document_title: Nanjing

question_text: when was nanjing(nanking) selected as the capital city of the republic of china

question_tokens: when was nanjing ( nanking ) selected as the capital city of the republic of china

text: Nanjing

text: History[edit]

text:
Historical affiliations

 Tang dynasty, 1271–1365
 Ming dynasty, 1368–1644
 Qing dynasty, 1644–1912
  Republic of China, 1912–1937
 Empire of Japan, 1937–1945
 Republic of China, 1945–1949
 People's Republic of China, 1949–present

tag: div

text: Early history[edit]

text: Archaeological discovery shows that "Nanjing Man" lived in more than 500 thousand years ago. Zun, a kind of wine vessel, was found to exist in Beiyinyangying culture of Nanjing in about 5000 years ago.[18] In the late period of Shang dynasty, Taibo of Zhou came to Jiangnan and established Wu state, and the first stop is in Nanjing area according to some historians based on discoveries in Taowu and Hushu culture.[19] According to a legend quoted by an artist in Ming dynasty, Chen Yi, Fuchai, King of the State of Wu, founded a fort named Yecheng in today's Nanjing area in 495 BCE.[20] Later in 473 BCE, the State of Yue conquered Wu and constructed the fort of Yuecheng (越城) on the outskirts of the present-day Zhonghua Gate. In 333 BCE, after eliminating the State of Yue, the State of Chu built Jinling Yi (金陵邑) in the western part of present-day Nanjing.[21] It was renamed Moling (秣陵) during reign of Qin Shi Huang. Since then, the city experienced destruction and renewal many times.[citation needed] The area was successively part of Kuaiji, Zhang and Danyang prefectures in Qin and Han dynasty, and part of Yangzhou region which was established as the nation's 13 supervisory and administrative regions in the 5th year of Yuanfeng in Han dynasty (106 BCE). Nanjing was later the capital city of Danyang Prefecture, and had been the capital city of Yangzhou for about 400 years from late Han to early Tang.

text: Imperial China[edit]

text: Nanjing first became a state capital in 229 CE, when the state of Eastern Wu founded by Sun Quan during the Three Kingdoms period relocated its capital to Jianye (建業), the city extended on the basis of Jinling Yi in 211 CE.[16] Although conquered by the Western Jin dynasty in 280, Nanjing and its neighbouring areas had been well cultivated and developed into one of the commercial, cultural and political centers of China during the rule of East Wu.[15] This city would soon play a vital role in the following centuries.

text: Shortly after the unification of the region, the Western Jin dynasty collapsed. First the rebellions by eight Jin princes for the throne and later rebellions and invasion from Xiongnu and other nomadic peoples that destroyed the rule of the Jin dynasty in the north. In 317, remnants of the Jin court, as well as nobles and wealthy families, fled from the north to the south and reestablished the Jin court in Nanjing, which was then called Jiankang (建康), replacing Luoyang.[23] It's the first time that the capital of the nation moved to southern part.

text: During the period of North–South division, Nanjing remained the capital of the Southern dynasties for more than two and a half centuries. During this time, Nanjing was the international hub of East Asia.[24] Based on historical documents, the city had 280,000 registered households.[25] Assuming an average Nanjing household consisted of about 5.1 people, the city had more than 1.4 million residents.[23]

text: A number of sculptural ensembles of that era, erected at the tombs of royals and other dignitaries, have survived (in various degrees of preservation) in Nanjing's northeastern and eastern suburbs, primarily in Qixia and Jiangning District.[26] Possibly the best preserved of them is the ensemble of the Tomb of Xiao Xiu (475–518), a brother of Emperor Wu of Liang.[27][28] The period of division ended when the Sui Dynasty reunified China and almost destroyed the entire city, turning it into a small town.

text: The city of Nanjing was razed after the Sui dynasty took over it.[29] It renamed Shengzhou (昇州) in Tang dynasty and resuscitated during the late Tang.[30] It was chosen as the capital and called Jinling (金陵) during the Southern Tang (937–976), a state that succeeded Wu state.[31] It renamed Jiangning (江寧) in Northern Song dynasty and renamed Jiankang in Southern Song dynasty. Jiankang's textile industry burgeoned and thrived during the Song dynasty despite the constant threat of foreign invasions from the north by the Jurchen-led Jin dynasty. The court of Da Chu, a short-lived puppet state established by the Jurchens, and the court of Song were once in the city.[32][33][34] Song was eventually exterminated by the Mongol empire under the name Yuan and in Yuan dynasty the city's status as a hub of the textile industry was further consolidated.[35]

text: The first emperor of the Ming dynasty, Zhu Yuanzhang (the Hongwu Emperor), who overthrew the Yuan dynasty, renamed the city Yingtian, rebuilt it, and made it the dynastic capital in 1368. He constructed a 48 km (30 mi) long city wall around Yingtian, as well as a new Ming Palace complex, and government halls.[36] It took 200,000 laborers 21 years to finish the project. The present-day City Wall of Nanjing was mainly built during that time and today it remains in good condition and has been well preserved.[37] It is among the longest surviving city walls in China.[38] The Jianwen Emperor ruled from 1398 to 1402.

text: It is believed that Nanjing was the largest city in the world from 1358 to 1425 with a population of 487,000 in 1400.[39] In 1421, the Yongle Emperor persisted in relocating the capital to Beijing, however he had to withdrew his order before his death. Although Beijing was the de facto capital after that, Nanjing remained the official one of the Ming Empire until 1441, when Emperor Yingzong ordered to not to prefix the words "行在" ("provisional") on the Beijing Government seals any longer, while Nanjing's need to prefix "Nanjing" for distinguishing. Hence, Nanjing still had itself imperial government with extremely limit power before 1644.

text: Besides the city wall, other famous Ming-era structures in the city included the famous Ming Xiaoling Mausoleum and Porcelain Tower, although the latter was destroyed by the Taipings in the 19th century either in order to prevent a hostile faction from using it to observe and shell the city[40] or from superstitious fear of its geomantic properties.[41]

text: A monument to the huge human cost of some of the gigantic construction projects of the early Ming dynasty is the Yangshan Quarry (located some 15–20 km (9–12 mi) east of the walled city and Ming Xiaoling mausoleum), where a gigantic stele, cut on the orders of the Yongle Emperor, lies abandoned, just as it was left 600 years ago when it was understood it was impossible to move or complete it.[42]

text: As the center of the empire, early-Ming Nanjing had worldwide connections. It was home of the admiral Zheng He, who went to sail the Pacific and Indian Oceans, and it was visited by foreign dignitaries, such as a king from Borneo (Boni 渤泥), who died during his visit to China in 1408. The Tomb of the King of Boni, with a spirit way and a tortoise stele, was discovered in Yuhuatai District (south of the walled city) in 1958, and has been restored.[43]

text: Over two centuries after the removal of the capital to Beijing, Nanjing was destined to become the capital of a Ming emperor one more time. After the fall of Beijing to Li Zicheng's rebel forces and then to the Manchu-led Qing dynasty in the spring of 1644, the Ming prince Zhu Yousong was enthroned in Nanjing in June 1644 as the Hongguang Emperor.[44][45] His short reign was described by later historians as the first reign of the so-called Southern Ming dynasty.[46]

text: Zhu Yousong, however, fared a lot worse than his ancestor Zhu Yuanzhang three centuries earlier. Beset by factional conflicts, his regime could not offer effective resistance to Qing forces, when the Qing army, led by the Manchu prince Dodo approached Jiangnan the next spring.[47] Days after Yangzhou fell to the Manchus in late May 1645, the Hongguang Emperor fled Nanjing, and the imperial Ming Palace was looted by local residents.[48] On June 6, Dodo's troops approached Nanjing, and the commander of the city's garrison, Zhao the Earl of Xincheng, promptly surrendered the city to them.[49][50] The Manchus soon ordered all male residents of the city to shave their heads in the Manchu queue way.[51] They requisitioned a large section of the city for the bannermen's cantonment, and destroyed the former imperial Ming Palace, but otherwise the city was spared the mass murders and destruction that befell Yangzhou.[52]

text: Under the Qing dynasty (1644–1911), the Nanjing area was known as Jiangning (江寧) and served as the seat of government for the Viceroy of Liangjiang.[53] It was the site of a Qing army garrison.[54] It had been visited by the Kangxi and Qianlong emperors a number of times on their tours of the southern provinces. Nanjing was invaded by British troops during the close of the First Opium War, which was ended by the Treaty of Nanjing in 1842. As the capital of the brief-lived rebel Taiping Heavenly Kingdom (founded by the Taiping rebels[55] in the mid-19th century, Nanjing was known as Tianjing (天京, "Heavenly Capital" or "Capital of Heaven").

text: Both the Qing viceroy and the Taiping king resided in buildings that would later be known as the Presidential Palace. When Qing forces led by Zeng Guofan retook the city in 1864, a massive slaughter occurred in the city with over 100,000 estimated to have committed suicide or fought to the death.[56] Since the Taiping Rebellion began, Qing forces allowed no rebels speaking its dialect to surrender.[57] This systematic mass murder of civilians occurred in Nanjing.[58]

text: Modern China[edit]

text: The Xinhai Revolution led to the founding of the Republic of China in January 1912 with Sun Yat-sen as the first provisional president and Nanking was selected as its new capital. However, the Qing Empire controlled large regions to the north, so revolutionaries asked Yuan Shikai to replace Sun as president in exchange for the abdication of Puyi, the Last Emperor. Yuan demanded the capital be Beijing (closer to his power base).

