word is a translation for xian, another type of administrative division in China.
Xian has been translated using several English language terms. In the context of ancient history, "district" and "prefecture" are commonly used, while "county" is used for more contemporary contexts.