Jiangsu Province (江苏省), abbreviated as “Su” (苏), is named after the Chinese initials of Jiangning (江宁) and Suzhou (苏州). It is located in the central coastal area of China, at the lower reaches of the Yangtze River and the Huaihe River. It borders the Yellow Sea to the east, Shandong to the north, Anhui to the west, and Shanghai and Zhejiang to the southeast. It covers 30°45’N - 35°08’N and 116°21’E - 121°56’E. The Yangtze River runs across the province from west to east, and the Grand Canal runs through it from south to north. Jiangsu has a total land area of 107,200 km2, and its water area accounts for 16.9% of the total area. The landscape features hills, plains, lakes and rivers, with a mild climate, fertile soil, and abundant produce, which is known as the “land of fish and rice”.
In 1993, the remains of an upright ape-man discovered in Tangshan, Nanjing showed that ancient humans lived here as early as 350,000 years ago. Around 6,000 to 7,000 years ago, north and south of the Yangtze River entered a prosperous stage of Neolithic Age, and rice fields of the Majiabang Culture 6,000 years ago discovered at the Caoxie Mountain site were the earliest irrigated rice fields found in China so far. The charred textile fragments unearthed at the site were the oldest textile relics that had been found in China. At the end of the Shang Dynasty (1600-1046 BC), Taibo and his brother Zhongyong moved to the South of the Yangtze River and established the State of Wu. During the Spring and Autumn Period, the bronze smelting and forging technology of the State of Wu was widely known. Towards the end of the Qin Dynasty (221-206 BC), Xiang Yu and Liu Bang rose in revolt against Qin. After Liu Bang unified China and established the Han Dynasty (206 BC- AD 220), Liu Bi, Liu Bang’s nephew, was enfeoffed as the Prince of Wu. He established his capital in Guangling (now Yangzhou).The Eastern Wu, Eastern Jin and the Southern Song, Qi, Liang and Chen dynasties established their capitals in Nanjing, and Jiangsu became the political, economic and cultural center of the South. During the Sui and Tang dynasties, the Grand Canal was opened, and many towns in Jiangsu flourished thanks to the waterways. Yangzhou became the hub of north-south transportation, economy and culture, and was known as “Yang Yi Yi Er (扬一益二, meaning Yangzhou ranks first and Yizhou (ancient Chengdu) Second)”. After the An-Shi Rebellion in the Tang Dynasty (AD 618-907), the country’s economic center shifted southward, forming a “military and national planning relying on Jianghuai” situation. During the Song Dynasty (AD 960-1279), Jiangsu became a famous granary in the country. During the Yuan Dynasty (AD 1279-1368), the Taihu Lake basin became the center of cotton cultivation and cotton weaving industry in the country. In the early Ming Dynasty (AD 1368-1644), Nanjing was established as the capital and became the political and cultural center of the country again. Suzhou, Nanjing and Hangzhou, Zhejiang Province, were the three major centers of silk weaving industry in China. During the Qing Dynasty (AD 1644-1912), Jiangsu was the top producer of grain and salt in the country, Yangzhou became the center of salt transportation and marketing, and Wuxi became one of the four largest rice markets in the country. In 1912, Dr. Sun Yat-sen was inaugurated as the provisional president in Nanjing and established the Republic of China, and in 1927, the National Government was established in Nanjing. During the War of Resistance against Japanese Aggression and the War of Liberation, the people of Jiangsu made important contributions to national independence and liberation, and on April 23, 1949, the Chinese People’s Liberation Army occupied Nanjing, marking the decisive victory of the Chinese Revolution.
After the establishment of the People’s Republic of China in 1949, Jiangsu made great progress in economic and social development and established a relatively complete industrial system and national economic system. After the Third Plenary Session of the Eleventh Central Committee of the CPC, Jiangsu went through the stages of development such as the rise of township enterprises, the rapid progress of export-oriented economy, and innovation-driven development. By the end of the 20th century, the province basically entered a moderately well-off society, and some areas in southern Jiangsu first endeavored to achieve basic modernization in the country. Since the 18th CPC National Congress, guided by Xi Jinping Thought on Socialism with Chinese Characteristics for a New Era and based on the major requirement of becoming the pacesetter in advancing Chinese modernization, Jiangsu has strived to open a new page in building a modernized new Jiangsu that is prosperous, beautiful, and culturally advanced. In 2023, the province’s GDP reached RMB 12.82 trillion, up by 5.8% against the previous year. The number of cities with a regional GDP exceeding RMB one trillion has increased to five. The per capita disposable income of urban and rural residents reached RMB 63,200 and RMB 30,500 respectively, narrowing the income ratio between urban and rural residents to 2.07:1. Significant progress has been scored in ecological conservation and environmental protection. With that, a beautiful Jiangsu with a sound environment brings about greater benefit to all. The province’s social civility index remains above 90.
Since ancient times, Jiangsu has had a brilliant and profound cultural foundation. Chu and Han cultures, Wu culture, Jinling culture, Huaiyang culture intermingled. Yan Yan, who has the reputation of “Southern Fuzi” and “Grandmaster of literature in South China”, Mei Sheng, the originator of Han Fu, Gu Kaizhi, the “Great Painter” of the Eastern Jin Dynasty (AD 317-420), and Zhang Xu, the “Saint of Cursive Calligraphy” of the Tang Dynasty, have all made great contributions to Chinese culture. The “Three Greats” - the Han tomb, the Han Terracotta Warriors and the Han portrait stone carvings; the classical masterpieces - All Men are Brothers, Journey to the West and Dream of the Red Chamber; and the most representative folk music “Jiangnan Silk and Bamboo”, “the ancestor of a hundred operas” Kunqu Opera, Suzhou Xiangshanbang traditional building construction techniques, Nanjing Cloud Brocade, Yangzhou Lacquerware, and Yixing Clay Pots, among others, are cultural works and historical heritage that are well known in China and abroad. As of 2023, Jiangsu has been home to more than 20,000 immovable cultural relics and over 1.07 million pieces/sets of movable cultural relics registered in museums; three world cultural heritage sites, one world natural heritage site, 251 national key cultural relics protection units, 13 national historical and cultural cities, 31 Chinese historical and cultural towns, 12 Chinese historical and cultural villages; 355 museums on record, 70 national-grade museums; and 11 items included in the UNESCO Intangible Cultural Heritage list (ICHs), 162 national ICHs, 178 inheritors of the national ICHs, and 12 provincial experimental zones for cultural and ecological protection.
