Nanjing

Study in Nanjing   http://www.sicas.cn/Theme/study_in_Nanjing/index.shtml

Geography and Climate

Nanjing, known as Jinling in ancient China, is the capital of Jiangsu province. The city lies on the south bank of Yangtze River, situated on the vast plain of the river’s lower reaches. Known as the Capital of Six in China’s history, the city is rich in culture and history and served as the capital of China during several historical periods and is renowned as one of the four great ancient capitals in China. After the establishment of the People’s Republic of China, Nanjing has been one of China’s most crucial cities and is the political, economic and cultural center in southern China.

It belongs to the northern subtropical monsoon climate zone where four seasons are distinct with the annual average temperature accounts for 16 centi-degrees while the even precipitation is 1,106 mm. At present, Nanjing has jurisdiction over 10 districts and 5 counties, covering an area of 6,516 square kilometers and having a population of more than 5,100,000.

History and Culture

Nanjing has a history traces back to the early spring and autumn period when the city was firstly constructed as a military defense in 472 B.C and after then the city was served as capital for several dynasties in China’s history. In 229, Sun Quan, load of Wu which is one of the three kingdoms during 220-280, moved the empire’s capital to Jianye (today’s Nanjing) to strengthen his administration of the middle valley of the Yangtze River, which opened the long history of Nanjing as ancient capitals. During a peasant rebellion in 1356, Zhuyuanzhan, later emperor who founded the last feudal dynasty ruled by Han people, conquered the city and renamed it Yingtian Fu. Ten years later, the emperor made the city capital of the country and gave the name Nanjing. Following ministers’ advice of’ building walls and producing grain to consolidate the rule’, the emperor supervised the construction of city walls which remained the longest of its kind in the world while has become a noted attraction for tourists.

In spite of its illustrious times in the history, the city also bears some hardest moment of this nation. During the Opium War, the corrupt Qing government used to be defeated by Britain troops on a battleship in Nanjing’s Xiaguan and was forced to sign the notorious Nanjing Treaty, the first Unequal Treaty in China’s modern history, in which Hong Kong was ceded away from its motherland for more than a century. Another notorious incident taken place in Nanjing was the inhuman Nanjing Massacre launched by the Japanese military officer Chiang Kaishek during Japan’s invasion in 1937. In six weeks, more than 300,000 Chinese innocent citizens were killed including women and children.

History has left the city numerous historical sites and heritage relics which now constitute the main attractions. The Mausoleum fo Dr.Sun-Yat-Sen, Mingxiaoling Mausoleum, the Memorial Hall to the Victims in the Nanjing Massacre, Confucius Temple, Linggu Temple and Mount Qixia are some of the best place to visit. Located in the southwest of the city, Qin Huai River used to be the most flourishing part of Nanjing in old days and is reputed for its beauties and romance. Extending more than a hundred kilometers, it is one of the places that allow Nanjing people to recall the old prosperous history and tell stories of past, present and future of the city. 
 
Economy

The contemporary Nanjing has developed into a multiple-producing industrial base in south-eastern China. Its main industries include petrochemical, automobile manufacturing, electronic information and food industry with the total industrial output value in 2008 accounted for 647 billion RMB. After decades of development, the city has experienced great changes. Modern highways and railways connect the city with most major cities throughout the country while the city has been facilitated with splendid skyscrapers, luxury hotels, and fashion shopping malls. The city becomes an increasingly globalized metropolis with new faces every day.

Education

Nanjing is one of the few cities in China which are abounding in educational resources and it is a central city of scientific research and study in the region. Nanjing University is the most famous institute in the city. It is a comprehensive university which offers a wide range of traditional and specialized subject interests.