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Q: What are 2nd and 3rd tier cities?
I assume that Beijing and Shanghai are considered 1st tier cities, but what about Guangzhou and Hong Kong?
Also what cities are regarded as 2nd tier and what cities are regarded as 3rd tier?
12 years 39 weeks ago in General - Other cities
Guangzhou is a 1st tier city. 2nd tier cities would include places like Shenzhen, Dongguan, Dalian and Wuhan (among many others).
3rd tier are pretty much any city with less than 10 million people if I remember right.
Hong Kong is a SAR (Special Administrative Region) and is considered separate from the rest of China. But it would be considered a 1st tier if it was.
Four cities are counted as 1st tier cities: Beijing, Shanghai, Guangzhou, and Shenzhen. And they are considered for size, GDP, and other various things.
but hope this article helps:
http://online.wsj.com/ad/article/chinaenergy-cities
Thanks to both of you, interesting information.
So Nanning, even though it is a provincial capital with circa 6 million pop is at best a 3rd tier, OK.
tomcatflyer:
I'm from Nanning and have heard it is rated as a second tier city. Whether this is right or not I don't know, just what I heard.
Hugh.G.Rection:
You're from Nanning too?
Wow, that is four users on this site from Nanning? That's a lot for such a small city.
tomcatflyer:
There are more of us here than you might think, I have heard that there are around 2,000 foreigners here, which is still a small percentage compared with the overall population. Most tend to keep within their own group of friends. I guess I know about twenty foreigners here. Who knows we may even hang out at the same bar or restaurant as each other but don't know it.
Waaaaaaaaaaaaaaaaa! 
I'm in a 3rd-tier city!!!!!
Hugh.G.Rection:
I chose the City before the job, it's where my wife's family live and her home town. So I lose out on the top salary, but costs are less and family connections help in other ways. Swings and roundabouts! 
philbravery:
Stop your complaining if you are in a 3rd tier city I must stay in the out house of a country side pig farm (only 450000 people )
giadrosich:
How true, Phil! Actually, I love being in a smaller city (Changsha). It's large enough to where we do have some of the amenities of a metropolitan area, but small enough to were I can pretty much find what I need in a reasonable amount of time. And, I am across the street from one of the best public parks I've ever seen in any city!
philbravery:
me too
I like that small town thing
I find it more friendly than big city's and you have slightly less chance of being ripped off
