This is the third volume in a series examining the political importance of China’s provinces under reform. The present book provides a survey of provinces as echelons of the People’s Republic of China. It seeks to locate the province as an administrative level in the Chinese state, through an examination of history, economic, social and political developments of these units. By situating the province history, this volume identifies new developments in the territorial administration of the People’s Republic over the reform era. It also charts the consequent emergence of the city as an intermediate unit, situated between the province and the country, and providing challenges to the hierarchy of the bureaucratic state. This book includes detailed analyses of Chongqing, Henan, Guangdong, Anhui, Yunnan and Heilongjiang. It contains extensively researched empirical data collected from these provinces, and user friendly maps of these regions.