Nanjing

Lying on the south bank of the Yangtze River, Nanjing, the capital of Jiangsu Province, is one of the most delightful of Chinese cities, with a rich cultural heritage. Nanjing, meaning 'Southern Capital', served as the capital of China during several historical periods and due to its strategic location, has always been one of China's most important cities. Apart from having been the capital of China for six dynasties and of the Republic of China, Nanjing has also served as a national hub of education, research, transportation and tourism throughout history. With an urban population of over five million, it is also the second largest commercial center in eastern China, after Shanghai.

History

Yuecheng, the first recorded military defense constructed in early 472 B.C., opened the long history of Nanjing. In the following years, the city reached its height of splendor at various times. In 229, Sun Quan, one of the three heroes in China's Three Kingdoms Period (220 - 280), moved the capital of his kingdom to Jianye - present-day Nanjing. From that time on, the city served as the capital for several dynasties in China's history. In 1356, in a peasant rebellion, Zhu Yuanzhang, later the Emperor Taizu of the Ming Dynasty (1368 - 1644), conquered the city and renamed it Yingtian Fu. In 1368, Zhu established the Ming Dynasty - the last feudal dynasty ruled by the native Han people - and gave Yingtian Fu the new name of Nanjing. Ten years later, the emperor made Nanjing the capital of the country. 

In spite of its glorious times, Nanjing has also witnessed the hardest moments of this nation. In 1839, the Opium War burst out after Lin Zexu, an assiduous official, burnt twenty thousand boxes of opium in Humen. On a battleship in Nanjing's Xiaguan, the corrupt Qing government, under threat by Britain troops, signed the notorious Nanjing Treaty, the first of the 'Unequal Treaties' which ceded Hong Kong away from China for more than a hundred years. Following this treaty, invasions and colonial rule of intensified and China sank into a harder and darker time.

In 1853, peasant groups of Taiping rebelled against the Qing government and established the Taiping Heavenly Kingdom in Jinling, Nanjing's name at that time, and formed an army. However, the peasant regime was short-lived and in 1864, troops of Qing government won the city back. Nowadays, in Xuyuan Garden , one can still see part of the palace of the Taiping Heavenly Kingdom.

It was the Revolution of 1911, the Chinese democratic revolution led by Dr.Sun Yat-Sen, that eventually overthrew the Qing Dynasty. On the first day of 1912, Dr. Sun Yet-sen gave his simple but sublime address on the inauguration held of the new Republic of China. Today, a memorial hall in the Mausoleum of Dr. Sun Yat-Sen, houses a statue of Dr. Sun sculpted out of white marble.

There are two further negative memories of the city. On April 18th, 1927, Chiang Kaishek launched the counter-revolutionary 4.12 Coup and established his power in Nanjing. Ten years later, Japanese troops occupied the city and committed countless atrocities on the residents. During the six weeks of the Nanjing Massacre, hundreds of thousands of Chinese people were killed, including women and children.

After eight years of resistance, in 1945, the brave Chinese people eventually drove the barbarous Japanese invaders out of China's homeland and the war criminals got what they deserved. However Chinese people will never forget the history. Pictures of the atrocities of Japanese soldiers taken by Japanese army photographers are exhibited in the Memorial Hall to the Victims of the Nanjing Massacre.

Finally, on April 23rd, 1949, Nanjing was liberated by the People's Liberation Army and the Kuomintang's power in China was ended.

Cultural City

Being a city rich in cultural heritage, Nanjing attracts thousands of tourists to its many historical sights, memorials, museums and cultural sights. The famous Confucius Temple (Fuzimiao) is not only a memorial place for the Great Sage in China but has a surrounding area bustling with shops, restaurants and a snack street housed in traditional Chinese architectural buildings. In the city center, Nanjing Museum is a must for travelers with a collection of more than 420 thousand pieces, including about 2,000 that are rare and valued. The observatory on Zijinshan Mountain to the east of the city center was the first modern observatory built in China.

The Qin Huai River, in the southwest of the city, extends one hundred kilometers. The river used to be the most flourishing part of Nanjing. In many Chinese novels, it is renowned as a place which nurtured beauties and romance. Today, it is a place for people to recall the old splendor of this historical city and is also home to a thriving night life. Like all sights in Nanjing, it tells the story of past, present and future of the city.

Modern Metropolis

Like most major cities in China, Nanjing is developing rapidly. Great changes have taken place in the city. Modern highways and railways connect the city with most major cities throughout the country and it is becoming a sparkling metropolis akin to Shanghai and Beijing with skyscrapers, luxury hotels, fashion shopping malls, supermarkets and highly-developed economic zones throughout the city. Transport in the city is very convenient with the new metro service in addition to taxis, public buses, tourist special lines and other means of transport. Dazzling shopping malls and department stores can be found in the commercial areas of the city with stocked plenty of international brand names. Nanjing is also home to several colleges and universities - including some of China's most prestigious - and a large foreign population. 

Find out more about living in Nanjing and connect with the city's foreign residents on Hello Nanjing.