How did ancient China move toward cities as opposed to rural living?

Cities arose in ancient China following the Agricultural Revolution. During this important phase, many people gave up their formerly nomadic ways of living and settled down to raise crops. More food was produced following the Agricultural Revolution than during formerly nomadic times. The Agricultural Revolution resulted in denser populations and a surplus of crops, giving rise to cities. Cities were often areas where people could easily travel to trade their surplus crops for other crops and goods.
In China, the first cities developed along the Yellow River, where there were ample fertile lands to give rise to large-scale agriculture that was watered through irrigation. Cities may have developed during the Xia Dynasty, but urban areas acquired more prominence during the Shang Dynasty (c 1700–1050 BCE; see the source below). Cities developed first in administrative areas that were also temples and palaces. These cities were walled for protection. The development of cities also relied on a sophisticated ruling structure that was capable of building these types of walls. Cities were areas in which trade was conducted and in which ideas and new forms of technology, such as the wheeled chariot, were introduced (see the source below). Cities were also areas in which there was a complex social structure and specialization in certain trades. The surplus of food and the development of a social hierarchy also gave rise to advances in culture, including art, writing, and technology. The Shang were particularly skilled making bronze objects, and they also created a lunar calendar, making them highly sophisticated for their time.
https://www.thoughtco.com/shang-dynasty-walled-cities-ancient-china-117664