Nanjing, the capital of ten periods in Chinese history, is famous for its rich culture, long history and beautiful landscapes.
As one of the eight great ancient capitals in China, Nanjing is one of the first cities awarded the title of "Famous Historical and Cultural City" by the State Council. In 472 B.C., Goujian, the king of Yue State, started to build the city at Yuhuatai, thus it was called "Yue city". In 229 A.D., the Eastern Wu Dynasty of the Three Kingdoms moved its capital to Nanjing and started to develop "Jianye city" as it was named then. After this, the Eastern Jin, Song, Qi, Liang and Chen Dynasties, Southern Tang Dynasty, Ming Dynasty, Taiping HeavenlyKingdom and Republic of China all chose Nanjing as their capital. These eras left many famous attractions including: the willowed banks of Xuanwu Lake, the bright lights and river scenery of Confucius Temple, the ancient city wall (the best preserved in the world), the World Heritage-listed Ming Tomb, Dr. Sun Yat-sen Mausoleum proclaiming to the world the spirit of Freedom, Equality and Fraternity, Jinghai Temple, Presidential Palace and many, many other places of historical interests. Among the many protected cultural relics and sites in Nanjing, one has been inscribed on the World Heritage List, 14 are protected at the national level and 135 at the provincial level. In all, three cultures with distinctive characteristics may be witnessed in Nanjing: the culture of the Six Dynasties, the culture of the Ming Dynasty, the culture of the Republic of China.
Nanjing, with a favorable geographical location and picturesque landscape, is also a famous tourist city. Nanjingis located on the lower reaches of the Yangtze River, thus the four seasons are clearly demarcated, which brings plenty of rainfall and abundant produce. The mountains, lakes, rivers, forests as well as the city properly form the beautiful vistas all year round. Nanjing's magnificent scenery extends across the seasons and across the city's reach. In spring, it is interesting to visit the misty greenness in Niushou Mountain. In summer, the sunlight and clouds in the eastern suburbs is famous, while in autumn climbing the splendid Qixia Mountain is the most favored. Lastly, in winter it is recommended to view the stone city wall under the white snow.
Nanjing is a modern city brimming with dynamism and confidence. Nanjing has comprehensive strengths and is one of the four national key cities for science and commerce. Nanjing, with complete infrastructure and dynamic trade and commerce sectors, is an important transportation and communication hub in East China as well as the most important commercial city in the Yangtze River delta region after Shanghai.
As an ancient capital city, green city, cultural city, riverside city and city of fraternity, Nanjing has emerged as one of China's most attractive destinations for investment and living. Nanjing has been awarded several honorable titles for its outstanding achievement, including "National Advanced City for Scientific and Technological Progress", "National Excellent Tourist City", "National Hygienic City” and "National Model City for Environmental Protection”. Nanjing, as one of the "forty Chinese cities with best environments for investment”, is also regarded as one of the Asian-Pacific Rim cities with the best development prospects in the 21st century.