Jiangsu now has 13 municipalities directly under the province. They are Nanjing, Wuxi, Xuzhou, Changzhou, Suzhou, Nantong, Lianyungang, Huaian, Yancheng, Yangzhou, Zhenjiang, Taizhou and Suqian. Nanjing is the provincial capital of Jiangsu.

Nanjing, one of the four most famous Chinese ancient capitals, is an important central city in the region of the lower reaches of the Yangtse River. As the political, economic and cultural centers of Jiangsu province, it also takes the country's leading position on science and technology as well as education, has the complete sets of industries, and is the key transportation and communication hinge and a major tourist city of China.

Suzhou, Wuxi and Changzhou are seated in the south of the Yangtse River Delta and are "the Golden Triangle" region in Jiangsu for their advanced economic and social development in China. Suzhou's GDP has kept ranking among the tops of China's cities for many years. Xishan and Jiangyin directly under Wuxi won the first and second places in the Top 100 Chinese Counties of Strong Comprehensive Strength successively for many years. Changzhou is a burgeoning quickly developing industrial city. Furthermore, Suzhou and Wuxi are key Chinese tourist cities due to the well-known Suzhou classical gardens and Taihu Lake scenery respectively.

Zhenjiang, Yangzhou and Taizhou are located by the two sides of the Yangtse River. Zhenjiang and Yangzhou, facing each other across the Yangtse River, lie at the join of the Yangtse River and the Jinghang (Beijing to Hangzhou) Canal. The two cities with beautiful scenery are both among the State's Famous Historical and Cultural Cities. In recent years, their economic and social development also steps into a stage of fairly fast speed. Taizhou has formed the pillar industries such as machine building, refrigeration and light industry.

Nantong and Lianyungang with their fine ports able to berth giant seacrafts are among China's first batch of opening coastal cities. Nantong, seeing Shanghai across the Yangtse River, boasts for its strength in port economy and cultivation of special economic crops. Its construction industry also enjoys a great reputation both home and abroad. Lianyungang is the east bridgehead of the railway across Asian and European Continent named the New Asian & European Continent Bridge. Its economic construction gains delightful achievement supported by the mainland in recent years.

Xuzhou, Huaiyin, Yancheng and Suqian are all positioned in the north of Jiangsu. Xuzhou, central city in Huaihai Economic Zone, is the important base of energy sources, raw materials and the transportation hinge of Jiangsu and East China. Huaiyin is the key trading grain producing base and key fishery base of Jiangsu as well as in the whole country and has China's biggest salt mine. It has taken its shape as a rising industrial city. Yancheng is the cotton-producing base of Jiangsu and an important producing area of sea salt and prawns. Suqian is situated in the cross-linked area of the coastal and riverside regions and Xulian Economic Zone. It is abundant in non-metal mine resources and is also the agriculture and fishery producing bases. It teems with famous Chinese alcohol such as "Yanghe" and "Shuanggou".