To call a city big, it has to have a population of five million people, and this doesn't always happen. Some people mistakenly think of the largest Chinese cities as just big villages. Despite the fact that many Chinese towns are significantly larger than the largest U.S. or European cities, these cities are not considered big by international standards. In fact, there are 19 cities in China with a population of five million or more. Chinese towns and cities traditionally developed where different agriculture districts met. Eventually, the marketplaces grew large enough to sustain a permanent population of merchants.
Many Chinese cities were once lined with courtyard houses, which were considered the finest works of humankind. While these buildings are rare in Beijing, former foreign concessions, which are mainly two-story buildings, give an impression of a bustling urban life. As a result, Chinese metropolises have developed "edge cities" outside their downtown areas, without single-family homes, green spaces, or other amenities associated with suburbia.
The typical Chinese city was established where livestock from the dry plains were traded for grain, and produce from mountain and coastal regions was grown. In addition, inland agricultural areas produced a large surplus, which supported a thriving population of craftsmen and merchants. While these cities have a rich history, the modern cities are ugly. Most buildings are blocky, with crumbling apartment blocks, pollution-belching smokestacks, and dust from construction projects.