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History and Culture
Nanjing is one of the oldest and most
historically important cities in China. Over the rise
and fall of dynasties in feudal China, Nanjing was often
the center of Chinese culture and society. In 222 C.E.
Nanjing (then called Jianye) was declared capital of the
Wu kingdom during the turbulent warring states period.
In the 1300's, Nanjing came to the forefront of late
imperial decadence when it was home to the early Ming
emperors. Most recently it was capital to the KMT lead
Republic of China, from 1912 until the KMT fled to
Taiwan and Mao Zedong declared the founding of the
Peoples Republic of China in 1949, making Beijing the
seat of power. The designation of Nanjing as a capital
can be seen in its name, which literally translates as
"southern capital," with Beijing being the "northern
capital." As a legacy to its imperial history, one can
find in Nanjing a myriad of tombs and imperial
residences still standing today, more then any other
city in China with the exception of Beijing and the
ancient Capital of China Xian. In his masterpiece "The
Dream of the Red Chamber" Cao Xueqin used Nanjing as the
backdrop of his story about the woes of aristocratic
families in feudal China; and a tinge of imperial
importance can still be felt in many vista around the
city: from the still intact Ming Dynasty walls to
bustling markets around the ancient Confucian temple
located on the ageless Qinhuai river. The mausoleum of
Sun Yatsen, father of modern China, rests along with
several early Ming emperors in the secluded shade of Mt.
Zijin along the northeastern part of the city. Mandarin
is the native tongue in Nanjing, with most of the
younger generation speaking very standardized Putonghua
taught in schools, while the older generation sticks the
southeastern sub dialect of Mandarin. Further to the
south and east the spoken language changes over to the
Wu dialect. Nanjing's location on the Yangtze river has
historically served as one of China's most important
transportation hubs; and because of this, Nanjingese
culture has enjoyed the continuous influx of people and
traditions coming down the Yangtze river.
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