PLA Military Region

The People's Liberation Army uses a system of military regions, of which there used to be eleven, but are now seven:


 * Shenyang Military Region
 * Beijing Military Region
 * Lanzhou Military Region
 * Jinan Military Region
 * Nanjing Military Region
 * Guangzhou Military Region
 * Chengdu Military Region

History
In December 1954, the existing six major military regions were reorganised into twelve regions: Shenyang, Beijing, Jinan, Nanjing, Guangzhou, Kunming, Wuhan (former Hubei MR), Chengdu, Lanzhou, Tibet, Xinjiang, and Inner Mongolia. The former Northwest Military Region, which became the Beijing Military Region, doubled as Beijing-Tianjin Garrison Command. Due to the tension in the Taiwan Straits, the State Council ordered the establishment of the Fuzhou Military Region on 22 April 1956. It included the provincial military districts of Fujian and Jiangsu, formerly under the Nanjing Military Region. The Fuzhou MR was officially established on 1 July 1956, with Ye Fei as its commander and political commissar.

The thirteen military regions established by 1956 were reduced to eleven in the late 1960s. Those eleven military regions - Shenyang, Beijing, Lanzhou, Xinjiang, Jinan, Nanjing, Fuzhou, Guangzhou (including Hainan Island), Wuhan, Chengdu, and Kunming - were reduced to seven by 1985-88. The active military districts now include Lanzhou Military Region, incorporating the former Ürümqi MR, Chengdu Military Region, incorporating the former Kunming MR, Nanjing Military Region, which includes the former Fuzhou MR, Beijing Military Region, and Shenyang Military Region. Finally Guangzhou and Jinan Military Regions both appear to include parts of the former Wuhan MR.

The military regions are divided into military districts, usually contiguous with provinces, and military sub-districts.