Twin city Nanjing (China)
History and profile of the twin city
The beginnings of the city reach far back in history. Already in the 4th century BC it was an important regional centre.
They city developed into a leading economic centre of South China, known especially for its silk and book industry. During the centuries, Nanjing served as a capital several times, particularly well-know for the medieval Liang and Ming dynasties (the latter was founded here but then moved to Beijing).
In 1911/12 the Republic of China was called into being in Nanjing. From 1927 until 1949 Nanjing was the capital of the republic. During the war with Japan the so-called Nanjing massacre ravaged the city. The slow coming to terms with this horrible event is still causing bitter debate today all over East Asia.
For many centuries, Nanjing has been a prospering cultural centre (literature, painting, music) and one of the most important economic centres of China.
Today there are around 3,600 companies in and around the city, 250 of them are large and medium-sized companies from the sectors of electronics, vehicle manufacturing, chemical industry and especially petro-chemistry (BASF is constructing its largest plant in Asia here), steel industry, engineering and ship building.
As a centre of trade and services, Nanjing is also a traffic junction between North and South China. It is located at the Beijing-Shanghai line and also has a large airport. The Changjiang river connects the city with the East Chinese Sea. Nanjing has China’s largest river port with a capacity of 50 million tons per year.
The numerous universities and colleges of higher education in Nanjing count more than 110,000 students. The city has many theatres, museums and sports facilities.
The city's attractions include the city walls, the Sun Yatsen Mausoleum, numerous pagodas, palaces of various dynasties, mausoleums, temples, the Nanjing Museum and the Museum of the Taiping Empire.
Facts and Figures
- Capital of the economically strong eastern Chinese province Jiangsu
- Population: more than 5 million inhabitants
- Twin city of Leipzig since 1988