A 'Chip City' Competition
Is Quietly Reshaping China's Urban Landscape
Twelve Cities, Twelve 'Divine Beasts'
This Time, We Unfold China's 'Chip' Map in a New Way
Each city's IC (Integrated Circuit) industry development has its own characteristics, just as every animal has its own nature. Some are bold and enterprising, while others accumulate strength for a sudden burst. Behind each characteristic lies the unique IC footprint of the city. What animals would the twelve representative 'chip cities' be? The image below presents our answer:
Shanghai · Orca
Characteristics: An all-around leader with virtually no weaknesses, continuing to advance towards a world-class cluster at the trillion-CNY level
Shanghai is like an orca. Its strength lies not only in its scale but also in the fact that it has almost no obvious weaknesses in design, manufacturing, packaging and testing, equipment and materials, and EDA/IP. Around 40% of the nation's IC talents and nearly 50% of its innovation resources converge in Shanghai. Coupled with its advantages in scientific research, capital, and the Yangtze River Delta supply chain, it has formed the most complete IC industry ecosystem in China. In the global ranking of comprehensive competitiveness in the IC industry, Shanghai ranks fourth globally and first nationally.
Scale: In 2025, the scale of Shanghai's IC industry approached CNY 580 billion, a year-on-year growth of 15.5%. It has gathered over 1,200 IC enterprises.
Development Direction: High-end chip design, EDA/IP, high-performance computing chips, memory chips, specialty processes, advanced packaging, and new devices.
Representative Enterprises: SMIC (wafer foundry), Hua Hong Group (wafer foundry), OmniVision (CMOS image sensors), Biren Technology (GPU), MetaX (GPU), AMEC (semiconductor equipment), NSIG (silicon wafers).
Beijing · Eagle
Characteristics: Commanding the high ground, with design, EDA, and equipment occupying the upstream highlands, while continuing to strengthen manufacturing capabilities
Beijing is like an eagle. Its edge lies not in a single manufacturing scale, but in firmly occupying the commanding heights of the upstream industry chain. The scale of the IC equipment industry in Beijing E-Town accounts for more than half of the national total; the domestic EDA leader Empyrean has risen from here, ranking among the top ten globally. Top scientific and educational resources from Tsinghua University, Peking University, and the Chinese Academy of Sciences converge densely here, continuously leading original R&D and high-end talent supply. Today, Beijing is accelerating the strengthening of advanced manufacturing, moving from 'upstream navigation' to 'whole-chain victory'.
Scale: According to industry estimates, the revenue of Beijing's entire IC industry chain exceeded CNY 250 billion in 2025.
Development Direction: High-end chip design, EDA tools, key semiconductor equipment, advanced manufacturing processes, core materials, AI chips, and advanced packaging.
Representative Enterprises: Loongson (CPU), Cambricon (AI chips), GigaDevice (memory and MCU), Empyrean (EDA), NAURA (semiconductor equipment), Yitang Semiconductor (etching and thermal treatment equipment), SMIC North (wafer manufacturing).
Wuhan · Flood Dragon
Characteristics: Strategic heavy weapon type, a hidden dragon gathering strength for twenty years, building the 'World Capital of Memory'
Wuhan is like a flood dragon rising along the Yangtze River. As the core carrier of the National Memory Base, it occupies a strategic position in the national memory industry. Its optoelectronic information industry is 'unique in the country', and its IC talent reserve firmly ranks in the first tier nationwide. With the explosive demand for high-bandwidth and low-power computing from AI and HPC (High-Performance Computing), Wuhan has seized the strategic initiative in related fields such as advanced memory, advanced packaging, and compound semiconductors.
Scale: The IC industry has become Wuhan's 'primary industry' focused on development, with the industry scale breaking through CNY 100 billion in 2025.
Development Direction: Memory chips, 3D integration, advanced packaging, compound semiconductors, optical chips, and optoelectronic integration.
Representative Enterprises and Platforms: YMTC (memory chips), XMC (3D integration and specialty processes), Jiufengshan Laboratory (compound semiconductors), Jiangcheng Laboratory (advanced packaging).
Shenzhen · Cheetah
Characteristics: Ultra-fast iteration type, with keen sense and leading design, completing the last piece of the puzzle towards 'full-category manufacturing'
Shenzhen is like a cheetah, and its greatest advantage is speed. From CNY 169 billion in 2021 to CNY 361.04 billion in 2025, it took only four years. The high concentration of terminal industries such as mobile phones, communications, robotics, and drones enables Shenzhen to perceive demand first, define chips fastest, and quickly complete design, verification, and iteration. Relying on its nationally leading chip design capabilities and a huge application market, Shenzhen has formed a unique advantage of 'terminal-driven design and market-accelerated iteration'. Currently, it is accelerating the strengthening of the manufacturing segment, advancing from a 'strong design city' to a full-chain industry system.
Scale: In 2025, the sales revenue of Shenzhen's IC industry exceeded CNY 360 billion, a year-on-year growth of 27.1%; of which the design industry exceeded CNY 240 billion, ranking first among all cities in the country.
