南京 nanjing

南京简称“宁”，古称“金陵”，也曾称建业、建康、石头城等，现为江苏省省会，是长江下游西部的中心城市。它位于江苏省西部，东依宁镇山脉，地势险固，风景秀丽。市区面积860平方公里，人口300多万，辖区跨长江南北两岸，包括玄武、白下、秦淮、建邺、鼓楼、下关六城区，雨花台、栖霞、浦口、大厂四郊区，以及江宁、江浦、六合、溧水和高淳等市县。

南京从公元前472年越国大夫范蠡筑城算起，至今已有近2500年历史，先后有东吴、东晋，南朝的宋、齐、梁、陈等王朝在这里建都，它曾是“六代帝王国、三吴佳丽城”的金粉之地，史称六朝；此外，南唐、明(洪武)、太平天国，以及国民党政府也曾建都于此，因此，历史上盛称为“六朝胜地、十代都会”。

南京曾历经沧桑，饱经风霜。三国鼎立，她目睹群雄角逐争战；六代兴替，她阅尽王朝的曲终幕落；明初，她以举世无双的巍巍城垣显示了泱泱大国之风；晚清，她为近代中国第一个不平等条约被冠上自己的名字而蒙受耻辱；太平天国，历史在这里风雷激荡；辛亥革命，潮流在这里奔突迂回；抗日战争，日军在这里留下人类历史上最野蛮、最血腥的一页。今天，当你漫步于石头城下、秦淮河边、明故宫里、天王府中、中山陵旁、雨花台前，面对斑斑史迹，自会思绪万千，恍若进入了遥远的历史海洋。弯弯秦淮河、繁华的夫子庙、巍巍的中山陵，都在讲述着往昔的故事。

今天的南京不仅是江苏省的政治、经济和文化中心，也是中国华东地区最重要的交通和通讯枢纽之一，是长江三角洲地区仅次于上海的国际性大商埠。其城市绿化为全国之冠，是兼具古今文明的园林化城市。

Nanjing, an ancient metropolis of six different dynasties, is a city of mountains, waters and green trees. Called Ning for short and Jinling in ancient times, Nanjing is the capital of Jiangsu Province, situated in the western part. It is a central city in western part of the lower reaches of the Yangtze River Delta and has beautiful sceneries. With a downtown area of 860 square kilometers and a population of more than 3 million people, Nanjing spans the southern and northern sides of the Yangtze River.

Nanjing took shape at the confluence of the Yangtze and Qinhuaihe rivers. Goujian, King of Yue State, had a city built by the Qinhuaihe and named it Yuecheng 2,500 years ago. Later the Chu State had a city called Jinling erected at the foot of Qingliangshan Hill. Yuecheng and Jinling were the embryonic forms of Nanjing. Later, it successively became the capital of the Eastern Wu State during the Three Kingdoms Period (220-280), the Eastern Jin Dynasty (317-420), and the states of Song, Qi, Liang and Chen during the Southern Dynasty (420-589). In addition, the Southern Tang and Ming dynasties, the Taiping Heavenly Kingdom, and even the Kuomingdang kaiserdom all set their capitals here.

The Six Dynasties (from the beginning of the 3rd century to the end of the 6th century) were the prime period of Nanjing. After the downfall of Western Jin, North China was controlled by chieftains of some nomads. Many aristocrats, men of letters, craftsmen thronged to the south, promoting the development of culture, economy, and crafts and technology. And Nanjing, the biggest city of the time, became a new cultural center in ancient China.

The modern new Nanjing is not only the political, economic and cultural center in Jiangsu Province, but also the most important transportation and communications hub in East China. Besides, it is an international commercial center of the Yangtze River Delta, next to Shanghai.