Nanjing
Nanjing is the capital city of Jiangsu with a population of 4.5 million. Owing to its superior geographic location, the city has remained the transportation center of the Yangzi Delta region. Once prospering on its shipyards, Nanjing has now grown into a commercial hub and cultural center of southeast China.
For almost 2,000 years, Nanjing ("China's Southern Capital") has witnessed some of the most significant events in Chinese history, including its position as nationa's capital during the Six Dynasties (220-589 AD) and the Southern Song Dynasty (1127-1279 AD), the onset of Ming Dynasty in 1368 by Zhu Yuanzhang who made Nanjing capital for almost two decades, the signing of the Sino-British treaty in 1842 that ceded Hong Kong to Britain, and its most painful moment known as "Rape of Nanjing" when Japanese troops brutally slaughtered 300,000 civilians in 1937. Many of these events are recorded in the Nanjing Museum.
For tourists, Nanjing is one of China's most attractive cities. The city has a balanced layout between traditional and modern architecture. Its many broad boulevards are well shaded from the summer heat by tall trees. The river bank by the Yangzi River irradiates nice and peaceful night views; the beautiful and quiet Xuanwu Lake and its forested islands smooth out the tough edges of a commercial metropolitan ...
The must-see of Nanjing is Dr. Sun Yatsen's Mausoleum, where the father of modern China is buried on the mountain top of Zijinshan. The pilgrimage trip to the tomb is composed of an enormous stone stairway, 323 meters long and 70 meters wide. The scene is respectfully magnificent.
Another important site of Nanjing is the Memorial of the Nanjing Massacre which exhibits documents and pictures of the atrocities by Japanese troops in 1937, a painful moment for the city and her residents. Also on display is furniture used at the signing of Japan's surrender to China, carrying a undisputable message to the country which still refuses to issue a formal apology to the war victims - don't forget history! The exhibits conclude on a more optimistic note, with the last room dedicated to the post-war Sino-Japanese reconciliation.
Notes:
1. Yangzi Delta region 长江三角洲地区
2. Dr. Sun Yatsen's Mausoleum 中山陵
3. the Memorial of the Nanjing Massacre 南京大屠杀纪念馆