text: In 1927, the Kuomintang (KMT; Nationalist Party) under Generalissimo Chiang Kai-shek again established Nanjing as the capital of the Republic of China, and this became internationally recognized once KMT forces took Beijing in 1928. The following decade is known as the Nanking decade.

text: In 1937, the Empire of Japan started a full-scale invasion of China after invading Manchuria in 1931, beginning the Second Sino-Japanese War (often considered a theatre of World War II).[59] Their troops occupied Nanjing in December and carried out the systematic and brutal Nanking Massacre (the "Rape of Nanking").[60] Even children, the elderly, and nuns are reported to have suffered at the hands of the Imperial Japanese Army.[61] The total death toll, including estimates made by the International Military Tribunal for the Far East and the Nanjing War Crimes Tribunal after the atomic bombings, was between 300,000 and 350,000.[62] The city itself was also severely damaged during the massacre.[60] The Nanjing Massacre Memorial Hall was built in 1985 to commemorate this event.

text: A few days before the fall of the city, the National Government of China was relocated to the southwestern city Chungking (Chongqing) and resumed Chinese resistance. In 1940, a Japanese-collaborationist government known as the "Nanjing Regime" or "Reorganized National Government of China" led by Wang Jingwei was established in Nanjing as a rival to Chiang Kai-shek's government in Chongqing.[63] In 1946, after the Surrender of Japan, the KMT relocated its central government back to Nanjing.

text: On 21 April 1949, Communist forces crossed the Yangtze River. On April 23, the Communist People's Liberation Army (PLA) captured Nanjing.[64] The KMT government retreated to Canton (Guangzhou) until October 15, Chongqing until November 25, and then Chengdu before retreating to the island of Taiwan on December 10 where Taipei was proclaimed the temporary capital of the Republic of China. By late 1949, the PLA was pursuing remnants of KMT forces southwards in southern China, and only Tibet and Hainan Island were left. After the establishment of the People's Republic of China in October 1949, Nanjing was initially a province-level municipality, but it was soon merged into Jiangsu province and again became the provincial capital by replacing Zhenjiang which was transferred in 1928, and retains that status to this day.

text: Geography[edit]

text: Nanjing, with a total land area of 6,598 square kilometres (2,548 sq mi), is situated in the heartland of the drainage area of the lower reaches of the Yangtze River, and in the Yangtze River Delta, one of the largest economic zones of China. The Yangtze River flows past the west side and then the north side of Nanjing City, while the Ningzheng Ridge surrounds the north, east and south sides of the city. The city is 650 kilometres (400 mi) southeast of Luoyang, 1,200 kilometres (750 mi) south-southeast of Beijing, 300 kilometres (190 mi) west-northwest of Shanghai, and 1,400 kilometres (870 mi) east-northeast of Chongqing. The Yangtze River flows downstream from Jiujiang, Jiangxi, through Anhui and Jiangsu to the East China Sea. The northern part of the lower Yangtze drainage basin is the Huai River basin and the southern part is the Zhe River basin; they are connected by the Grand Canal east of Nanjing. The area around Nanjing is called Hsiajiang (下江, Downstream River) region, with Jianghuai dominant in the northern part and Jiangzhe dominant in the southern part.[d] The region is also well known as Dongnan (東南, South East, the Southeast) and Jiangnan (江南, and River South, South of Yangtze).[e]

text: Nanjing borders Yangzhou to the northeast (one town downstream when following the north bank of the Yangtze); Zhenjiang to the east (one town downstream when following the south bank of the Yangtze); and Changzhou to the southeast. On its western boundary is Anhui province, where Nanjing borders five prefecture-level cities: Chuzhou to the northwest, Wuhu, Chaohu and Maanshan to the west and Xuancheng to the southwest.[65]

text: Nanjing is at the intersection of the Yangtze River, an east-west water transport artery, and the Nanjing–Beijing railway, a north-south land transport artery, hence the name “door of the east and west, throat of the south and north”. Furthermore, the west part of the Ningzhen range is in Nanjing; the Loong-like Zhong Mountain curls round the east side of the city, while the tiger-like Stone Mountain crouches in the west of the city, hence the name “the Zhong Mountain, a dragon curling, and the Stone Mountain, a tiger crouching”.

text: Climate and environment[edit]

text:
Nanjing

Climate chart (explanation)

J
F
M
A
M
J
J
A
S
O
N
D

37

7
−1

47

9
1

82

13
5

73

20
11

102

26
16

193

29
21

186

32
25

129

32
24

72

27
19

65

22
13

51

16
6

24

10
0

Average max. and min. temperatures in °C

Precipitation totals in mm

Source: CMA[66]

[show]Imperial conversion

J
F
M
A
M
J
J
A
S
O
N
D

1.5

45
30

1.9

48
33

3.2

56
41

2.9

69
51

4

78
61

7.6

84
69

7.3

89
76

5.1

89
76

2.8

81
67

2.6

72
55

2

61
43

1

50
33

Average max. and min. temperatures in °F

Precipitation totals in inches

text: Nanjing has a humid subtropical climate (Köppen Cfa) and is under the influence of the East Asian monsoon. The four seasons are distinct, with damp conditions seen throughout the year, very hot and muggy summers, cold, damp winters, and in between, spring and autumn are of reasonable length. Along with Chongqing and Wuhan, Nanjing is traditionally referred to as one of the "Three Furnacelike Cities" along the Yangtze River (长江流域三大火炉) for the perennially high temperatures in the summertime.[67] However, the time from mid-June to the end of July is the plum blossom blooming season in which the meiyu (rainy season of East Asia; literally "plum rain") occurs, during which the city experiences a period of mild rain as well as dampness. Typhoons are uncommon but possible in the late stages of summer and early part of autumn. The annual mean temperature is around 15.91 °C (60.6 °F), with the monthly 24-hour average temperature ranging from 2.7 °C (36.9 °F) in January to 28.1 °C (82.6 °F) in July. Extremes since 1951 have ranged from −14.0 °C (7 °F) on 6 January 1955 to 40.7 °C (105 °F) on 22 August 1959.[68][69][70] On average precipitation falls 115 days out of the year, and the average annual rainfall is 1,090 millimetres (43 in). With monthly percent possible sunshine ranging from 37 percent in March to 52 percent in August, the city receives 1,926 hours of bright sunshine annually.

text: Nanjing is endowed with rich natural resources, which include more than 40 kinds of minerals. Among them, iron and sulfur reserves make up 40 percent of those of Jiangsu province. Its reserves of strontium rank first in East Asia and the South East Asia region. Nanjing also possesses abundant water resources, both from the Yangtze River and groundwater. In addition, it has several natural hot springs such as Tangshan Hot Spring in Jiangning and Tangquan Hot Spring in Pukou.

text: Sun Yat-sen once summarized and lauded the feature of Nanjing in his book The International Development of China (建國方略):

text: Nanking was the old capital of China before Peking, and is situated in a fine locality which comprises high mountains, deep water and a vast level plain—a rare site to be found in any part of the world. It also lies at the center of a very rich country on both sides of the lower Yangtze. (南京為中國古都，在北京之前，而其位置乃在一美善之地區。其地有高山，有深水，有平原，此三種天工，鐘毓一處，在世界中之大都市誠難覓如此佳境也。而又恰居長江下游兩岸最豐富區域之中心...)[71]

text: To be more exact, surrounded by the Yangtze River and mountains, the urban area of the city enjoys its scenic natural environment. Xuanwu Lake and Mochou Lake are located in the centre of the city and are easily accessible to the public, while Purple Mountain are covered with deciduous and coniferous forests preserving various historical and cultural sites. Meanwhile, a Yangtze River deep-water channel is constructing to enable Nanjing to be capable of navigation of the 50,000 DWT vessels form the estuary.[72]

text:
[show]Climate data for Nanjing (1981–2010 normals, extremes 1951–present)

Month
Jan
Feb
Mar
Apr
May
Jun
Jul
Aug
Sep
Oct
Nov
Dec
Year

Record high °C (°F)
21.0
(69.8)
27.7
(81.9)
30.3
(86.5)
34.2
(93.6)
37.5
(99.5)
38.1
(100.6)
40.0
(104)
40.7
(105.3)
39.0
(102.2)
33.4
(92.1)
29.1
(84.4)
23.1
(73.6)
40.7
(105.3)

Average high °C (°F)
7.2
(45)
9.5
(49.1)
14.2
(57.6)
20.7
(69.3)
26.2
(79.2)
29.1
(84.4)
32.2
(90)
31.7
(89.1)
27.7
(81.9)
22.5
(72.5)
16.2
(61.2)
9.9
(49.8)
20.6
(69.1)

Daily mean °C (°F)
2.7
(36.9)
5.0
(41)
9.3
(48.7)
15.6
(60.1)
21.1
(70)
24.8
(76.6)
28.1
(82.6)
27.6
(81.7)
23.3
(73.9)
17.6
(63.7)
10.9
(51.6)
4.9
(40.8)
15.9
(60.6)

Average low °C (°F)
−0.7
(30.7)
1.4
(34.5)
5.3
(41.5)
11.0
(51.8)
16.5
(61.7)
21.0
(69.8)
24.9
(76.8)
24.4
(75.9)
19.9
(67.8)
13.6
(56.5)
6.8
(44.2)
1.1
(34)
12.1
(53.8)

Record low °C (°F)
−14
(7)
−13.0
(8.6)
−7.1
(19.2)
−0.2
(31.6)
5.0
(41)
11.8
(53.2)
16.8
(62.2)
16.9
(62.4)
7.7
(45.9)
0.2
(32.4)
−6.3
(20.7)
−13.1
(8.4)
−14
(7)

