China’s National Historical and Cultural Cities list was introduced in 1982.
99 cities were introduced in three batches in 1982, 1986 and 1994. New cities continues to be added to the list every year.
The cities are grouped into seven categories of historical and cultural cities.
As of 2026, there are 145 cities in the list. This site covers 101 Historical and Cultural Cities visited.
Beijing City, Beijing Municipality
Beijing represents the pinnacle of traditional Chinese urban planning, imperial architecture, and intangible cultural legacy.
With a history of urban settlement spanning over 3,000 years—dating back to the city of Ji in the Western Zhou Dynasty—and a continuous history as a capital for more than 850 years, Beijing served as the seat of government for the Liao, Jin, Yuan, Ming, and Qing dynasties.
It is one of the Four Great Ancient Capitals of China—alongside Nanjing, Xi'an, and Luoyang.
Xi'an City, Shaanxi Province
Xi'an boasts over 3,100 years of urban history and roughly 1,100 years as an imperial capital. Xian is the Ancient Capital of 13 Dynasties.
Historically Xi'an is the eastern starting point of the Silk Road and the cradle of Chinese civilization.
It is one of the Four Great Ancient Capitals of China—alongside Beijing, Nanjing, and Luoyang.
Xi'an is revered alongside Rome, Athens, and Cairo as one of the world's "Four Great Ancient Capitals
Nanjing City,Jiangsu Province
Nanjing has nearly 2,500-year urban history and the capital for for six consecutive Han-led regimes that ruled southern China between the 3rd and 6th centuries.
It is one of the Four Great Ancient Capitals of China—alongside Beijing, Xi'an, and Luoyang.
Luoyang City, Henan Province
Steeped in 5,000 years of history, Luoyang is a vital birthplace of Chinese civilization that served as the capital for 13 dynasties. The ancient city also thrived as a central hub for the Grand Canal and the eastern starting point of the Silk Road.
It is one of the Four Great Ancient Capitals of China—alongside Beijing, Xi'an, and Nanjing.
Anyang City, Henan Province
Wenfeng Gong is also known as Wenfeng Tianhou Gong. It was built in 1354 in Putian City.
City: Putian City
Prefecture: Putian
Province: Fujian
Zhengzhou City, Henan Province
Fuzhou Tianhou Temple was built during the Yuan Dynasty (1271–1368) and had a major renovation during the Qing Dynasty.
City: Fuzhou City Gulou District
Prefecture: Fuzhou
Province: Fujian
Hangzhou City, Zhejiang Province
The Nanshan Tianfei Temple built on this site in 1412 at Admiral Zheng He's request.
It was relocated in 1761.
The museum was constructed in 1985 to celebrate the 500th anniversary of Admiral Zhenghe's voyages. The temple's bell and Admiral Zhenghe Steele recording the voyages are now in the museum.
City: Fuzhou City Changle District
Prefecture: Fuzhou
Province: Fujian
Shangqiu City, Henan Province
The Nanshan Tianfei Temple built in 1412 on Admiral Zheng He's request.It was relocated to the current site in 1761 and had a major repair in 1815.
City: Fuzhou City Changle District
Prefecture: Fuzhou
Province: Fujian
Zibo City, Shandong Province
Louzhou Tianhou Temple was built during in the middle of Ming Dynasty (1368–1644).
City: Fuzhou City Cangshan District
Prefecture: Fuzhou
Province: Fujian
Xianyang City, Shaanxi Province
The Tianhou Temple was founded in the Ming Dynasty (1368–1644).
City: Fuqing City
Prefecture: Fuzhou
Province: Fujian
Chengdu City, Sichuan Province
Other cities in this categories are
Lhasa, Tibet and Ji'an, Jilin Province
Pingyao City, Shaanxi Province
Pingyao is imperial China's ultimate living time capsule, uniquely preserving the complete architecture, street layout, and banking history of the Ming and Qing dynasties.
Xiangyang City, Hubei Province
Xiangyang possesses a 2,800-year history, serving as a critical military stronghold and a cultural cradle for the Chu, Han, and Three Kingdoms eras.
