Ancient human activity in the Nanjing area dates back 1 to 1.2 million years. Nanjing was founded over 3,100 years ago during the late Shang Dynasty. It was established as the capital in the first year of the Huanglong reign of the Eastern Wu Dynasty (229 AD).
Nanjing, designated by the State Council as a key central city in eastern China, is a national historical and cultural city and an international integrated transportation hub. It serves as a national advanced manufacturing base, an eastern industrial innovation center, a regional technological innovation hub, a modern service industry center, and a regional shipping and logistics hub. It also serves as the headquarters of the Eastern Theater Command of the People's Liberation Army. Known as the "Ancient Capital of Six Dynasties" and the "Metropolis of Ten Dynasties," Nanjing's cultural influence reaches throughout East Asia.
After the founding of the People's Republic of China, Nanjing became a municipality directly under the Central People's Government. In September 1952, Nanjing merged with the Southern Jiangsu and Northern Jiangsu administrative regions to form Jiangsu Province. On January 1, 1953, the Jiangsu Provincial People's Government was established, with Nanjing designated as its capital. In 1989, the State Council approved Nanjing's independent planning system, granting it economic management authority equivalent to that of a provincial-level city. In 1993, the central government abolished the independent planning system for provincial capital cities. In February 1994, the central government designated Nanjing as a sub-provincial city. In June 2016, the "Yangtze River Delta Urban Agglomeration Development Plan," approved by the State Council, designated Nanjing as a "megacity" in terms of urban size.
Dynasties in which Nanjing was established as its capital: Eastern Wu, Eastern Jin, Liu Song, Southern Qi, Southern Liang, Southern Chen, Southern Wu (Western Capital), Southern Tang, Southern Song (Temporary Capital), Ming, Southern Ming, Taiping Heavenly Kingdom, Republic of China