History

Nanjing is a city with a long history and rich cultural heritage. As early as 495 BC, Fu Chai, King of the State of Wu, founded the first city, Yecheng, in today's Nanjing area. In 333 BC, the State of Chu built Jinling in the northwestern part of present-day Nanjing.

Nanjing first became a capital in 229, when Sun Quan of the East Wu Kingdom during the Three Kingdoms Period (220-280) relocated the Kingdom’s capital to Jianye, a city he extended on the basis of Jinling. From the 3rd to the beginning of the 5th century, six dynasties including East Wu, East Jin, Song, Qi, Liang and Chen founded capital here. 

In 1368, Zhu Yuanzhang, the founding Emperor of the Ming Dynasty (1368-1644), chose Nanjing as the capital of his empire, and the city became the political, economic and cultural center of the country. It was Emperor Zhu Yuanzhang who launched the project of building the city wall, the longest one in the world.

In the early years of the Ming Dynasty, maritime navigation was encouraged. Zheng He, the great navigator, lived in Nanjing and built his ships here. From 1405 to 1433, Zheng He made seven voyages, and his fleet visited 37 countries in Southeast Asia, East Africa and the Middle East.

Zheng He

In 1911, the Chinese democratic revolution led by Dr. Sun Yat-sen (1866--1925) overthrew the Qing Dynasty, and established the Republic of China. Nanjing became the capital of China until 1949. In the 1920s and early 1930s, Nanjing underwent a rapid development and was transformed into a modern city. However, this process was disrupted by the Japanese invasion. In December 1937, the Japanese troop attacked the city, and committed atrocities in the inhuman Nanjing Massacre.

After the founding of the People's Republic of China in 1949, Nanjing became, and today remains, the capital of Jiangsu Province.

Nanjing is one of the few cities that played a critical role in shaping the history of China.