Average precipitation mm (inches)
45.4
(1.787)
53.0
(2.087)
79.6
(3.134)
80.3
(3.161)
90.0
(3.543)
166.2
(6.543)
214.3
(8.437)
143.8
(5.661)
72.9
(2.87)
59.7
(2.35)
55.9
(2.201)
29.5
(1.161)
1,090.6
(42.935)

Average precipitation days (≥ 0.1 mm)
8.7
9.1
11.8
10.0
9.7
10.6
12.3
11.8
8.1
7.8
7.4
6.2
113.5

Average relative humidity (%)
74
73
72
71
71
76
80
80
78
75
76
73
74.9

Mean monthly sunshine hours
124.7
120.3
144.7
169.2
194.2
162.8
196.7
201.6
164.0
164.2
147.4
137.1
1,926.9

Source: China Meteorological Administration[66]

text: Cityscape[edit]

text: Environmental issues[edit]

text: Air pollution in 2013[edit]

text: A dense wave of smog began in the central and east parts of China on 2 December 2013 across a distance of around 1,200 kilometres (750 mi),[73] including Tianjin, Hebei, Shandong, Jiangsu, Anhui, Shanghai and Zhejiang. A lack of cold air flow, combined with slow-moving air masses carrying industrial emissions, collected airborne pollutants to form a thick layer of smog over the region.[74] The heavy smog heavily polluted central and southern Jiangsu Province, especially in and around Nanjing,[75] with its AQI pollution Index at "severely polluted" for five straight days and "heavily polluted" for nine.[76] On 3 December 2013, levels of PM2.5 particulate matter average over 943 micrograms per cubic metre,[77] falling to over 338 micrograms per cubic metre on 4 December 2013.[78] Between 3:00 pm, 3 December and 2:00pm, 4 December local time, several expressways from Nanjing to other Jiangsu cities were closed, stranding dozens of passenger buses in Zhongyangmen bus station.[75] From 5 to 6 December, Nanjing issued a red alert for air pollution and closed down all kindergarten through middle schools. Children's Hospital outpatient services increased by 33 percent; general incidence of bronchitis, pneumonia, upper respiratory tract infections significantly increased.[79] The smog dissipated 12 December.[80] Officials blamed the dense pollution on lack of wind, automobile exhaust emissions under low air pressure, and coal-powered district heating system in north China.[81] Prevailing winds blew low-hanging air masses of factory emissions (mostly SO2) towards China's east coast.[82]

text: Government[edit]

text: At present, the full name of the government of Nanjing is "People's Government of Nanjing City" and the city is under the one-party rule of the CPC, with the CPC Nanjing Committee Secretary as the de facto governor of the city and the mayor as the executive head of the government working under the secretary.

text: Administrative divisions[edit]

text: The sub-provincial city of Nanjing is divided into 11 districts.[83]

text:
Map
District
Simplified Chinese
Hanyu Pinyin
Population (2013)
Area (km2)

1
2
3
4
5
Qixia
Jiangning
Pukou
Luhe
Lishui
Gaochun
1. Xuanwu
2. Qinhuai
3. Jianye
4. Gulou
5. Yuhuatai

District

Xuanwu
玄武区
Xuánwǔ Qū
660,557
80.97

Qinhuai
秦淮区
Qínhuái Qū
1,034,822
50.36

Jianye
建邺区
Jiànyè Qū
446,899
82.00

Gulou
鼓楼区
Gǔlóu Qū
1,292,291
57.62

Yuhuatai
雨花台区
Yǔhuātái Qū
415,885
131.90

Qixia
栖霞区
Qīxiá Qū
664,103
340.00

Jiangning
江宁区
Jiāngníng Qū
1,178,628
1,573.00

Pukou
浦口区
Pǔkǒu Qū
728,798
913.00

Luhe
六合区
Lùhé Qū
926,445
1,485.50

Lishui
溧水区
Lìshuǐ Qū
419,523
983.00

Gaochun
高淳区
Gāochún Qū
420,429
801.00

text: Defunct districts: Baixia District and Xiaguan District

text: Demographics[edit]

text:
Population trend[84]

Year
Residents (in million)
natural growth rate (%)

1949
2.5670
13.09

1950
2.5670
15.64

1955
2.8034
19.94

1960
3.2259
0.23

1965
3.4529
25.58

1970
3.6053
20.76

1975
3.9299
9.53

1978
4.1238
8.84

1990
5.0182
9.18

Year
Residents (in million)
natural growth rate (%)

1995
5.2172
2.62

1996
5.2543
2.63

1997
5.2982
2.16

1998
5.3231
1.00

1999
5.3744
2.01

2000
5.4489
2.48

2001
5.5304
1.60

2002
5.6328
0.70

2003
5.7223
1.50

2006
6.0700
6.11

text: According to the Sixth China Census, the total population of the City of Nanjing reached 8.005 million in 2010. The statistics in 2011 estimated the total population to be 8.11 million. The birth rate was 8.86 percent and the death rate was 6.88 percent. The urban area had a population of 6.47 million people. The sex ratio of the city population was 107.31 males to 100 females.[85][86]

text: The encompassing metropolitan area was estimated by the OECD (Organisation for Economic Co-operation and Development) to have, as of 2010[update], a population of 11.7 million.[1]

text: As in most of eastern China the ethnic makeup of Nanjing is predominantly Han nationality (98.56 percent), with 50 other minority nationalities. In 1999, 77,394 residents belonged to minority nationalities, among which the vast majority (64,832) were Hui nationalities, contributing 83.76 percent to the minority population. The second and third largest minority groups were Manchu (2,311) and Zhuang (533) nationalities. Most of the minority nationalities resided in Jianye District, comprising 9.13 percent of the district's population.[87]

text: Economy[edit]

text: Earlier development[edit]

text: There was a massive cultivating in the area of Nanjing from the Three Kingdoms period to Southern dynasties. The sparse population led to land as royal rewards were granted for rules’ people. At first, the landless peasants benefited from it, then the senior officials and aristocratic families. Since large numbers of immigrants flooded into the area, reclamation was quite common in its remote parts, which promoted its agricultural development.

text: The craft industries, by contrast, had a faster growth. Especially the textiles section, there were about 200,000 craftsmen by the late Qing.[88] Several dynasties established their imperial textiles bureaus in Nanjing. The Nanjing Brocade (南京云锦) is their exquisite product as the cloth for the royal garments such as dragon robes. Meanwhile, the satins from Nanjing were called “tribute satins” ("贡缎"), because they were usually paid as tribute to the monarchy. Besides, minting, papermaking, shipbuilding grew initially since the Three Kingdoms period. As Nanjing was the capital of the Ming dynasty, the industries further expanded, where both state-owned and numerous private businesses served the imperial court. Several place names in Nanjing remains witnessed them, such as Wangjinshi (网巾市, the market sells wangjin), Guyilang (估衣廊, the corridor for garments bargain), Youfangqiao (油坊桥, the bridge near an oil mill).

text: Moreover, the trade in Nanjing was also flourishing. The Ming dynasty drawing Nandu fanhui tujuan (南都繁会图卷, Prosperous Nanjing) vividly depicts a high street at that time bustling with people; all sorts of shops could be found on it. However, the economic developments were almost wiped out by the Taiping Rebellion’s catastrophe.

text: Modern times[edit]

text: Into the first half of the twentieth century after the establishment of ROC, Nanjing gradually shifted from being a production hub towards being a heavy consumption city, mainly because of the rapid expansion of its wealthy population after Nanjing once again regained the political spotlight of China. A number of huge department stores such as Zhongyang Shangchang sprouted up, attracting merchants from all over China to sell their products in Nanjing. In 1933, the revenue generated by the food and entertainment industry in the city exceeded the sum of the output of the manufacturing and agriculture industry. One third of the city population worked in the service industry, .

text: In the 1950s after PRC was established by CPC, the government invested heavily in the city to build a series of state-owned heavy industries, as part of the national plan of rapid industrialization, converting it into a heavy industry production center of east China.[89] Overenthusiastic in building a “world-class” industrial city, the government also made many disastrous mistakes during development, such as spending hundreds of millions of yuan to mine for non-existent coal, resulting in negative economic growth in the late 1960s. From 1960s to 1980s there were Five Pillar Industries, namely, electronics, cars, petrochemical, iron and steel, and power, each with big state-owned firms. After the Reform and Opening recovering market economy, the state-owned enterprises found themselves incapable of competing with efficient multinational firms and local private firms, hence were either mired in heavy debt or forced into bankruptcy or privatization and this resulted in large numbers of layoff workers who were technically not unemployed but effectively jobless.

text: Today[edit]

text: The current economy of the city is basically newly developed based on the past. Service industries are dominating, accounting for about 60 percent of the GDP of the city, and financial industry, culture industry and tourism industry are top 3 of them. Industries of information technology, energy saving and environmental protection, new energy, smart power grid and intelligent equipment manufacturing have become pillar industries.[90] Big civilian-run enterprise include Suning Commerce, Yurun, Sanpower, Fuzhong, Hiteker, 5stars, Jinpu, Tiandi, CTTQ Pharmaceutical, Nanjing Iron and Steel Company and Simcere Pharmaceutical. Big state-owned firms include Panda Electronics, Yangzi Petrochemical, Jinling Petrochemical, Nanjing Chemical, Jincheng Motors, Jinling Pharmaceutical, Chenguang and NARI. The city has also attracted foreign investment, multinational firms such as Siemens, Ericsson, Volkswagen, Iveco, A.O. Smith, and Sharp have established their lines, and a number of multinationals such as Ford, IBM, Lucent, Samsung and SAP established research center there. Many China-based leading firms such as Huawei, ZTE and Lenovo have key R & D institutes in the city. Nanjing is an industrial technology research and development hub, hosting many R & D centers and institutions, especially in areas of electronics technology, information technology, computer software, biotechnology and pharmaceutical technology and new material technology.

