China, Reimagined: The Final 13 Regions – Batch 8

This is the final step in the Regional Review Project dedicated exclusively to China. After careful consideration and extensive consultations with the local NomadMania community, as well as experts on the country, we have introduced 13 new regions to better represent this fascinating, complex, diverse, and vast nation — one that has long been underrepresented on NomadMania.

These changes affect the following provinces: Guangdong, Guangxi, Guizhou, Heilongjiang, Hubei, Inner Mongolia, Jiangsu, Shaanxi, Sichuan, Xinjiang, and Yunnan.

Let’s dive into the details.

Guangdong

The former rural areas of Guangdong, China’s most populous province, once grouped into a single region, have now been divided into four distinct regions.

At the same time, the Guangzhou region has been refined to match the city’s administrative boundaries, ensuring a more accurate representation, while Shenzhen remains unchanged.

Before	After
Guangdong – rural areas (Shantou, Zhanjiang)	Guangdong – Pearl River Delta Guangdong – West (* inherits a point) Guangdong – East (Chaoshan) Guangdong – North

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Guangxi

We are transitioning from an East/West division to a North/South split, based on a proposal from local experts mainly due to geography and travel logic.

Before	After

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Guizhou

Guizhou is being divided into two: Guizhou – North (including Guiyang and surrounding areas), which inherits a point, and Guizhou – Autonomous Prefectures with either ethnic minorities forming over 50% of the population or being, most commonly, the historic home of significant minorities.

Before	After

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Heilongjiang

Two regions of northern Heilongjiang province are redivided into three. The new region is Heilongjiang East (Jiamusi, Mudanjiang).

Before	After
Heilongjiang South Heilongjiang North	Heilongjiang South Heilongjiang North Heilongjiang – East

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Hubei

Greater Wuhan becomes a new region, carved out of Hubei – East, inheriting a point.

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Inner Mongolia AR

Inner Mongolia – East becomes a new region being carved out of Inner Mongolia – Central/East.

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Jiangsu

The new region is Jiangsu – Southeast while Jiangsu North region slightly expanded southwards.

Before	After
Jiangsu South (Nanjing, Suzhou, Zhenjiang) Jiangsu North (Xuzhou, Yancheng, Yangzhou)	Jiangsu – Southwest (Nanjing, Zhenjiang) Jiangsu – Southeast (Suzhou, Wuxi, Changzhou) Jiangsu North (Xuzhou, Yancheng, Yangzhou)

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Shaanxi

One of the most historically important provinces of China, Shaanxi, is being redivided into three regions to better reflect its traditional cultural landscapes, largely shaped by its fascinating geography.”

Before	After
Shaanxi North (Yulin, Weinan, Tongchuan, Yan’an) Shaanxi South (Xian, Baoji, Xianyang, Ankang)	Shaanxi – North (Yulin, Yan’an) Shaanxi – Central (Xi’an, Baoji) Shaanxi – South (Hanzhong, Ankang) *new

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Sichuan

Greater Chengdu becomes a new region, carved out of Sichuan – East and inheriting a point, while Yibin is reassigned to the latter from the former Southern Autonomous region of Sichuan which has its own identity to do ethnic minorities.

Before	After
Sichuan – East (Chengdu, Mianyang, Luzhou) Sichuan – Tibetan autonomous (Garze, Ngawa) Sichuan – Southern autonomous	Sichuan – Greater Chengdu Sichuan – Tibetan autonomous (Garze, Ngawa) Sichuan – Southern autonomous Sichuan – East (Leshan, Nanchong, Luzhou)

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Xinjiang

The three former regions of Xinjiang are being divided into five, reflecting the area’s geographical and cultural differences.

Before	After
Xinjiang – North (Altay, Bortola, Ili, Tacheng, Ürümqi) Xinjiang – West (Aksu, Hotan, Kashgar, Kizilsu) Xinjiang – East (Turpan, Hami, Bayingolin, Kumul)	Xinjiang – Dzungaria – Central (Ürümqi, Changji Hui) Xinjiang – Dzungaria – East (Turpan, Kumul/Hami) Xinjiang – Dzungaria – North (Altay, Karamay) Xinjiang – Tarim – West (Kashgar, Aksu, Qizilsu) Xinjiang – Tarim – East (Bayingolin, Hotan)

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Yunnan

As one of the most diverse provinces of China, Yunnan is being divided as follows.

Before	After
Yunnan – East (Kunming, Chuxiong, Yuxi, Honghe) Yunnan – West (Dali, Xishuangbanna, Pu’er, Lijiang)	Yunnan – East (Kunming, Qujing, Yuxi, Zhaotong) Yunnan – Northwest (Dali, Lijiang, Shangri-la) Yunnan – Southwest (Puer, Lincang, Baoshan)

That’s it! Please take some time to explore the changes above. Your NomadMania map of China has likely been updated, and you may notice a few new white spots.

We apologise for any inconvenience this may cause. However, in this case, the changes represent a step forward as we continue building the best travel list in the world.

Thank you for being part of this journey with us.