Urban development

The urban centres of eastern China are the major cities of Shanghai, Nanjing, Hangzhou, Suzhou and Ningpo. These share much the same climate — cold winters, contrasted with summers that often reach highs of a searing 40°C (over 100°F) with humidity to match.

In modern times the area has developed tremendously fast, and has become known as the Yangtze Delta Metropolitan Area, the largest built-up area in China, covering some 99,600sq km (38,500 square miles). It is home to more than 115 million residents, of whom an estimated 80 million are part of the urban population.