A coastal province in eastern China with a developed economy and world cultural heritage sites such as Suzhou Gardens.
Nanjing City (English: Nanjing City), abbreviated as Ning, also known as "Jinling", "Jiankang" and "Stone City", is a prefecture-level city under the jurisdiction of Jiangsu Province, China, the capital of Jiangsu Province [284], a sub-provincial city, and a megacity [403]. It is located in the southwest of Jiangsu Province and the lower reaches of the Yangtze River. It is a city in the central area of the Yangtze River Delta [1]. Nanjing City has a northern subtropical humid monsoon climate, with distinct four seasons, abundant rainfall, short spring and autumn, long winter and summer, and a large annual temperature difference. It is known as the "natural geological museum". There are many geomorphic units such as Yangtze River floodplain, water-rich soft soil, hills, and karst [9]. The total area is 6587.04 square kilometers. As of December 2023, Nanjing City has 11 districts [499]. At the end of 2024, Nanjing City has a permanent population of 9.577 million [493]. The Nanjing dialect is Jianghuai Mandarin [462]. Nanjing is an important central city in eastern China approved by the State Council, a national historical and cultural city, an international comprehensive transportation hub, a national advanced manufacturing base, an eastern industrial innovation center, a regional science and technology innovation highland, an eastern modern service industry center, a regional shipping and logistics center, and the headquarters of the Eastern Theater Command of the People's Liberation Army. Nanjing is known as the "ancient capital of six dynasties" and the "metropolis of ten dynasties". The cultural influence of the city reaches the entire East Asia [284]. There were ancient human activities in the Nanjing area 1 to 1.2 million years ago. Nanjing was built in the late Shang Dynasty more than 3,100 years ago [461]. Nanjing was established as the capital in the first year of Huanglong in the Eastern Wu Dynasty (229 AD). On April 23, 1949, Nanjing was liberated. In 1953, it was designated as the capital of Jiangsu Province, and in 1994 it was designated as a sub-provincial city [6]. The four pillar industries of steel, petrochemicals, automobiles, and electronics are the "basic plate" of Nanjing's economy. Nanjing is one of the top ten cities in the country in terms of economy and manufacturing. It is a “nationally important regional financial and business center” as defined by the National Development and Reform Commission. It is the only pilot city in the country for comprehensive reform of the science and technology system and the first “Chinese Software City” in China. [327] In 2024, Nanjing will achieve a regional GDP of 1,850.081 billion yuan, a year-on-year increase of 4.5%.
Suzhou City, a prefecture-level city under the jurisdiction of Jiangsu Province, is a megacity [102]. It is located in the southeastern part of Jiangsu Province in East China. It borders Shanghai to the east, Zhejiang Province to the south, Taihu Lake to the west, and the Yangtze River to the north. It is a city in the central area of the Yangtze River Delta [215]. It belongs to the Yangtze River Delta Plain and Taihu Lake Plain. It has a low terrain, numerous rivers and lakes. Most of the surface of Taihu Lake is within the territory of Suzhou City. It has a subtropical monsoon marine climate [2]. The total area is 8,657.32 square kilometers [2] [146]. At the end of 2023, Suzhou City has jurisdiction over 5 districts and administers 4 county-level cities [94] [115]. The Municipal People's Government is located at No. 998 Sanxiang Road, Gusu District [67]. At the end of 2024, the permanent population of Suzhou City is 12.987 million [234]. Suzhou is an important central city in eastern China approved by the State Council, a national historical and cultural city, a national comprehensive transportation hub, a national advanced manufacturing and high-tech industrial base, a regional highland of scientific and technological innovation, a comprehensive modern logistics center, and an international tourist destination with the characteristics of a Jiangnan water town. [1] Suzhou has a history of more than 4,000 years since the beginning of written records. During the Spring and Autumn Period, Shoumeng of the Eastern Zhou Dynasty established the Wu Kingdom. In the sixth year of King Jing of Zhou (514 BC), King Helu of Wu began to build Suzhou City. In the Qin Dynasty, Wu County was established. In the ninth year of Kaihuang of the Sui Dynasty (589), it was first called Suzhou. In the 17th year of the Republic of China (1928), Suzhou City was established. [125] Suzhou City is the only city along the Grand Canal that has applied for World Heritage status as an ancient city, and is a famous Jiangnan water town. Since Wu Zixu built the Helu City in the Spring and Autumn Period, Suzhou City has maintained a double chessboard pattern of "water and land running in parallel, rivers and streets adjacent to each other", with "small bridges and flowing water, white walls and black tiles, historical sites and famous gardens" as its unique style, and has the reputation of "paradise on earth". As the core carrier of "Jiangnan culture", Kunqu Opera, Pingtan, gardens and Suzhou embroidery nurtured by Suzhou have become distinctive symbols for the world to identify China. [97] [104] Suzhou City has four major industries: electronic information, equipment manufacturing, biomedicine, and advanced materials. [133] According to preliminary calculations, the GDP of Suzhou City in 2024 will be 2672.7 billion yuan, an increase of 6.0% over the previous year.