Nanjing stands on the lower reaches of the Yangtze River, the third longest river in the world. It is 90 minutes by air from Beijing, capital of China, and 60 minutes by inter-city express train from Shanghai, the biggest city in China.
Xinjiekou at Night
Since its establishment 2,500 years ago, Nanjing has been a transportation
and communication hub in China, enjoying economic prosperity and the riches
of the Oriental culture. The city was the capital of six ancient dynasties,
encapsulating the long history of China. It was the base from which China’s
earliest inter-continental sea expeditions, led by the great navigator Zheng
He, set out six centuries ago. It was one of the earliest cities in Chinese
history that opened up to the world. Today, Nanjing is capital of Jiangsu
Province and one of the big urban centres in eastern China. With its booming
economy and millennium-old culture, Nanjing is showing a new dynamism in its
development.
The overall goal for Nanjing in the 21st century is environmental protection
and sustainable development. The city lies in the midst of hills, water and
forests, which provide an eco-friendly living environment. In 2008, the city
won the UN-HABITAT Scroll of Honour Special Citation. Over 7.4 million
residents of this dynamic city enjoy the fine education and health services
it provides. Nanjing is a city that has witnessed the rapid development in
education and science and technology. It has over 60 top research institutes
and 1.46 million students attending over 670 primary, secondary and tertiary
schools.
Xuanwu Lake
Since 1910, Nanjing has hosted three national sports meets. Most recently,
during the 10th National Games of China in 2005, 11,221 athletes competed in
357 events representing 32 different sports, and over 400,000 spectators
attended the occasion. The national and international sporting events the
city hosted recently have in turn greatly promoted the Olympic spirit and
continuing development of modern sports among the city’s population. Nanjing
has a total of 6,884 sports sites that well meet the needs its population,
35 per cent of which are youth between ages 14 and 30. As the cradle for 107
world champions, including 17 Olympic gold medallists, Nanjing is proud of
their achievements.
The 2008 Beijing Olympic Games enabled young people in Nanjing to experience the fascinating power of Olympism. Through their participation in different activities, young people in Nanjing shared the joys of the Games and are now looking forward to hosting the YOG in their own city. Nanjing, with the full support of its young people, looks upon the bid for the 2014 Youth Olympic Games as a great honour and opportunity. If granted the honour of hosting the Games, Nanjing will work closely with the IOC, focusing all the efforts it can muster on making the Games a success, and contributing to cultural exchange and sustained development of the Olympic Movement.