text: In recent years, Nanjing has been developing its economy, commerce, industry, as well as city construction. In 2013 the city's GDP was RMB 801 billion (3rd in Jiangsu), and GDP per capita(current price) was RMB 98,174(US$16041), a 11 percent increase from 2012. The average urban resident's disposable income was RMB 36,200, while the average rural resident's net income was RMB 14,513. The registered urban unemployment rate was 3.02 percent, lower than the national average (4.3 percent). Nanjing's Gross Domestic Product ranked 12th in 2013 in China, and its overall competence ranked 6th in mainland and 8th including Taiwan and Hong Kong in 2009.[91]

text: There are a number of industrial zones in Nanjing.

text:
Nanjing New and High-Tech Industry Development Zone
Nanjing Baixia Hi-Tech Industrial Zone
Nanjing Economic and Technological Development Zone

text: Transportation[edit]

text: Nanjing is the transportation hub in eastern China and the downstream Yangtze River area. Different means of transportation constitute a three-dimensional transport system that includes land, water and air. As in most other Chinese cities, public transportation is the dominant mode of travel of the majority of the citizens. As of October 2014, Nanjing had four bridges and two tunnels over the Yangtze River, which are tying districts north of the river with the city center on the south bank.[92]

text: Rail[edit]

text: Nanjing is an important railway hub in eastern China.[93] It serves as rail junction for the Beijing-Shanghai (Jinghu) (which is itself composed of the old Jinpu and Huning Railways), Nanjing–Tongling Railway (Ningtong), Nanjing–Qidong (Ningqi), and the Nanjing-Xian (Ningxi) which encompasses the Hefei–Nanjing Railway. Nanjing is connected to the national high-speed railway network by Beijing–Shanghai High-Speed Railway and Shanghai–Wuhan–Chengdu Passenger Dedicated Line, with several more high-speed rail lines under construction.

text: Among all 17 railway stations in Nanjing, passenger rail service is mainly provided by Nanjing Railway Station and Nanjing South Railway Station, while other stations like Nanjing West Railway Station, Zhonghuamen Railway Station and Xianlin Railway Station serve minor roles. Nanjing Railway Station was first built in 1968.[94] On November 12, 1999, the station was burnt in a serious fire.[95] Reconstruction of the station was finished on September 1, 2005. Nanjing South Railway Station, which is one of the 5 hub stations on Beijing–Shanghai High-Speed Railway, has officially been claimed as the largest railway station in Asia and the second largest in the world in terms of GFA (Gross Floor Area).[96] Construction of Nanjing South Station began on 10 January 2008.[97] The station was opened for public service in 2011.[98]

text: Road[edit]

text: As an important regional hub in the Yangtze River Delta, Nanjing is well-connected by over 60 state and provincial highways to all parts of China.

text: Express highways such as Hu–Ning, Ning–He, Ning–Hang enable commuters to travel to Shanghai, Hefei, Hangzhou, and other important cities quickly and conveniently. Inside the city of Nanjing, there are 230 km (140 mi) of highways, with a highway coverage density of 3.38 kilometres per hundred square kilometrs (5.44 mi/100 sq mi). The total road coverage density of the city is 112.56 kilometres per hundred square kilometres (181.15 mi/100 sq mi).[99] The two artery roads in Nanjing are Zhongshan Road and Hanzhong. The two roads cross in the city center, Xinjiekou.

text: Expressways:

text:
G25 Changchun–Shenzhen Expressway
G36 Nanjing–Luoyang Expressway
G40 Shanghai–Xi'an Expressway
G42 Shanghai–Chengdu Expressway
G4211 Nanjing–Wuhu Expressway, a spur of G42 that extends west to Wuhu, Anhui
S55 Nanjing–Gaochun Expressway
S38 Yanjiang Expressway
G2501 Nanjing Ring Expressway

text: National Highway (GXXX):

text:
China National Highway 104—motorists can either drive northwest to Beijing or south to Fuzhou, Fujian.
China National Highway 205—motorists can either drive north to Shanhaiguan, Hebei or south to Shenzhen, Guangdong.
China National Highway 312—motorists can either drive east to Shanghai or west to Khorgas, Xinjiang on the Kazakh border
China National Highway 328—Nanjing is the western terminus of G328, which motorists can follow to Hai'an County in eastern Jiangsu

text: Public transportation[edit]

text: The city also boasts an efficient network of public transportation, which mainly consists of bus, taxi and metro systems. The bus network, which is currently run by three companies since 2011, provides more than 370 routes covering all parts of the city and suburban areas.[100] Nanjing Metro Line 1, started service on September 3, 2005, with 16 stations and a length of 21.72 kilometres (13.50 miles).[101] Line 2 and the 24.5 km-long south extension of Line 1 officially opened to passenger service on May 28, 2010.[102][103] At present, Nanjing has a metro system with a grand total of 256 kilometers (159 mi) of route and 136 stations. They are Line 1, Line 2, Line 3, Line 4, Line 10, Line S1 and Line S8. The city is planning to complete a 17-line Metro and light-rail system by 2030.[104] The expansion of the Metro network will greatly facilitate the intracity transportation and reduce the currently heavy traffic congestion.

text: Air[edit]

text: Nanjing's airport, Lukou International Airport, serves both national and international flights. In 2013, Nanjing airport handled 15,011,792 passengers and 255,788.6 tonnes of freight.[105] The airport currently has 85 routes to national and international destinations, which include Japan,[106] Korea, Thailand,[107][108] Malaysia, Singapore, United States[109] and Germany. The airport is connected by a 29-kilometre (18 mi) highway directly to the city center, and is also linked to various intercity highways, making it accessible to the passengers from the surrounding cities. A railway Ninggao Intercity Line has been built to link the airport with Nanjing South Railway Station.[110] Lukou Airport was opened on 28 June 1997, replacing Nanjing Dajiaochang Airport as the main airport serving Nanjing. Dajiaochang Airport is still used as a military air base.[111]

text: Water[edit]

text: Port of Nanjing is the largest inland port in China, with annual cargo tonnage reached 191,970,000 t in 2012.[112] The port area is 98 kilometres (61 mi) in length and has 64 berths including 16 berths for ships with a tonnage of more than 10,000.[113] Nanjing is also the biggest container port along the Yangtze River; in March 2004, the one million container-capacity base, Longtan Containers Port Area opened, further consolidating Nanjing as the leading port in the region. As of 2010[update], it operated six public ports and three industrial ports.[114] The Yangtze River’s 12.5-meter-deep waterway enables 50,000-ton-class ocean ships directly arrive at the Nanjing Port, and the ocean ships with the capacities of 100,000 tons or above can also reach the port after load reduction in the Yangtze River’s high-tide period.[115]

text: Yangtze River crossings[edit]

text: In the 1960s, the first Nanjing Yangtze River Bridge was completed, and served as the only bridge crossing over the Lower Yangtze in eastern China at that time. The bridge was a source of pride and an important symbol of modern China, having been built and designed by the Chinese themselves following failed surveys by other nations and the reliance on and then rejection of Soviet expertise. Begun in 1960 and opened to traffic in 1968, the bridge is a two-tiered road and rail design spanning 4,600 metres on the upper deck, with approximately 1,580 metres spanning the river itself. Since then four more bridges and two tunnels have been built. Going in the downstream direction, the Yangtze crossings in Nanjing are: Dashengguan Bridge, Line 10 Metro Tunnel, Third Bridge, Nanjing Yangtze River Tunnel, First Bridge, Second Bridge and Fourth Bridge.

text: Culture and art[edit]

text: Being one of the four ancient capitals of China, Nanjing has always been a cultural center attracting intellectuals from all over the country. In the Tang and Song dynasties, Nanjing was a place where poets gathered and composed poems reminiscent of its luxurious past; during the Ming and Qing dynasties, the city was the official imperial examination center (Jiangnan Examination Hall) for the Jiangnan region, again acting as a hub where different thoughts and opinions converged and thrived.

text: Today, with a long cultural tradition and strong support from local educational institutions, Nanjing is commonly viewed as a “city of culture” and one of the more pleasant cities to live in China.

text: Art[edit]

text: Some of the leading art groups of China are based in Nanjing; they include the Qianxian Dance Company, Nanjing Dance Company, Jiangsu Peking Opera Institute and Nanjing Xiaohonghua Art Company among others.

text: Jiangsu Province Kun Opera is one of the best theatres for Kunqu, China's oldest stage art.[116] It is considered a conservative and traditional troupe. Nanjing also has professional opera troupes for the Yang, Yue (shaoxing), Xi and Jing (Chinese opera varieties) as well as Suzhou pingtan, spoken theatre and puppet theatre.

text: Jiangsu Art Gallery is the largest gallery in Jiangsu Province, presenting some of the best traditional and contemporary art pieces of China like the historical Master Ho-Kan;[117] many other smaller-scale galleries, such as Red Chamber Art Garden and Jinling Stone Gallery, also have their own special exhibitions.

text: Festivals[edit]

text: Many traditional festivals and customs were observed in the old times, which included climbing the City Wall on January 16, bathing in Qing Xi on March 3, hill hiking on September 9 and others (the dates are in Chinese lunar calendar). Almost none of them, however, are still celebrated by modern Nanjingese.

text: Instead, Nanjing, as a popular tourist destination, hosts a series of government-organised events throughout the year. The annual International Plum Blossom Festival held in Plum Blossom Hill, the largest plum collection in China, attracts thousands of tourists both domestically and internationally. Other events include Nanjing Baima Peach Blossom and Kite Festival, Jiangxin Zhou Fruit Festival and Linggu Temple Sweet Osmanthus Festival.