Qixian City, Shanxi Province
Qixian stands as a pristine living museum of Ming and Qing dynasty architecture, renowned for its foundational impact on Chinese banking history and its deep heritage along ancient global trade routes.
Zhending, Hebei Province
As a former ancient capital and political hub of northern China, Zhengding boasts exceptional architectural preservation spanning eight dynasties and a rich Buddhist history.
Liaocheng, Shandong Province
Liaocheng, a key Ming and Qing metropolis on the Grand Canal, is known as the "Water City North of the Yangtze River." The city preserves a profound literary heritage, an ancient water-focused layout, and over 400 historical landmarks.
Qufu City,Shangdong Province
Qufu, the ancient capital of the State of Lu, stands as a premier historical treasure due to its legacy as the birthplace of Confucius. As the cradle of Confucianism, it birthed the philosophical system that guided Chinese civilization for over 2,000 years and still protects unparalleled cultural landmarks.
Shouxian, Anhui Province
Shouxian—the last capital of the Chu State—is a crucial historical epicenter home to one of China’s best-preserved ancient city walls.
Linhai City, Zhejiang Province
Renowned as a crucial historical political and religious hub, Linhai features remarkably preserved ancient architecture and is distinguished by its monumental Jiangnan Great Wall.
Lijiang, Yunnan Province
Lijiang’s historical significance is defined by its 800-year-old traditional architecture, its strategic role as a vital trade hub along the Ancient Tea Horse Road, and its preservation of the living Naxi Dongba culture, which uniquely maintains a rare pictographic writing system.
Other cities in this categories are:-
Shexian, Anhui Province
Liangzhong, Sichuan Province
Fenghuang, Hunan Province
Jianshui, Yunnan Province
Dali, Yunnan Province
Dekeshi, Xinjiang Province
Xinfeng, Shaanxi Province
Hancheng, Shaanxi Province
Dujiangyan City, Sichuan Province
Dujiangyan City is a National Historical and Cultural City because of its 2,200-year-old dam-free irrigation system, its role as the birthplace of Taoism, and its well-preserved local heritage.
Zigong City, Sichuan Province
Zigong City is a National Historical and Cultural City because of its unique well salt history, prehistoric fossils, and traditional Chinese lantern craftsmanship.
Yibin City, Sichuan Province
Yibin is a National Historical and Cultural City due to its strategic position along the Yangtze River, its ancient architecture, a 4,000-year brewing history, and its role as a cultural sanctuary during the Second Sino-Japanese War.
Jingdezhen City, Jiangxi Province
Jingdezhen is a Historical and Cultural City because it is the "Porcelain Capital of the World." The city boasts over 1,000 years of continuous ceramic craftsmanship and imperial kiln history, which shaped global trade through the Silk Road and keeps it an international hub for cultural exchange today.
Luzhou City, Sichuan Province
Luzhou is a National Historical and Cultural City because of its 2,000-year history, its position as a major Yangtze River port, its deep Baijiu brewing culture, and its rich revolutionary legacy.
Bozhou City, Anhui Province
Bozhou is a National Historical and Cultural City because of its ancient roots, its status as the birthplace of legendary historical figures, and its long legacy as a hub for Taoism and traditional medicine.
Chengde City, Hebei Province
Yulin City, Shaanxi Province
Yulin City, is a National Historical and Cultural City because of its deep roots in early Chinese civilization, its position as a Great Wall military stronghold, and its distinct northern Shaanxi folk arts and architecture.
Zoucheng City, Shandong Province
Zoucheng is a National Historical and Cultural City because it is the hometown of Mencius, the premier follower of Confucius. The city is also a core birthplace of Confucian philosophy and the ancient capital of the State of Zhu.
Shanhaiguan City, Hebei Province
Shanhaiguan is a National Historical and Cultural City because of its massive military architecture, its historical importance as the "First Pass under Heaven," and its unique connection between the Great Wall and the sea.
Qiqihar City, Heilongjiang Province
Qiqihar has served as the seat of the Heilongjiang General since the 31st year of the Kangxi reign (1692), functioning as the highest military and administrative center in the northeastern frontier for 255 consecutive years. It houses a complete cluster of military government ruins, including the Heilongjiang General's Office and the Military Command Headquarters. Its historical landscape is primarily composed of "official site ruins that effectively controlled the frontier" and "the culture of the Eight Banners garrisons."