Development Direction: AI chips, core equipment such as etching/metrology, sensors, MEMS devices, inference-specific chips, EDA, and co-packaged optics.
Representative Enterprises: HiSilicon (chip design), ZTE Microelectronics (chip design), BYD Semiconductor (power semiconductors), Pengxinwei (wafer manufacturing), SMIC Shenzhen (wafer foundry), XKL (semiconductor equipment).
Hefei · Dark Horse
Characteristics: Latecomer leapfrog type, building the 'Capital of China's IC Industry'
Hefei is a typical dark horse. Although it did not start early, it achieved a rapid leap in a short time by relying on major project traction, industrial capital leverage, and the agglomeration of leading enterprises. With ten years of patient companionship, it cultivated CXMT into the highest market-cap IC listed company in China, running out the 'Hefei Speed' in China's chip memory track with the tenacity of a dark horse. Its most distinctive feature is 'Chip-Screen-Auto Integration': chips, displays, and automobiles drive each other and serve as each other's markets. Coupled with local capital and sci-tech innovation resources, it forms a unique ecosystem of highly coordinated 'industry-application-capital'.
Scale: In 2025, the scale of Hefei's IC industry reached CNY 151.4 billion, a growth of over 7 times compared to 2016.
Development Direction: 3D DRAM, optical quantum, IC design, and high-end semiconductor materials.
Representative Enterprises: CXMT (memory chips), Nexchip (wafer foundry), SMO (equipment).
Wuxi · Rhinoceros
Characteristics: Deep accumulation and heavy armor type, over 60 years of industrial accumulation, advancing from traditional packaging and testing to advanced packaging
Wuxi is like a rhinoceros wearing heavy armor. Its greatest advantage is not newness, but depth. Over 60 years of deep cultivation have given it a rare manufacturing depth and a complete industry chain in China, making it steady and powerful. However, facing new cycles such as AI computing power, how to transform traditional advantages into new growth drivers faster will determine the acceleration of the next leg of the journey.
Scale: In 2025, the total output value of the city's IC industry broke through CNY 280 billion.
Development Direction: IC specialty processes and packaging/testing, EDA tools, IC photomask and wafer manufacturing.
Representative Enterprises: JCET (packaging and testing), SK Hynix (memory chips), CR Micro (power semiconductors), SJ Semiconductor (advanced packaging), Maxscend (chip design), Winsemi (chip design).
Suzhou · Steed
Characteristics: Balanced and steady type, with a complete chain and strong manufacturing capabilities
Suzhou is more like a steed. It does not rely on the sudden explosion of a single project, but maintains balanced, stable, and continuous progress on a complete industry chain. Backed by a nearly CNY 1.5 trillion electronic information industry, Suzhou has a profound foundation in applications and supply chains. Adjacent to Shanghai, it undertakes the industrialization of innovation achievements and industry chain supporting, forming a synergistic advantage of 'Shanghai R&D + Suzhou Manufacturing'.
Scale: In 2025, the revenue of Suzhou's entire IC industry exceeded CNY 300 billion.
Development Direction: Third-generation semiconductors, silicon photonics and optoelectronic integration, key core IC technologies, advanced processes, key materials, major equipment, advanced packaging, photonic chips, and optical devices.
Representative Enterprises: TFME Suzhou (packaging and testing), WLCSP (advanced packaging), 3peak (chip design), Novosense (chip design), Jingrui Electronic Materials (wet electronic chemicals), Nata Opto-electronic (photoresist).
Nanjing · Brown Bear
Characteristics: Solid foundation and tackling type, with outstanding university research density
Nanjing is like a brown bear, possessing both the steady power brought by a deep industrial chassis and the explosive power of concentrated tackling and breaking through to higher levels. Its university research density is outstanding. Long-established strong engineering universities such as Southeast University and Nanjing University have long been deeply engaged in basic disciplines such as microelectronics, electronic information, and materials, providing high-quality technology and talent supply for the industry.
Scale: In 2025, the scale of Nanjing's IC industry broke through CNY 100 billion, a year-on-year growth of over 20%.
Development Direction: Silicon-based micro-displays, third-generation semiconductors, advanced semiconductor materials, EDA, and chiplet integration.
Representative Enterprises and Platforms: TSMC Nanjing (wafer manufacturing), Jiangsu Silicon Integrity Semiconductor Technology (advanced packaging), CETC 55th Institute (power devices, RF devices, epitaxial materials), Changjing Technology (chip design).
Hangzhou · Dolphin
Characteristics: Digital intelligence-driven type, letting applications reverse-define chips, sprinting towards the 'No. 1 City for Analog Chips in China'
Hangzhou is like a dolphin, smart, agile, and good at perceiving demand. It possesses huge digital application scenarios such as cloud computing, AI (Artificial Intelligence), IoT (Internet of Things), and smart vehicles. Relying on its strong digital economy strength, Hangzhou has developed rapidly in chip fields such as cloud, vehicle, and IoT terminals, truly achieving 'application-defined chips' and occupying a unique position in the national chip map.
Scale: In 2025, the revenue of Hangzhou's IC design industry exceeded CNY 80 billion.
