Nanjing, located at the eastern part of China, is one of the six ancient capitals in China. Known as Jinling in ancient China and with a history of over 2,460 years, it served as the capital of ten dynasties in the past. Today, it is the capital of Jiangsu Province and the political, economic, educational and cultural centre of it. At present, Nanjing has jurisdiction over 10 districts and 5 counties, which covers an area of 860 square kilometers with a population of more than 5 million.

It belongs to the northern subtropical monsoon climate zone where the four seasons are clearly demarcated, the annual mean temperature is 16℃, the annual even precipitation is 1,106 mm and the frost-free period is 237 days.

Various dynasties have made Nanjing their base. The most famous of these periods is when Nanjing was the capital of China during the Ming Dynasty (1368-1644) and also the establishment of the People's Republic of China in the early 20th Century. Many of the city's historical sites date back to these periods and Sun Yatsen's Mausoleum and the Ming Tombs are examples of the wealth of culture existing in this ancient city.

The city is renowned for being an educational and cultural center, with a large student (foreign and native Chinese) population. There are some 40 universities and colleges plus more than 300 scientific research institutes in modern Nanjing, several art troupes and a theatre for kunqu opera, from which about 100 modern operas in China derived. Nanjing library is the third largest library in China in terms of its collection. The Nanjing Museum boasts a rich collection of arts and crafts. The modern new Nanjing is the economic and cultural center in the lower reaches of the Yangtse River. It has started its voyage to the outside world.

It is also an outstanding tourist city. Its tourist areas include the Purple Hill Scenic Area, the Qinhuai Scenic Belt, the Shicheng (Rock City) Scenic Area, scenic spots in the city proper, the scenic belt along the Changjiang River, the Yuhua (Raining Flower) Terrace Scenic Area, and the Qixia Hill Scenic Area.

Surrounded with Mountains and hills, it has the Yangtze River running through the city and many lakes lying about. The hills, waters, towers, woods and the town integrate into one unique scenery, for which the Nanjing has been famed to be the "dwelling place for tigers and dragons". Qi Xia Hill, Xuan Wu lake, Mo Chou lake and Qin Huai River, to name just a few, are hot scenery zones for tourists.

Nanjing is a charming city with tree- lined streets, hills and lakes, making the intense heat of east China's summers more bearable. The pace of life here is slower than many other Chinese cities and Nanjing seems quite conservative in comparison to the brash modern ways of neighboring Shanghai. The local's mantra "man zou" (go slow) is a reflection of the cautious and reserved attitude of many of the city's residents.

Nowadays, Nanjing has developed into a multiple-producing industrial base in eastern China, an important hub of transportation and communication center, one of China's four major scientific research and educational central cities.There are tens of first-class scientific research and higher learning institutions in Nanjing. Nanjing is listed in the fifth among the 50 powerful cities in China due to its unique advantages in industry, agriculture, science, technology and environment. The gross national products of the whole city in 1995 amounted to 58 billion yuan, a 12% increase over the previous year. The petrochemical, electronics, machinery and building materials are the four cornerstones of Nanjing's industry and also hold important positions in the country. Nanjing port is the biggest inland river port in China.