text: Libraries[edit]

text: Nanjing Library, founded in 1907, houses more than 10 million volumes of printed materials and is the third largest library in China, after the National Library in Beijing and Shanghai Library. Other libraries, such as city-owned Jinling Library and various district libraries, also provide considerable amount of information to citizens. Nanjing University Library is the second largest university libraries in China after Peking University Library, and the fifth largest nationwide, especially in the number of precious collections.

text: Museums[edit]

text: Nanjing has some of the oldest and finest museums in China. Nanjing Museum, formerly known as National Central Museum during ROC period, is the first modern museum and remains as one of the leading museums in China having 400,000 items in its permanent collection,.[118] The museum is notable for enormous collections of Ming and Qing imperial porcelain, which is among the largest in the world.[119] Other museums include the City Museum of Nanjing in the Chaotian Palace, the Oriental Metropolitan Museum[f], the China Modern History Museum in the Presidential Palace, the Nanjing Massacre Memorial Hall, the Taiping Kingdom History Museum, Jiangning Imperial Silk Manufacturing Museum[g], Nanjing Yunjin Museum, Nanjing City Wall Cultural Museum, Nanjing Customs Museum in Ganxi House,[h] Nanjing Astronomical History Museum, Nanjing Paleontological Museum, Nanjing Geological Museum, Nanjing Riverstones Museum, and other museums and memorials such Zheng He Memorial[i] Jinling Four Modern Calligraphers Memorial.[j]

text: Theatre[edit]

text: Most of Nanjing's major theatres are multi-purpose, used as convention halls, cinemas, musical halls and theatres on different occasions. The major theatres include the People's Convention Hall and the Nanjing Arts and Culture Center. The Capital Theatre well known in the past is now a museum in theatre/film.

text: Night life[edit]

text: Traditionally Nanjing's nightlife was mostly centered around Nanjing Fuzimiao (Confucius Temple) area along the Qinhuai River, where night markets, restaurants and pubs thrived.[121] Boating at night in the river was a main attraction of the city. Thus, one can see the statues of the famous teachers and educators of the past not too far from those of the courtesans who educated the young men in the other arts.

text: In the past 20 years, several commercial streets have been developed, hence the nightlife has become more diverse: there are shopping malls opening late in the Xinjiekou CBD and Hunan Road. The well-established "Nanjing 1912" district hosts a wide variety of recreational facilities ranging from traditional restaurants and western pubs to dance clubs. There are two major areas where bars are densely located; one is in 1912 block; the other is along Shanghai road and its neighbourhood. Both are popular with international residents of the city.

text: Local people still very much enjoy street food, such as Turkish Kebab. As elsewhere in Asia, Karaoke is popular with both young and old crowds.

text: Food and symbolism[edit]

text: Many of the city's local favorite dishes are based on ducks, including Nanjing salted duck, duck blood and vermicelli soup, and duck oil pancake.[122]

text: The radish is also a typical food representing people of Nanjing, which has been spread through word of mouth as an interesting fact for many years in China. According to Nanjing.GOV.cn, "There is a long history of growing radish in Nanjing especially the southern suburb. In the spring, the radish tastes very juicy and sweet. It is well-known that people in Nanjing like eating radish. And the people are even addressed as 'Nanjing big radish', which means they are unsophisticated, passionate and conservative. From health perspective, eating radish can help to offset the stodgy food that people take during the Spring Festival".[123]

text: Sports and stadiums[edit]

text: Nanjing's planned 20,000 seat Youth Olympic Sports Park Gymnasium will be one of the venues for the 2019 FIBA Basketball World Cup.[124]

text: As a major Chinese city, Nanjing is home to many professional sports teams. Jiangsu Suning F.C., the football club currently staying in Chinese Super League, is a long-term tenant of Nanjing Olympic Sports Centre.[125] Jiangsu Nangang Basketball Club is a competitive team which has long been one of the major clubs fighting for the title in China top level league, CBA. Jiangsu Volleyball men and women teams are also traditionally considered as at top level in China volleyball league.

text: There are two major sports centers in Nanjing, Wutaishan Sports Center and Nanjing Olympic Sports Centre. Both of these two are comprehensive sports centers, including stadium, gymnasium, natatorium, tennis court, etc. Wutaishan Sports Center was established in 1952 and it was one of the oldest and most advanced stadiums in early time of People's Republic of China.

text: Nanjing hosted the 10th National Games of P.R.C. in 2005 and hosted the 2nd summer Youth Olympic Games in 2014.[126][127]

text: In 2005, in order to host The 10th National Game of People's Republic of China, there was a new stadium, Nanjing Olympic Sports Centre, constructed in Nanjing. Compared to Wutaishan Sports Center, which the major stadium's capacity is 18,500,[128] Nanjing Olympic Sports Center has a more advanced stadium which is big enough to seat 60,000 spectators. Its gymnasium has capacity of 13,000, and natatorium of capacity 3,000.

text: On 10 February 2010, the 122nd IOC session at Vancouver announced Nanjing as the host city for the 2nd Summer Youth Olympic Games. The slogan of the 2014 Youth Olympic Games was “Share the Games, Share our Dreams”. The Nanjing 2014 Youth Olympic Games featured all 28 sports on the Olympic programme and were held from 16 to 28 August. The Nanjing Youth Olympic Games Organising Committee (NYOGOC) worked together with the International Olympic Committee (IOC) to attract the best young athletes from around the world to compete at the highest level. Off the competition fields, an integrated culture and education programme focused on discussions about education, Olympic values, social challenges, and cultural diversity. The YOG aims to spread the Olympic spirit and encourage sports participation.

text: Tourism[edit]

text: Nanjing is one of the most beautiful cities of mainland China with lush green parks, natural scenic lakes, small mountains, historical buildings and monuments, relics and much more, which attracts thousands of tourists every year.

text: Buildings and monuments[edit]

text: Imperial period[edit]

text:
Stone City
Qixia Temple
Linggu Temple
Jiming Temple
South Tang mausoleums (南唐二陵)
Fuzimiao (Confucius Temple) and Qinhuai River
Jiangnan Gongyuan
City Wall of Nanjing
Ming Dynasty Palace Site
Chaotian Palace
Drum Tower of Nanjing
Beiji Ge
Jinghai Temple
Zhonghua Gate
The Porcelain Pagoda of Nanjing (destroyed)
Xu Garden
Zhan Yuan Garden
Ming Xiaoling Mausoleum and its surrounding complex
Yangshan Quarry
Yuejiang Lou

text:
Tower of Linggu Temple

Classical buildings in the Mochou Lake

Zhonghua Gate

Spirit Way of Ming Xiaoling Mausoleum

text: Republic of China period[edit]

text: Because it was designated as the national capital, many structures were built around that time. Even today, some of them still remain which are open to tourists.

text:
Sun Yat-sen Mausoleum and its surrounding area
Former Presidential Palace, Nanjing of ROC
Former Central Government of ROC Building Group along N. Zhongshan Road (中山北路国民政府建筑)
Former Central Committee of KMT Buildings (中国国民党中央党部旧址)
Jiangsu Art Gallery (Former National Art Gallery Buildings)
Nanjing Great Hall of the People (Former National Great Hall)
Former Foreign Embassies in Gulou Area (鼓楼使馆区)
Nanking Officials Residence Cluster along Yihe Road (颐和路公馆区)
Former Central Stadium (now in campus of Nanjing Sport Institute) (中央体育场旧址/南京体育学院)
Former Central Radio of KMT Building
Republic of China Military Academy Buildings (中央陆军军官学校旧址)
Former Bank of China Nanking Branch Building (中国银行南京分行旧址)
Former Bank of Communications Nanking Branch Building (交通银行南京分行旧址)
Former Central Bank of ROC Nanking Branch Building (中央银行南京分行旧址)
Dahua Theatre (大华电影院)
Lizhishe Buildings (励志社)
Former Macklin Hospital Buildings (Gulou Hospital) (马林医院旧址/鼓楼医院)
Former Central Hospital Buildings (国立中央医院旧址)
Former National Central Museum Buildings (Nanjing Museum) (国立中央博物院旧址/南京博物馆)
Purple Mountain Observatory
Former Academia Sinica of ROC Buildings (国立中央研究院旧址)
Former Central University Buildings (former Nanjing University buildings, now in Sipailou campus of Southeast University)
Former University of Nanking Buildings (now in Gulou campus of Nanjing University)
Former Ginling College Buildings (now in Suiyuan campus of Nanjing Normal University)
St. Paul's Church (圣保罗堂)
Central Hotel (中央饭店)
Former Capital Hotel (Huajiang Hotel) (首都饭店/华江饭店)
Yangtse Hotel (扬子饭店)
Hongshan Zoo (红山动物园)

text:
Hall of Sun Yat-sen Mausoleum

Main entrance of the Presidential Palace

Former site of Executive Yuan

Former site of Lizhishe (Society of Encouragement)

Hot Spring Villa of Chiang Kai-shek

Auditorium of National Central University (now Southeast University)

Former US Embassy

Former residence of Wang Jingwei

A mansion in Yihe Road

text: People's Republic of China period[edit]

text:
Jinling Hotel
Nanjing Yangtze River Bridge
Nanjing Massacre Memorial Hall
Zifeng Tower

text:
Zifeng Tower ranks among the tallest buildings in the world, opened for commercial operations in 2010.[129]

