China is the world's third largest country, after Russia and Canada. Its political geography is complicated. Encompassing 5 different administrative zones, China has 22 Provinces, 5 Autonomous Regions, 4 Municipalities, 2 Special Administrative Regions (SAR), and 1 Claimed Province. The following is a list of the provinces in Mainland China in alphabetical order. Taiwan, the twenty-third and claimed province, is listed separately.
Anhui Province
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Capital city: Hefei
Provincial population: 64.6 million
Famous for:
- Yellow Mountains (Huang Shan)
- UNESCO villages and Huizhou Architecture
- Jiuhuashan, one of China's 4 Holy Buddhist mountains.
Fujian Province
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Capital city: Fuzhou
Provincial population: 35.1 million
Famous for:
- Xiamen (formerly "Amoy"),
- Gulangyu
- Wuyishan Scenic Area
- Wulong Tea
- Hakka architecture
Gansu Province
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Capital city: Lanzhou
Provincial population: 29.2 million
Famous for:
- Gansu Provincial Museum in Lanzhou
- Ming-era Great Wall Jiayuguan Pass
- Dunhuang City for Silk Road history and Mogao Grottoes
- Hexi Corridor portion of the Silk Road
- Tibetan Autonomous Area encompassing Labrang Monastery
Guangdong Province
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Capital city: Guangzhou
Provincial population: 113 million
Famous for: factories and industry; its capital, Guangzhou (formerly "Canton").
Guizhou Province
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Capital city: Guiyang
Provincial population: 39 million
Famous for: large populations of minority peoples such as the Miao, Dong, and Buyi.​
Hainan Province
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Capital city: Haikou
Provincial population: 7.2 million
Famous for: beaches at Yalong Bay
Hebei Province
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Capital city: Shijiazhuang
Provincial population: 68 million​
Famous for: Chengde's Qing Dynasty summer palace (UNESCO Cultural World Heritage Site), Great Wall Shanhaiguan Pass, the easternmost end of the Ming-era Great Wall.
Heilongjiang Province
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Capital city: Harbin
Provincial population: 38.2 million
Famous for: historically being part of Manchuria; Harbin's annual Ice & Snow Festival
Henan Province
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Capital city: Zhengzhou
Provincial population: 98.7 million
Famous for:
- The Yellow River area - the cradle of Chinese Civilization
- Shaolin Temple
- The Longmen Grottoes
Hunan Province
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Capital city: Changsha
Provincial population: 67 million
Famous for:
- Delicious spicy food
- Mao Zedong's birth village of Shaoshan Chong
- Wulingyuan scenic area
Hubei Province
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Capital city: Wuhan
Provincial population: 60.2 million​​
Famous for:Â The Three Gorges on the Yangtze River
Jiangsu Province
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Capital city: Nanjing
Provincial population: 75.5 million
Famous for:
- Nanjing - the ancient capital of China and the site of major Japanese atrocities during WWII
- Suzhou - UNESCO World Heritage Site full of gardens and temples
- Yixing where China's most famous clay teapots are made
Jiangxi Province
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Capital city: Nanchang
Provincial population: 42.8 million
Famous for:
- Jingdezhen - the home of Chinese porcelain
- Lushan National Park, a UNESCO World Heritage Site
Jilin Province
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Capital city: Changchun
Provincial population: 42.2 million
Famous for:Â
- Being historically part of Manchuria
- The scenery at Heaven Lake on the North Korean border
Liaoning Province
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Capital city: Shenyang
Provincial population: 27.1 million
Famous for:
- Being historically part of Manchuria
- Manchu cultural and historical sites (the Qing Dynasty was established by the Manchus in Liaoning who then moved their capital to the Forbidden City in Beijing)
- Dalian, a beautiful port city with beaches and foreign architecture
Qinghai Province
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Capital city: Xining
Provincial population: 5.4 million
Famous for:
- The Qinghai-Tibet Railway
- Qinghai Lake, China's largest saltwater lake, and scenic area
- Tibetan autonomous area outside Xining around Kumbum Monastery
Shaanxi Province
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Capital city: Xi'an
Provincial population: 37 million
Famous for:
- Terracotta Warriors Museum
- Xi'an's Muslim quarter and ancient city wall
Shandong Province
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Capital city: Jinan
Provincial population: 91.8 million
Famous for:
- Qingdao's famous International Beer Festival
- Qufu - home of Confucius (the Kong family)
Shanxi Province
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Capital city: Taiyuan
Provincial population: 33.4 million
Famous for:
- Pingyao, a Ming-era walled city
- Wutaishan, one of China's 4 holy Buddhist mountains
- Datong Buddhist grottoes
Sichuan Province
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Capital city: Chengdu
Provincial population: 87.3 million
Famous for:
- Chengdu's many attractions
- Qingcheng Mountain
- Spicy Sichuan (or Szechuan) cuisine
- Giant Pandas
- Emeishan, one of China's 4 holy Buddhist mountains
Yunnan Province
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Capital city: Kunming
Provincial population: 44.2 million
Famous for:
- A large population of minority groups
- Lijiang, a UNESCO World Heritage Site famed for its Naxi minority culture
- Shangri-La, an ethnic Tibetan community in the high mountains
- Xishuangbanna, a trekking area famed for beautiful scenery
Zhejiang Province
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Capital city: Hangzhou
Provincial population: 47.2 million
Famous for:
- Longjing tea, the most famous of Chinese green teas
- Putuoshan, one of China's 4 holy Buddhist mountains
- Hangzhou's West Lake
- Moganshan Scenic Area