Brief Outline of
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.

Indentation shows administrative subordination.

The English terms are more or less conventional translations. Traditional characters are added in blue when they differ from the simplified character set (in red).

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.

• Shěng 省 = Province
  • Shì 市 = City, Municipality
    • Qū 区 / 區= District or Quarter
      • Lǐ 里 = Neighborhood or District
        • Lín 邻 / 鄰 = Neighborhood
  • Xiàn 县 / 縣 = County
    • Zhèn 镇 / 鎮 = Town, Market Town
      • Lǐ 里 = Village or District
        • Lín 邻 / 鄰 = Neighborhood
    • Xiāng 乡 / 鄉 = Rural Township
      • Zhuāng 庄 / 莊 = Village
      • Cūn 村 = Village
        • Lín 邻 / 鄰 = Hamlet
• Tèbié Shì 特別市 = Special City (subdivided like a Shì, above)

Qīng Dynasty (Period 21)

Click here for an administrative
chart of Táiwān province in 1894.

• Shěng 省 = Province
  • Fǔ 府 = Prefecture
    • Xiàn 县 / 縣 = District
    • (Tīng 厅 / 廳 = Subprefecture)
    • Zhōu 州 = Department, Subprefecture
      • Xiàn 县 / 縣 = District
  • Dào 道 = Circuit
    • Zhílì Zhōu 直隶州 / 直隸州 = Directly Governed Department
      • Xiàn 县 / 縣 = District
    • Zhílì Tīng 直隶厅 / 直隸廳 = Directly Governed Subprefecture
      • Xiàn 县 / 縣 = District
      • Zhōu 州 = District
        • Xiàn 县 / 縣 = Subdistrict

Táng & Sòng Dynasties (Periods 12 & 15)

• Zhōu 州 = Prefecture
  • Xiàn 县 / 縣 = District, County

Hàn Dynasty (Period 6)

• Jùn 郡 / 郡 = Commandry, Prefecture
  • Xiàn 县 / 縣 = Prefecture, District