"Nanjing" a Nanjing Travel Page by seagoingJLW

Nanjing, which means "Southern Capital," is located on the south bank of the Chang Jiang (Yangtze River.) It is one of the six ancient metropolises of China.

It has a population of 2,680,000. Another 2,520,000 live in the surrounrding counties and districts.

History

During the Warring States period (476-221 BC) Nanjing was a disputed prize. When the Qin dynasty finally united all of China, Nanjing became stable. It served as the administrative center for the surrounding region.

When the Eastern Han dynasty fell in 220 AD, Nanjing became the capital of the state of Wu.

In 589 AD, General Wen Di captured Nanjing and detroyed all the important buildings in order to ensure Beijing's establishment as capital of China. But in 1368, the first emperor of the Ming dynasty established his capital in Nanjing where it remained until 1420. Beijing became capital again at this time.

During the Opium War of 1842, the British forced China to sign the Treaty of Nanjing which was the first of what were called the "unequal treaties."

During the Taiping Rebellion of 1851-1864, Nanjing was the base of the rebel leader Hong Xiuquan. Another upheaval came after 1911 when the Guomindang under Sun Yat Sen overthrew the Qin dynasty and eventually moved the capital back from Beijing to Nanjing.

In 1937 Nanjing resisted the Japanese occupation, but fell after the Nanjing Massacre when about 300,000 people were murdered.

When World War II ended in 1945, Nanjing again became the Nationist's capital. The Communist's captured it in 1949 and established BEijing as the capital of the People's Republic of China.

Miscellaneous Information

Nanjing is in the region of the Lower Yangtrze Mandaring dialects. It is the home of many important educational and research institutions.

The most famous of its handicrafts are silk brocades, especially those called "cloud brocades."

Nanjing is one of the "three furnaces of China" due to its hot climate in the summer.