province-city-china
province-city-china is a JavaScript dataset package providing complete administrative division data for China (provinces, cities, counties, towns) in JSON, CSV, and SQL formats. It is sourced from official Chinese government records and regularly updated, making it suitable for location-based services and address validation in Chinese applications.
Key facts
Objective fields from the source. Values we can't verify are shown as “Unknown” rather than guessed.
| Field | Value |
|---|---|
| Repository | uiwjs/province-city-china |
| Owner | uiwjs |
| Primary language | JavaScript |
| License | MIT — OSI-approved |
| Stars | 3k |
| Forks | 576 |
| Open issues | 21 |
| Latest release | v8.5.8 (2024-09-05) |
| Last updated | 2026-04-21 |
| Source | https://github.com/uiwjs/province-city-china |
What province-city-china is
A zero-dependency Node.js/JavaScript module exporting hierarchical Chinese administrative boundary data with GB2260 codes. Data is available in multiple formats (JSON, CSV, SQL) and covers five administrative levels per PRC standards, with version history showing periodic updates against official government sources.
Get the province-city-china source
Clone the repository and explore it locally.
git clone https://github.com/uiwjs/province-city-china.gitcd province-city-china# follow the project's README for install & configurationNeed it deployed, integrated, or customized instead? DEV.co ships production installs.
Best use cases
Implementation considerations
- No dependencies simplifies bundling and reduces supply chain risk; however, ensure data freshness aligns with your business requirements (last explicit update in README is 2021/03/22).
- Multiple export formats (JSON, CSV, SQL) allow flexible integration; verify the JSON structure and hierarchical depth match your application's address model before committing.
- The data reflects PRC administrative divisions; users or regulators in disputed territories may require custom handling or disclaimers.
- The package is language-agnostic (data is structured, not code); integration in non-JavaScript stacks requires only parsing JSON/CSV/SQL, but no official SDKs exist for other runtimes.
- Repository activity shows the project was last pushed in 2026 (likely system-date artifact); examine recent issue and PR activity to gauge actual maintenance momentum.
When to avoid it — and what to weigh
- Real-time geographic or boundary updates required — The dataset is static and sourced periodically from government records; it is not suitable for applications requiring real-time boundary or administrative division changes.
- Multi-country or global administrative data needed — This package is China-specific. If your application requires international or multi-region administrative data, you will need supplementary or alternative sources.
- High-precision geospatial mapping or GIS analysis — The dataset provides administrative codes and hierarchy but does not include geographic coordinates, shapefiles, or boundary polygons needed for GIS or mapping applications.
- Frequent updates with minimal vendor control — Data updates depend on community and maintainer contributions; if your compliance or business logic requires guaranteed SLA-backed data freshness, consider commercial alternatives or official government APIs.
License & commercial use
MIT License. Permissive, OSI-approved license allows unrestricted use, modification, and redistribution in commercial and proprietary applications, provided the original license notice is retained.
MIT License permits commercial use without fee or license agreement; however, the underlying data is sourced from PRC government records. Verify that your use case and jurisdiction do not impose additional restrictions on derived works or data redistribution. No commercial warranty or indemnification is provided by the maintainer; assess liability and data accuracy risks internally.
DEV.co evaluation signals
Editorial assessment — not user reviews. Directional, with an explicit confidence level.
| Signal | Assessment |
|---|---|
| Maintenance | Moderate |
| Documentation | Adequate |
| License clarity | Clear |
| Deployment complexity | Low |
| DEV.co fit | Good |
| Assessment confidence | Medium |
The package contains no executable code or network functionality; security risk is minimal from the code itself. The primary consideration is data provenance: verify that the official Chinese government sources (mca.gov.cn, stats.gov.cn) are trustworthy for your use case. If bundling administrative data in a public API or client-side application, ensure no sensitive inferences or privacy risks arise from publishing region codes. No additional encryption, authentication, or access controls are provided by the package.
Alternatives to consider
Alibaba AliGenie (Chinese administrative data APIs)
Commercial, API-based alternative with real-time updates and higher SLA. Requires authentication and fees. Suitable if you need guaranteed freshness and vendor support.
Official PRC Government Administrative Division APIs (mca.gov.cn, stats.gov.cn)
Authoritative, up-to-date source directly from Chinese government ministries. May require custom parsing and integration. Preferred for compliance-critical applications but no official public API published.
Mapbox or Google Maps administrative boundary datasets
Global, well-maintained alternatives with geographic coordinates and GIS support. Higher cost and broader feature set; preferable if you need international coverage or mapping capabilities.
Build on province-city-china with DEV.co software developers
Evaluate whether this dataset meets your freshness, compliance, and feature requirements. If you need real-time updates, GIS support, or commercial SLA guarantees, consider Mapbox, Google Maps, or official Chinese government APIs. For static, hierarchical address lookups in Chinese applications, this package offers a low-dependency, permissively licensed solution.
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province-city-china FAQ
Is the data current and compliant with the latest PRC administrative divisions?
Can I use this data in a commercial SaaS product?
What format should I choose: JSON, CSV, or SQL?
Does this package include geographic coordinates or map boundaries?
Work with a software development agency
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Ready to integrate Chinese administrative data?
Evaluate whether this dataset meets your freshness, compliance, and feature requirements. If you need real-time updates, GIS support, or commercial SLA guarantees, consider Mapbox, Google Maps, or official Chinese government APIs. For static, hierarchical address lookups in Chinese applications, this package offers a low-dependency, permissively licensed solution.