Where Do Most Chinese People Live? Not the "Heartland"—The East Coast

The premise is incorrect. China's population is heavily concentrated along the eastern seaboard and river valleys, not the geographic "heartland" (central/western interior).

The "Hu Line" (Heihe–Tengchong Line)

Drawn in 1935 by geographer Hu Huanyong, this diagonal line divides China:

• East of the line (~43% of land): **~94% of population** (2020 census). Includes the North China Plain, Yangtze Delta, Pearl Delta, Sichuan Basin.
• West of the line (~57% of land): **~6% of population**. Tibetan Plateau, Xinjiang, Inner Mongolia, Yunnan-Guizhou Plateau.

Why the East?

• Climate & Water: Monsoon rains, major rivers (Yellow, Yangtze, Pearl) → fertile alluvial plains for intensive agriculture (rice, wheat).
• History: Cradle of Chinese civilization (Yellow River); centuries of settlement accumulation.
• Economy: Coastal openness post-1978 → Special Economic Zones (Shenzhen, Zhuhai, Xiamen) → export manufacturing hubs → massive internal migration.
• Megacities: Beijing, Tianjin, Shanghai, Guangzhou, Shenzhen, Chongqing, Chengdu, Wuhan, Nanjing, Hangzhou, Xi'an — almost all east of the line.

The "Chinese Heartland" (often meaning the Central Plain / Zhongyuan) was the cultural/political origin, but today's population gravity is firmly on the eastern coast and river corridors.