第十八课：China's Administrative Division System
Sometimes a little confusing, no?
China is divided into different administrative subdivisions (行政区划 : xíngzhèng qūhuà), which can seem complex due to its multi-layered structure, sometimes a same function can be split between different levels. But here is the minimum to know :
Country 国家 : People's Republic of China.
Province/Region/City 省/ 自治区/ 直辖市 - shěng/ zìzhìqū/ zhíxiáshì:
23 Provinces 省, 5 Autonomous Regions 自治区, 4 Municipalities 直辖市 (major cities : Beijing, Shanghai, Tianjin, and Chongqing), 2 Special Administrative Regions (SARs) 特区: Hong Kong and Macau.
Prefecture 地级 - tèqū: Prefecture-level cities, autonomous prefectures.
County 县级 - xiànjí : Counties, county-level cities, districts, autonomous counties.
Township 乡级 - xiāngjí (乡 = HSK 5) : Townships and towns.
Village 村级 - cūnjí : Villages
Neighborhoods 社区 - shèqū (HSK 5) : Community/ neighborhood
Just a few examples of their responsibilities :
All of them are in charge of education, healthcare and social services.
But autonomous regions have the particularity to be in charge of preserving and promoting the culture, language, and traditions of the ethnic groups in these regions.
The provincial and municipal levels deal with larger economic, political, and infrastructure concerns. County, village, and community levels handle more localised issues, focusing on direct services to residents and citizens.
Practice here : Here
Quiz : Here