Its population during the 2020 national census was 3,136,879, with 1,881,047 people living in the built-up (or 'metro') area made up of four urban districts.

The city's name "Qinhuangdao" literally means "Qin Emperor island", and is allegedly originated from the legend that the Jieshishan Scenic Area in Changli County was the site of First Emperor of Qin's famous ritual during his fourth and final survey tour to the east (东巡) in 210 BC.

The "island" refers to the Nanshan area of the Port of Qinhuangdao at the southern edge of the city's Haigang District, which used to be a small offshore island until the late Qing dynasty, when dumping of dredged silt joined it to the mainland after the Guangxu Emperor approved the port's construction in the late 19th century.

They were unable to land further north because other ports were either occupied by the Soviet Union or already garrisoned by the military forces which would become the People's Liberation Army.

Winters are cold and dry due to the Siberian high, which often causes winds to blow in from the northwest, minimising the oceanic influence: the monthly daily average temperature in January is −5.6 °C (21.9 °F), colder than Beijing's −2.7 °C (27.1 °F).

It passed joint appraisal held by the General Administration of Customs, the State Development Planning Commission, and other six departments in 2003.

Industries encouraged in the zone include electronics assembly and manufacturing, building/construction materials, computer software, trading and distribution.

Rail links from Shanxi (China's largest coal producer) to Qinhuangdao Port are being upgraded, which should allow for Qinhuangdao to ultimately increase its throughput to 400 million tonnes of coal per annum from its current level of about 250 million tons by 2015.

The project has won an honor award from the American Society of Landscape Architects and was selected by readers of Condé Nast Traveler magazine as one of the seven new wonders of the architecture world.

5The claimed province of Taiwan no longer have any internal division announced by Ministry of Civil Affairs of PRC, due to lack of actual jurisdiction.