Development Direction: IC design, high-performance embedded CPU cores, high-end RF chips, AI chips, smart home information processing and control chips, and high-end memory chips.
Representative Enterprises: T-Head (AI chips), Silergy (chip design), Silan Microelectronics (IC manufacturing and packaging/testing), Changchuan Technology (equipment).
Xi'an · Camel
Characteristics: Long-term endurance type, deeply cultivating manufacturing foundations, and comprehensively expanding into power, photonics, advanced packaging, and AI chips
Xi'an is like a camel. The semiconductor industry is a long-distance run, and what Xi'an lacks least is endurance and long-term accumulation. International giants have taken root here for a long time, precipitating foundations in memory manufacturing, engineering talents, and global supply chains. Universities and research institutes such as Xi'an Jiaotong University and Xidian University are densely distributed, continuously providing technology and talent support. A mature manufacturing system and industrial supporting facilities also give Xi'an important strategic backup and long-term carrying capacity.
Scale: In 2025, the scale of Xi'an's semiconductor industry, with IC as the core, exceeded CNY 140 billion.
Development Direction: Wide bandgap semiconductors, SiC/GaN materials and device modules, RISC-V, silicon photonic chips, and new photonic functional materials and devices.
Representative Enterprises: Samsung Xi'an (memory chips), Micron Xi'an (memory packaging and testing), eSWIN (silicon wafers), Shaanxi Optoelectronics Pilot Institute (compound semiconductors, silicon photonic chips).
Chengdu · Fierce Tiger
Characteristics: Poised for explosion type, accelerating the transition from a packaging and testing manufacturing base to high-end design and domestic computing power
Chengdu is like a fierce tiger poised to pounce. The growth of its IC design industry is particularly eye-catching, and characteristic clusters have been formed in directions such as RF and power semiconductors. With profound scientific and educational resources from the University of Electronic Science and Technology of China and related research institutes of CETC, coupled with the application demands of AI, servers, and embodied intelligence, it is accelerating the transition from a packaging and testing manufacturing base to high-end design and domestic computing power.
Scale: In 2025, the scale of Chengdu's IC industry broke through CNY 100 billion.
Development Direction: CPU, GPU, power semiconductors, RISC-V, and AI chips.
Representative Enterprises: Hygon (CPU), Intel Chengdu (packaging), ECHINT Technology (advanced packaging), Chengdu Sino-Micro (chip design), Chengdu MPS (chip design).
Guangzhou · Awakening Lion
Characteristics: Manufacturing awakening type, from 'lacking chips' to 'making chips', building the core carrying area of the 'third pole' of the national IC industry
Guangzhou is like an awakening lion. Backed by the globally leading automotive, home appliance, communications, and smart terminal industry clusters in the Guangdong-Hong Kong-Macao Greater Bay Area, it focuses on three major directions: specialty processes, the full chain of wide bandgap semiconductors, and intelligent sensing. It is building a closed loop of 'design-manufacturing-packaging/testing-application' and is becoming a key pivot for IC industry synergy in the Greater Bay Area.
Scale: As the core area of Guangzhou's IC industry, Huangpu District achieved an output value of over CNY 34 billion in 2025, and has gathered over 150 IC enterprises.
Development Direction: Specialty process chips, automotive-grade chips, high-end digital chips, advanced packaging, third-generation semiconductors, MEMS, and smart sensors.
Representative Enterprises: CanSemi (wafer manufacturing), Zengxin Technology (MEMS/smart sensors), AscenPower (SiC power devices).
Conclusion
The twelve beasts compete not for a simple ranking list, but for who can secure an irreplaceable position in China's 'chip' chain.
Shanghai wins in comprehensiveness, Beijing is strong in high-end positioning, Wuhan focuses on memory and manufacturing, Shenzhen is fast in design and application, Hefei excels in coordinated leapfrogging, Wuxi is deep in industrial accumulation, Suzhou is steady in balanced supporting, Nanjing is good at sci-tech and educational tackling, Hangzhou is agile in digital driving, Xi'an endures in long-term deep cultivation, Chengdu is accelerating its momentum, and Guangzhou is continuously strengthening the manufacturing capacity of the Greater Bay Area.
The twelve cities each hold their positions and display their strengths, while also forming momentum together and complementing each other, jointly piecing together a map of China's 'chip' industry.
The wind has risen, and the beasts have awakened.
China's 'chip cities' continue to move forward.
Data and Viewpoint Description: This article is based on public data, comprehensively sorted out from dimensions such as industrial scale, industry chain completeness, leading enterprises, innovation capabilities, and application ecology, and does not correspond to any official or institutional ranking. Since the statistical scope of industries such as 'IC', 'semiconductor', and 'pan-semiconductor' varies across different regions, and the definitions of indicators such as revenue, output value, sales revenue, and industrial scale are not completely consistent, the data in the text is mainly used to observe industrial development trends and should not be used for simple horizontal comparison with the same caliber. The 'chip beast' images are only used to assist in understanding the industrial characteristics of the cities and do not represent the level of the industry.