Chinese Administrative Units
The following table shows terms used for various Chinese governmental units at different periods in history. You will notice that sometimes in the same period the same term is used at more than one level of the organizational chart, often producing a slightly different English translation.
The English terms are more or less conventional translations. Simplified characters are in parentheses when they differ from the traditional characters.
Indentation shows administrative subordination. When they differ, simplified characters are red and traditional ones are blue.
Modern (Periods 22-23)
Both the ROC and the PRC use these units, with some variation from place to place. For a time there were also "People's Communes" to be found in rural areas of the mainland.
- Shĕng 省 = Province
- Shì 市 = City, Municipality
- Qū 區 (区) = District or Quarter
- Lĭ 里 = Neighborhood or District
- Xiàn 縣 (县) = County
- Zhèn 鎮 (镇) = Town, Market Town
- Lĭ 里 = Village or District
Lín 鄰 (邻) = Neighborhood
- Xiāng 鄉 (乡) = Rural Township
- Zhuāng 莊 (庄) = Village
- Cūn 村 = Village
- Tèbié Shì 特別市 = Special City (subdivided like a Shì, above)
Qīng Dynasty (Period 21)
Shĕng 省 = Province
- Fŭ 府 = Prefecture
- Xiàn 縣 (县) = District
- (Tīng 廳 (厅) = Subprefecture)
- Zhōu 州 = Department, Subprefecture
- Dào 道 (道) = Circuit
- Zhílì Zhōu 直隸州 (直隶州) = Independent Department
- Zhílì Tīng 直隸廳 (直隶厅) = Independent Subprefecture
- Xiàn 縣 (县) = District
- Zhōu 州 = District
Táng & Sòng Dynasties (Periods 12 & 15)
- Zhōu 州 = Prefecture
- Xiàn 縣 (县) = District, County
Hàn Dynasty (Period 6)
- Jùn 郡 (郡) = Commandry, Prefecture
- Xiàn 縣 (县) = Prefecture, District
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