This paper argued that although construction of smart cities in China followed closely with other countries，the concept and construction institution was still behind advanced countries. Utilizing pilot and demonstration patterns was conducive to explore the suitable way of construction of China’s smart cities，and narrow the gap between China and advanced countries. The authors analyzed the eight problems in the construction of smart cities in China，and offered some proposals on promoting construction levels from several aspects，such as forming construction pattern，expanding the application system，strengthening R&D and industry support，and integrating pilot projects.