Yangtze River Bridge

Nanjing Youth Olympic Towers

New Nanjing Library

text: Parks and gardens[edit]

text:
China Gate Castle Park
Couple Park
Defence Park
Gulin Park
Mochou Lake and Park
Nanjing Hongshan Forest Zoo
Purple Mountain Scenic Area
Qingliangshan Park
Taoye Ferry
White Horse Park
Wuchaomen Park
Xiamafang Ruins Park
Xu Garden
Xuanwu Lake
Yuhuatai Memorial Park of Revolutionary Martyrs
Zhan Yuan Garden
Zhongshan Botanical Garden

text: Other places of interest[edit]

text:
Tangshan Hot Spring
Yangshan Quarry
Jiangxin Island
Yangtze River power line crossings, tallest transmission towers built of concrete.

text: Education[edit]

text: Nanjing has been the educational center in southern China for more than 1700 years. There are 75 institutions of higher learning till 2013. The number of National key laboratories, National key disciplines and the academicians of Chinese Academy of Sciences and Chinese Academy of Engineering all rank third in the nation. It boasts some of the most prominent educational institutions in the region, some of which are listed as follows:

text:
Many universities in Nanjing have satellite campuses or
have moved their main campus to Xianlin University City.
Clockwise from top:

Gate to Nanjing Normal
Nanjing University of Finance
Nanjing University of Chinese Medicine
Nanjing University of Posts and Telecommunications
Nanjing Normal University

text: Universities and colleges[edit]

text: Operated by Ministry of Education

text:
China Pharmaceutical University
Hohai University
Nanjing Agricultural University
Nanjing University
Southeast University

text: Operated by Ministry of Industry and Information Technology

text:
Nanjing University of Aeronautics and Astronautics
Nanjing University of Science and Technology

text: Operated by the joint Commission of the State Forest Administration and Public Order Ministry

text: Nanjing Forest Police College (南京森林警察学院)

text: Operated by the general sport Administration

text: Nanjing Sport Institute (南京体育学院)

text:
PLA Nanjing Army Command College (中国人民解放军南京陆军指挥学院)
PLA Nanjing International Relation College (中国人民解放军南京国际关系学院)
PLA Nanjing Political College
PLA Naval Command College (中国人民解放军海军指挥学院)
PLA University of Science and Technology (中国人民解放军理工大学)

text:
Jiangsu Institute of Education
Jinling Institute of Technology (金陵科技学院)
Nanjing Arts Institute (南京艺术学院)
Nanjing Audit University
Nanjing City Vocational College (南京城市职业学院)
Nanjing Forestry University
Nanjing Institute of Technology
Nanjing Medical University
Nanjing Normal University
Nanjing Xiaozhuang University
Nanjing University of Chinese Medicine
Nanjing University of Finance and Economics
Nanjing University of Information Science and Technology
Nanjing University of Posts and Telecommunications
Nanjing University of Technology

text:
Communication University Of China' Nanjing (中国传媒大学南广学院)
Hopkins-Nanjing Center
Nanjing University Jinling College (南京大学金陵学院)
New York Institute of Technology
Sanjiang College

text: Notable high schools[edit]

text:
High School Affiliated to Nanjing Normal University
Jinling High School
Nanjing Foreign Language School
Nanjing International School
Nanjing Ninghai High School (南京宁海中学)
Nanjing No.1 High School
Nanjing Zhonghua High School
Nanjing No. 5 High School (南京第五中学)
Nanjing No. 9 High School (南京第九中学)
Nanjing No. 13 High School (南京市第十三中学)
Nanjing No. 27 High School
Nanjing No. 29 High School (南京市第二十九中学)
Nanjing No. 3 Senior Middle School
VIA Nanjing No. 3 International High School (美国佛蒙特州国际学校南京三中校区)
Caulfield Grammar School (Nanjing Campus)

text: Sister cities[edit]

text:
Bandar Seri Begawan, Brunei
 Barranquilla, Colombia
 Bloemfontein (Mangaung), South Africa
 Windhoek, Namibia
 Mogilev, Belarus

  Eindhoven, North Brabant, Netherlands
  Florence, Tuscany, Italy
  Leipzig, Saxony, Germany
 Limassol, Cyprus
  London, Ontario, Canada

 Malacca Town, Malaysia
  Mexicali, Baja California, Mexico
  Perth, Western Australia, Australia
  St. Louis, Missouri, USA
 Daejeon, South Korea

text: Nagoya, Japan (suspended on February 21, 2012 after Nanking Massacre denialist statements by Nagoya's mayor, Takashi Kawamura)[130]


document_title: 2019 NHL Winter Classic

question_text: who is playing in the 2019 winter classic

root

text: 2019 NHL Winter Classic

text:
2019 NHL Winter Classic

123
Total

Boston Bruins
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-

Chicago Blackhawks
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-
Date
January 1, 2019Arena
Notre Dame StadiumCity
Notre Dame, Indiana

← 2018
2020 →

tag: table

text: The 2019 NHL Winter Classic (officially the 2019 Bridgestone NHL Winter Classic) is an upcoming outdoor regular season National Hockey League (NHL) game, part of the Winter Classic series, that is scheduled to be played for January 1, 2019. The game will feature the Chicago Blackhawks taking on the Boston Bruins at Notre Dame Stadium in Notre Dame, Indiana, home of the University of Notre Dame's Fighting Irish football team. This will be the fourth Winter Classic for the Blackhawks (2009, 2015, 2017, sixth outdoor appearance overall and fifth in six years) and the third for the Bruins (2010, 2016).[1] This is also the first time that the Bruins are competing as the visiting team.

tag: p


document_title: Clueless (film)

question_text: the main character in clueless was named after which famous superstar

text: Clueless (film)

text: Plot[edit]

text: Cheryl "Cher" Horowitz is a well-intentioned but superficial girl, who is attractive, popular and extremely wealthy. A few months shy of her sixteenth birthday, she has risen to the top of the high school social scene. She lives in a Beverly Hills mansion with her father Mel, a ferocious $500-an-hour litigator; her mother died from a freak accident during a routine liposuction procedure when Cher was a baby. Cher's best friend is Dionne Davenport, who is also rich, pretty, and hip, and understands what it's like to be envied. Though Dionne has a long-term relationship with popular student Murray, Cher claims that this is a pointless endeavor on Dionne's part.

text: Among the few people to find fault with Cher is Josh, her socially conscious ex-stepbrother, who visits her during a break from college. Josh and Cher spar continually but without animosity; she mocks his scruffy idealism, while he teases her for being selfish, vain, and superficial, and says that her only direction in life is "toward the mall". Cher plays matchmaker for two lonely, nerdy, hard-grading teachers, Mr. Hall and Miss Geist. She achieves her superficial purpose, to make them relax their grading standards so she can renegotiate a bad report card; but when she sees their newfound happiness, she realizes she enjoys doing good deeds. Cher decides to give back to the community by "adopting" a "tragically unhip" new girl at school, Tai Frasier. Cher and Dionne give Tai a makeover and initiate her into the mysteries of popularity. Cher also tries to extinguish the attraction between Tai and Travis Birkenstock, an amiable skateboarding slacker, and to steer her toward Elton, a popular rich snob.

text: Her second matchmaking scheme backfires when Elton rejects Tai and attempts to seduce Cher. When a handsome new student named Christian arrives at their school, Cher takes a shine to him and attempts to secure him as her boyfriend. Eventually, Murray spells it out to her and Dionne that Christian is not interested in her because he is gay.

text: Despite the failure of this endeavor, Cher remains on good terms with Christian, primarily due to her admiration of his taste in art and fashion. Matters take a turn for the worse when Cher's "project" works too well, and Tai's popularity surpasses her own. The situation reaches crisis stage after Cher fails her driver's test and can't "renegotiate" the result. When she returns home, crushed, Tai confides that she's taken a fancy to Josh and wants Cher to help her "get" him. Cher says she doesn't think Josh is right for Tai, and they quarrel, ending with Tai calling Cher a "virgin who can't drive". Feeling "totally clueless", Cher reflects on her priorities and her repeated failures to understand or appreciate the people in her life.

text: After much soul searching, Cher realizes she loves Josh. She begins making awkward but sincere efforts to live a more purposeful life, including captaining the school's Pismo Beach disaster relief effort. Cher and Josh eventually admit their feelings for one another, culminating in a tender kiss.

text: In the end, Mr. Hall and Miss Geist wed; Cher's friendships with Tai and Dionne are solidified; Tai and Travis are in love; and Cher wins a $200 bet for catching the bouquet at the wedding. She embraces Josh, and they kiss as the film closes.

