Chinese authorities have unveiled plans to create a “mega-city” the size of Switzerland, or 26 times the size of Greater London. The planners want to merge nine cities in Southern China in order to spread industry, jobs and public services more evenly across the region.

The Pearl River Delta region, known as China’s manufacturing heartland, includes the cities Guangzhou (12 million), Shenzhen (8.9 million), Foshan (5.4 million), Dongguan (6.9 million) along with five other cities. They collectively contribute nearly 10 percent to China’s GDP.

Over the next six years, around 150 major infrastructure projects will integrate the transport, energy, water and telecommunications networks of the nine cities together, at a cost of some 2 trillion yuan (£190 billion), reports The Telegraph.

A high-speed rail link will also connect the metropolis with nearby Hong Kong.

The creation of the mega-city is intended to wrestle back a competitive advantage from the growing power bases of Beijing and Shanghai.

(High-speed rail is the key to China’s expansion plans)

But already in the north, plans are underway to create high-speed rail links and the formation of a super-urban area known as the Bohai Economic Rim with a population as high as 260 million.

A high-speed link between Beijing and Tianjing has cut the time for the 75-mile journey to less than half an hour.

In the south, to connect the Pearl River Delta cities a further 29 railways, totally 3,100 miles, will need to be added.

Hospitals and schools will be improved, with residents being find out which hospitals are less busy by going online.

By the end of the decade, China plans to move ever greater numbers into its cities, creating some city zones with 50 million to 100 million people and “small” city clusters of 10 million to 25 million.

City.Mobi has China covered
Meanwhile City.Mobi is earmarking China’s rapid rise by launching a series of city guides to the country, including Beijing.City.Mobi, guangzhou.city.mobi and Shanghai.City.Mobi.

The mobile travel guides, which are in English, cover 800 cities in 200 countries listed. Each is developed by the City.Mobi team to combine into a single global travel directory.

(For everything you need to know about Shanghai visit Shanghai.City.Mobi)

However, each city retains its own mobile identity via a dedicated domain. Already on offer are Brussels.Mobi, Paris.Mobi, Sanfrancisco.Mobi and Sydney.Mobi.

The sites offer click to call functionality – which means no scribbling down telephone numbers. Most entries are also linked to websites where users can quickly access more detailed information if needed.

Other key features include information on accommodation, restaurants, attractions, entertainment, nightlife, shopping, and transport.

City.Mobi guides include user reviews and traveller utilities such as a translation guide, currency converter, news and local weather guide.