China's trillion-yuan GDP cities: Charting economic evolution from 2006 to 2023

Over the past two decades, China has undergone a remarkable economic transformation, with Shanghai being the first city to surpass the milestone of a trillion yuan annual GDP in 2006. As China's urban economy has evolved and more cities have reached this milestone, they have become key drivers of the nation's economic strategy, spearheading industrial upgrades, fostering entrepreneurship, and attracting international investment—all while boosting China's global economic influence.

(Produced by Sun Tianren, Zhan Huilan, Chen Lidan, Wang Zi, Fan Liuyi, Zhang Jian, Xu Zheqi and Zou Yun)