Huai'an City, Jiangsu Province
瑞金市, 江西省
Ruijin City, Jiangxi Province
Tongren City, Guizhou Province
Tongren is a National Historical and Cultural City because of its 600-year-old Ming Dynasty architecture, its vibrant ethnic minority heritage, and its past as a major mining and trading hub along the Jinjiang River.
Other city in this category is Daixian, Shanxi Province, Gaoyou Jiangsu Province, Huize Yunnan Province
Chengde City, Hebei Province
Suzhou City, Jiangsu Province
Leshan City, Sichuan Province
Shaoxing City, Zhejiang Province
Taian City, Shandong Province
Jinhua City, Zhejiang Province
Guilin City, Guangxi Province
Yangzhou City, Jiangsu Province
Wuxi City, Jiangsu Province
Yueyang City, Hunan Province
Zhenjiang, City Jiangsu Province
Kunming City, Yunnan Province
Zhaoqing City, Guangdong Province
Jiujiang City, Jiangsu Province
Yixing City, Jiangsu Province
Haikuo City / Qiongshan City, Hainan Province
Other cities in this categories are:- Changshu, Jiangsu Province Chuzhou, Jiangsu Province Xunxian, Henan Province Zhongxiang, Hubei Province Liuzhou, Guangxi Province
Yinchuan City, Ningxia
Chaozhou City, Guangdong Province
Turpan, Xinjing Uyghur Autonomous Region
Dunhuang, Gansu Province
Changting, Fujian Province
Meizhou City, Guangzhou Province
Tianshui City, Gansu Province
Leizhou City, Guangdong Province
Putian City, Fujian Province
Since its establishment as a county during the Southern Dynasties, Putian has a history of over 1,400 years as a formal administrative entity. It is the birthplace of Mazu culture, a key node city along the Maritime Silk Road, and a representative of China's agrarian maritime civilization, as well as a vital stronghold in the coastal defense systems of the Ming and Qing dynasties. Nestled between mountains and the sea, Putian's unique geographical layout—"seven mountains, two waters, and one field"—has shaped the distinctive charm of the Putian and Xianyou cultures, while also preserving a wealth of diverse historical and cultural heritage
Wenzhou City, Zhejiang Province
Haerbin City, Heilongjiang Province
Other cities in this categories are:-
Yongzhou, Hunan Province
Xinghua, Jiangsu Province
Longquan, Zhejiang Province
Weishan, Tonghai, Yunnan Province
Jianchuan County, Sichuan Province
Jilin, Jilin Province
Jixi, Yixian Anhui Province
Yining, Kuqa, Kashi, Xinjing Uyghur Autonomous Region
Wuwei, Zhangye, Gansu Province
Rikaze, Jiangzi, Tibet Autonomous Region
Shanghai City, Shanghai Municipality
Qingdao City, Shandong Province
Guangzhou City, Guangdong Province
Chongqing City, Chongqing Municipality
Tianjin City, Tianjin Municipality
Yanan City, Shaanxi Province
Nanchang City, Jiangxi Province
Wuhan City, Hubei Province
Zhunyi, Guizhou Province
宁波市, 浙江省
Ningbo City, Zhejiang Province
Zhangzhou City, Fujian Province
Quanzhou City, Fujian Province
Fuzhou City, Fujian Province
Changsha City, Hunan Province
Jinan City, Shandong Province
Xuzhou, Jiangsu Province
Baoding, Hebei Province
Anqing, Anhui Province
Quzhou, Zhejiang Province
Leizhou, Guangdong Province
Ganzhou, Jiangxi Province
Meishan City, Sichuan Province
Fuzhou City, Jiangxi Province
Changzhou City, JiangsuProvince
Taiyuan City, Shanxi Province
Datong City, Shanxi Province
Other cities in this categories are:- Nanyang, Henan Province Puyang, Henan Province Hanzhong, Shaanxi Province Shuizhou, Hubei Province Liaoyang, Liaoning Province Jiaxing, Taihu City Zhejiang Province Taizhou, Jiangsu Province