text: Cast[edit]

text: The film's central characters are:

text:
Alicia Silverstone as Cheryl "Cher" Horowitz, a sweet but spoiled Valley Girl type, though she actually lives in Beverly Hills. Living in a mansion, waited on by servants, and flaunting her wealth with fashion, she's the undisputed queen of Bronson Alcott High School. Cher is tough and clever, like her father Mel. Cher convinces two of her teachers that each is a secret admirer of the other, negotiating her way from a C+ average to an A- average. Cher doesn't have a regular boyfriend: she describes finding a boyfriend in high school as "being as pointless as looking for meaning in a Pauly Shore movie." She is based on Jane Austen's character Emma Woodhouse.
Stacey Dash as Dionne Davenport, Cher's best friend. Like Cher, she is rich and beautiful, though caring. Cher uses Dionne as her number one fashion critic. Dionne and boyfriend Murray have an extremely tumultuous relationship and often quarrel. They have spats about Murray shaving his head and Dionne finding "cheap polyester hair" in the backseat of his car, but they also bond over Dionne's first driving experience on the freeway, inspiring a wistful admiration in Cher. She is based on the Emma character Isabella Knightley (née Woodhouse), who was her sister in the book but here is her best friend.
Brittany Murphy as Tai Frasier, the ugly duckling transformed into the beautiful swan. Cher and Dionne decide to give Tai a makeover. With a change of hair, makeup and clothing, Tai gains confidence and a sense of style. Originally Tai fell for skater Travis, but Cher tried to set Tai up with "it boy" Elton to boost her popularity. After a "near-death experience" at the mall, Tai develops an overly-confident attitude that ultimately poses a threat to Cher's social status. Tai also develops a crush on Josh, and asks Cher to help her get him. By the end of the film, Tai regains Cher's respect and friendship, and begins dating Travis. This was Murphy's first major film role. She is based on the Emma character Harriet Smith, Emma's protégée.
Paul Rudd as Josh Lucas, Cher's ex-stepbrother: her father, Mel, married Josh's mother five years earlier. Josh has ambitions to be a lawyer (his focus is environmental law), and during a college break comes for a protracted visit with Cher and her father at their house. He claims that being around Mel is a "great learning experience". Throughout the film, Josh teases Cher, but at the same time shows his caring and concern for her. He is based on the Emma character George Knightley.
Dan Hedaya as Melvin "Mel" Horowitz, a gruff but successful workaholic. As a litigator, he is constantly involved in big cases in Beverly Hills, where he lives with his teenage daughter Cher. Despite being divorced from Josh's mother, he tells his daughter "You divorce wives, not children" and is very protective of Cher, warning Christian: "If anything happens to my daughter, I've got a .45 and a shovel. I doubt anybody would miss you." He is based on Emma's father, Mr. Woodhouse.
Elisa Donovan as Amber Mariens, a popular spoiled brat who is despised by Cher and Dionne. She is in constant competition with Cher when it comes to style, popularity, and boys. Cher dubs her a "Monet" (just like the painting, "from far away it's okay, but up close it's a big old mess.") She is based on the Emma character Augusta Elton.
Justin Walker as Christian Stovitz, Cher's initial love interest. To catch Christian's attention, Cher sends herself flowers, candies, and love notes. Christian finally attends a party with Cher, where he shows in fashionable attire. Cher plans a big night to finally "do it" with Christian, but he ignores her advances. It is later revealed that this is because he's gay. He is based on the Emma character Frank Churchill (who was not gay, but was secretly engaged to another).[10]

tag: ul

text:
Wallace Shawn as Mr. Wendell Hall, based on the Emma character Mr. Weston.
Twink Caplan as Ms. Geist, based on the Emma character Miss Taylor/Mrs. Weston.
Julie Brown as Coach Millie Stoeger.
Donald Faison as Murray Duvall, Dionne's long-term boyfriend, based on the Emma character John Knightley (who was George Knightley's brother in the book but isn't related to anyone here).
Breckin Meyer as Travis Birkenstock, based on the Emma character Robert Martin.
Jeremy Sisto as Elton Tiscia, based on the Emma character Philip Elton.
Nicole Bilderback as Summer.

text: Production[edit]

text: Principal photography for the film took place between November 21-December 31, 1994.[11] The film had a 40-day filming schedule. Producers sat in on classes at Beverly Hills High School to get a feel for the student culture. Herb Hall, the real drama teacher at Beverly Hills High School, played the principal in the film. Scenes depicting the high school campus, including the tennis courts, the outdoor cafeteria, the quad, and various classrooms were filmed at Occidental College in Los Angeles. The mall scenes were filmed at Westfield Fashion Square in Sherman Oaks, CA.

text: Release[edit]

text: Clueless opened theatrically in 1,653 theaters on July 19, 1995.[3]

text: Later that year, it was released on VHS and Laserdisc on December 19, 1995 by Paramount Home Video.

text: The film was first released to DVD on October 19, 1999; the special features only included 2 theatrical trailers.

text: The film was reissued in a special 10th anniversary DVD "Whatever! Edition" on August 30, 2005. The new issue included featurettes and cast interviews, including:

text:
The Class of '95 – A look at the cast
Creative Writing – Amy Heckerling talks about the script
Fashion 101 – How filmmakers invented the trendsetting style of Clueless
Language Arts – The director and cast members give facts on the groundbreaking slang, and how Clueless revived Valspeak slang
Suck and Blow – How to play the game depicted in the Sun Valley party scene
Driver's Ed
We're History – Stories from cast and crew of Clueless
Two theatrical trailers

text: The film was released on Blu-ray Disc for the first time on May 1, 2012. Special features were carried over from the "Whatever!" edition of 2005, and included a new trivia track.

text: Reception[edit]

text: Box office[edit]

text: The film became a surprise sleeper hit of 1995, grossing $10,612,443 on its opening weekend, ranking second behind Apollo 13. The film grossed $56,631,572 during its theatrical run, becoming the 32nd highest-grossing film of 1995 and bringing the then-largely-unknown Silverstone to international attention. It also developed a strong cult following after its release.[citation needed].[12][13][14]

text: Critical response[edit]

text: The film was well received by critics. Review aggregation website Rotten Tomatoes gives it a score of 81% based on reviews from 57 critics and judged it "Certified Fresh" with an average rating of 6.9/10, the site's critical consensus reads: "A funny and clever reshaping of Emma, Clueless offers a soft satire that pokes as much fun at teen films as it does at the Beverly Hills glitterati."[15] On Metacritic, the film has a 68 out of 100 rating based on 18 reviews, indicating "generally positive reviews".[16]

text: The film was viewed to be the start of impactful teen flicks that had strong influences over fashion trends and lingo. Fashion as a form of self-expression played an important role in the narrative and character development of the film, television series, and novels, something Alice Leppert examines. ^[17]

text: Roger Ebert of the Chicago Sun-Times gave the film three-and-a-half out of four stars.[18] Janet Maslin of The New York Times notes "Even if Clueless runs out of gas before it's over, most of it is as eye-catching and cheery as its star."[19] Peter Travers of Rolling Stone gave the film four stars, contrasting it to the more adult-oriented film about teenagers released around the same time, Kids, stating "The materialism in Clueless is almost as scary as the hopelessness in Kids."[20]

text: Accolades[edit]

text: In 2008, Entertainment Weekly selected Clueless as one of the "New Classics," a list of 100 released between 1983 and 2008,[21] Clueless was ranked 42nd.[22]

text: In 2008, Entertainment Weekly named it the 19th best comedy of the past 25 years.[23]

text: American Film Institute recognition:

text:
AFI's 100 Years... 100 Laughs - Nominated[24]
AFI's 100 Years...100 Movie Quotes:

"As if!" - Nominated[25]

text: Legacy[edit]

text: After the death of Brittany Murphy, Silverstone stated that she "always felt connected to [Murphy] as [they] shared a very special experience in [their] lives together."[26] Following Murphy's death, Silverstone reported in an interview: "I loved working with Brittany. She was so talented, so warm, and so sweet."[26]

text: Heckerling later described Silverstone as having "that Marilyn Monroe thing" as a "pretty, sweet blonde who, in spite of being the American ideal, people still really like."[27]

text: The surviving cast reunited in 2012 for an issue of Entertainment Weekly.[28]

text: Heckerling later reunited with both Silverstone and Shawn for the vampire comedy Vamps.

text: Clueless was the main inspiration for Australian rapper Iggy Azalea's music video to her U.S. number one hit single "Fancy" featuring Charli XCX, with many visuals as well as costumes inspired by the film.[29][30] The video is filled with remakes of classic Clueless scenes, and the outfits are reinvented to channel the famous stylings of the film with a slightly modern edge.[31] "Fancy" was also shot in the same Los Angeles high school where Clueless was filmed.[32]

text: The film was very known for the characters catchy phrases and vocabulary, "Cher's verbal style is also marked by ironic contrasts between current slang and historical references, as when she compares Tai to "those Botticelli chicks." The characterization through their verbal speech was can be seen as enjoyable to audiences [33]

text: In 2015, to celebrate the film's twentieth anniversary, pop culture writer Jen Chaney published a book titled As If!: The Oral History of Clueless, based on exclusive interviews with Amy Heckerling, Alicia Silverstone, and other cast and crew members. Excerpts from the book were published in Vanity Fair.[34][35]

text: Soundtrack[edit]

text:
"Kids in America" (The Muffs) – 3:18
"Shake Some Action" (Cracker) – 4:25
"The Ghost in You" (Counting Crows) – 3:30
"Here" (Squirmel Mix) (Luscious Jackson) – 3:33
"All the Young Dudes" (World Party) – 4:00
"Fake Plastic Trees" (acoustic version) (Radiohead) – 4:45
"Change" (Lightning Seeds) – 4:01
"Need You Around" (Smoking Popes) – 3:42
"Mullet Head" (Beastie Boys) – 2:53
"Where'd You Go?" (The Mighty Mighty Bosstones) – 3:16
"Rollin' with My Homies" (Coolio) – 4:06
"Alright" (Supergrass) – 3:01
"My Forgotten Favorite" (Velocity Girl) – 3:49
"Supermodel" (Jill Sobule) – 3:07

tag: ol

text: Adaptations[edit]

text: TV series[edit]

text: In 1996, the producers created a spinoff television series, which followed the continuing adventures of Cher and her friends. Several cast members from the film went on to star in the series, with the notable exceptions of Silverstone (who went on to sign a film deal with Columbia-TriStar worth $10 million) and Rudd (whose film career began to take off). Silverstone was replaced in the series with actress Rachel Blanchard.

