Nanjing
 Nanjing,
an ancient metropolis of six different dynasties,
is a city with mountains, waters and green
trees.
The ancestors of Nanjingers
can be dated back to the apemen who lived
in caves at Tangshan Hill hundreds of thousands
of years ago. About 5000 to 6000 years ago
some people came to the tableland by waters
and made a living by fishing, hunting or
farming.
Nanjing took shape at the confluence
of the Changjiang (Yangtse) and Qinhuaihe
rivers. Goujian, King of Yue State, had
a city built by the Qinhuaihe and named
it Yuecheng 2500 years ago. Later Chu State
had a city called Jinling erected at the
foot of Qingliangshan Hill. Yuecheng and
Jinling were the embryonic forms of Nanjing.
The Yangtse River rushes from
southwest towards the Stone Hill which is
strategically located and difficult of access.
Sun Quan, King of State Wu, had his military
fortress built here with the giant rocks
by the river as the wall and named it the
Stone City, which is also called the Ghost
Face City because of its grotesque shape.
Ever since then, Jinling, Shitou (Stone)
have been the ancient aliases of Nanjing.
 The
Six Dynasties (from 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 reigned
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.
In modern Nanjing there are
some 40 universities and colleges and more
than 300 scientific research institutes,
several art troupes and a theatre for kunqu
opera, from which about 100 modern operas
in China derived. Nanjing Library is the
third biggest 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.
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