An important central  city in eastern China, Nanjing is the capital of Jiangsu Province. The central  districts of Nanjing are situated on the southeastern bank of the Yangtze River,  260 kilometers west of Shanghai. Nanjing City has a total area of 6,598 square  kilometers, with a population of about five million.

The city proper  comprises the area encircled by an imposing wall constructed during the Ming  dynasty (1368–1644) along with adjacent districts and nearby suburbs. The larger  municipality of Nanjing includes territory extending to the border of Anhui  province on the north, west, and south and to the borders of Yangzhou,  Zhenjiang, and Changzhou cities on the east.

Historically, it  served seven times as the capital of regional empires: twice as the seat of  revolutionary government, once as the site of a puppet regime in Sino-Japanese  War, and twice as the capital of a united China. Importantly, Nanjing’s  predominance as a cultural center is reflected in its many surviving monuments  and buildings of historical significance, which welcome tourists.

The name Nanjing,  which means “Southern Capital”, was instituted during the Ming dynasty  (1368-1644). In 1356, Zhu Yuanzhang, the first Emperor of the Ming Dynasty,  conquered the city, originally naming it Ying Tian Fu. Later, after Zhu  established the Ming Dynasty in 1368, he renamed Yingtian Fu the new name of  Nanjing. Ten years later, the emperor designated Nanjing the capital of the  country.

In terms of climate,  Nanjing has a humid subtropical climate and is strongly influenced by East Asian  monsoons. The four seasons are distinct here, with damp conditions seen  throughout the year, very hot and muggy summers, cold and damp winters, and in  between, spring and autumn balance out the calendar. Along with Wuhan and  Chongqing, Nanjing is traditionally referred to as one of the "Three  Furnace-like Cities" along the Yangtze River for extreme summertime  temperatures. What’s more, the time from mid-June to the end of July is wet  season, during which the city experiences a period of mild rain as well as  dampness.

The most famous  attractions in Nanjing include Qinhuai River, Sun Yat-sen Mausoleum, Nanjing  Yangtze River Bridge, Confucian Temple, Yuejiang Tower, and Ming Xiaoling  Mausoleum.

How to get there

Between Hangzhou and  Nanjing, two central cities of east China and provincial capitals, the means of  intercity transportation are diverse and convenient. The trains, especially the  high-speed trains, and the buses are the main options. Other choices include  more private options such as taxis or chartered vehicles.