text:
Dash reprised the role of Dionne.
Faison reprised the role of Murray.
Donovan reprised the role of Amber.
Michael Lerner (first season) and Doug Sheehan replaced Hedaya as Mel.
David Lascher replaced Rudd as Josh.
Heather Gottlieb replaced Murphy as Tai.
Teachers Mr. Hall, Ms. Geist, and Coach Stoeger (played by their respective actors) appeared in the series, but Coach Stoeger's surname was changed to "Diemer".

text: Books[edit]

text: Simon Spotlight Entertainment spun off a collection of paperback books, from 1995-1999, aimed at adolescent readers.[citation needed]


document_title: Assassin's Creed (film)

question_text: who plays the female assassin in assassin's creed movie

question_tokens: who plays the female assassin in assassin 's creed movie

text: Assassin's Creed (film)

text: Plot[edit]

text: In 1492 Andalusia, during the Granada War, Aguilar de Nerha is accepted into the Assassins Brotherhood. He is assigned to protect Prince Ahmed de Granada from the Knights Templar. In 1986, adolescent Callum "Cal" Lynch finds his mother killed by his father, Joseph, a modern-day Assassin. Gunmen led by Alan Rikkin, CEO of the Templars' Abstergo Foundation, arrive to capture Joseph, who convinces his son to escape.

text: In 2016, Cal is sentenced to death for murdering a pimp, but his execution is faked by the Abstergo Foundation, which then takes him to their research facility in Madrid. He is told that the Templars are searching for the Apple of Eden, in order to eliminate violence by using the Apple's code to control humanity's free will. Sofia, Alan's daughter and the head scientist, reveals that Cal is a descendant of Aguilar, the last person confirmed to be in possession of the Apple. She puts Cal in the Animus, a machine which allows him to relive (and the scientists to observe) Aguilar's genetic memories, so that Abstergo can learn what he did with the Apple.

text: In 15th-century Spain, Aguilar/Callum and his partner Maria are deployed to rescue Ahmed, who has been kidnapped by the Templar Grand Master Tomas de Torquemada, to coerce Ahmed's father, Sultan Muhammad XII, to surrender the Apple. Aguilar and Maria intercept the Templars, but are overpowered and captured by Torquemada's enforcer, Ojeda. Cal is quickly pulled out of the Animus by Sofia.

text: Cal encounters other Assassin descendants held captive at the facility, most of whom are suspicious of his motives, with the exception of Moussa, the descendant of an 18th-century Haitian Assassin named Baptiste and a key leader. Cal begins experiencing hallucinations, dubbed "the Bleeding Effect", of both Aguilar and Joseph. Cal and Sofia build a rapport during their sessions; she confides that her mother was likewise murdered by an Assassin, sharing his hatred of the Brotherhood of which his father is a member.

text: Back in the Animus, Aguilar and Maria are scheduled for execution but he manages to free them, leading to a rooftop chase in which they escape through an Assassin "Leap of Faith". Cal's mind reacts violently to the session and he is temporarily paralyzed. When Cal learns that his father is also at the facility, he confronts Joseph over his mother's death. Joseph informs him that the Bleeding Effect will allow modern Cal to possess Aguilar's combat abilities. He also learns that his mother was an Assassin, and she chose to die by Joseph's hand rather than be forced into the Animus. Unconvinced, Cal vows to destroy the Assassins by finding the Apple. Meanwhile, Alan is pressured by a Templar Elder, Ellen Kaye, to shut down the multibillion-dollar Animus Project because they have already "won... people no longer care about their civil liberties... they're content to follow", leading Sofia to question her father's true intentions.

text: Reaffirmed by his encounter with his father, Cal willingly enters the Animus once again, whereupon Aguilar and Maria ambush a meeting between Muhammad and Torquemada. They succeed in killing the Templars and retrieving the Apple, though Ojeda captures Maria in order to force Aguilar to surrender it. Instead, Maria chooses death, and stabs herself on Ojeda's blade. Aguilar kills him and escapes through another Leap, the force of which causes the Animus to violently malfunction. Aguilar gives the Apple to Christopher Columbus, who promises to take it to his grave. When Moussa and the modern Assassin prisoners start a riot in order to escape, Alan orders the facility purged. Abstergo security kills Joseph and most of the other prisoners.

text: Cal stands in the Animus chamber and is met with the projections of a number of his Assassin ancestors, including Aguilar, Arno Dorian, Joseph and his mother. Persuaded by his mother, Cal embraces his Assassins' Creed and, having fully assimilated Aguilar’s memories and abilities, joins Moussa and two other surviving Assassins in escaping the facility.

text: Having retrieved the Apple from Columbus' burial vault, Alan and his followers converge at a ceremony in a Templar sanctuary in London to celebrate their triumph. Inside the sanctuary, a disillusioned Sofia meets with Cal, who has come to take the Apple, and she reluctantly allows him to act. Cal retrieves the Apple, but kills Alan to do it. While Sofia vows revenge against Cal, the Assassins depart, vowing to once again protect the Apple from the Templars.

text: Cast[edit]

text:
Michael Fassbender as Callum "Cal" Lynch and Aguilar de Nerha:[8]
An original character created for the film, Lynch is a descendant of the Assassins, with genetic links to Aguilar, an Assassin in 15th century Spain.[9][10] Cal has been running his whole life, ever since he was forced to witness his mother's murder as a child. But living on society's fringes has also kept him shrouded from the secrets of his ancestry. Awaiting execution on death row, Cal is captured and brought to the Abstergo facility (Abstergo Foundation in Madrid, Spain), where he may soon come to understand his place in the world, and control the power burning inside of him.[8] Fassbender described Cal by saying "He doesn’t have a lineage he can feel a belonging to... he's a bit of a lost soul. He’s always been drifting in and out of correctional facilities," and conversely described Aguilar as "very much somebody that belongs to the Creed. He has a cause, he’s sort of been following that cause. He belongs to it."[11] Angus Brown portrays a young Cal.
Marion Cotillard as Dr. Sofia Rikkin:[8]
The daughter of Alan Rikkin and the leading scientist of the Animus project at Abstergo Foundation.[12][13][14][15] Sofia is a brilliant scientist determined to use science to eradicate humanity's violent impulses and create a harmonious world. She might not see the dark underside of the modern-day Templars' causes, and her allegiance is yet to be tested.[8] Marion Cotillard described Sofia's relationship with her father as "twisted." Their relationship is distant, and she tries everything to make him proud," she explains. "But at the same time, she starts to understand that they're not really on the same page. The most important thing for her is not to impress her father. It's to achieve what she started." [16]
Jeremy Irons as Alan Rikkin:[8]
The CEO of Abstergo Industries and, particularly, his private Madrid-based organization Abstergo Foundation dedicated to the "perfection" of humankind,[17] one of the leaders of modern-day Knights Templar, and the father of Sofia, to which he feels a strong love.[13][14][15] He is determined to achieve his orders' centuries-long goal to gain control over humanity. Through Cal, and the ancestral memories he holds, Rikkin may finally have found the key to achieving ultimate power for the betterment of humanity.[8] "I'm a mover and a shaker. A shadowy figure. A man who is very much at the forefront of this world," Irons says. Like Sofia, Rikkin believes in "removing the violent impulse all men carry," and sees an opportunity in Cal. "Rikkin believes the cause of unhappiness in the world is war, and if he can get rid of that then people like him will be safer and wealthier. He's not a very moral man, but he thinks he is." [16] The character previously appeared in the first Assassin's Creed game.[18]
Brendan Gleeson as Joseph Lynch:
The father of Cal Lynch and an Assassin, who was forced to kill his wife, Mary Lynch, in order to save her from Abstergo's invasion. Brian Gleeson, Brendan's real-life son, portrays a young Joseph.[8][13]
Charlotte Rampling as Ellen Kaye: Referred to as "Your Excellency", is a senior member of the Templar Elders. Looking to re-purpose Abstergo's multibillion-dollar annual budget used for the Animus program.[16][19][8]
Michael K. Williams as Moussa:
A descendant of Baptiste, a Haitian Assassin who uses voodoo poison against his enemies.[20][11] Escapes with Cal and Lin to London. Williams said, "Moussa definitely has some assassin skills. Although I think he prefers to use trickery and magic and voodoo to slay his opponents as opposed to just hand-to-hand combat, but if it needed to be he could take it to the mat."[11] Baptiste previously appeared in Assassin's Creed: Liberation.[21][8]
Denis Ménochet as McGowen: Head of Rikkin's large Abstergo security force.[8][22]
Ariane Labed as Maria:[8]
An assassin in 15th century Spain and the closest ally of Aguilar.[23][14] More measured than her partner-in-arms, Maria is light on her feet and exceedingly quick, and together they are an unstoppable force. Like Aguilar, she understands the damage the Templar influence is doing to her country.[8]
Khalid Abdalla as Sultan Muhammad XII.
Essie Davis as Cal's mother.
Matias Varela as Emir: A descendant of Yusuf Tazim, a Middle Eastern Assassin who uses a bow and arrow, along with a sword and knives, against his enemies.[11][8]
Callum Turner as Nathan: A descendant of Duncan Walpole, an Assassin turncoat from the 18th century.
Carlos Bardem as Spanish army commander Benedicto
Javier Gutiérrez as Tomas de Torquemada:[8]
Tomas de Torquemada ruled over the Spanish Inquisition for 15 years, directing his inquisitors to root out and murder those he deemed to be manipulating the faith in their own pursuit of power. The most potent tool in his arsenal was the auto-da-fé: theatrical acts of public penance in which all those who crossed the Inquisition were burned alive.[8]
Hovik Keuchkerian as Ojeda:[8]
While Torquemada pulls the strings, Ojeda does the real work, exacting brutal punishment on any who dare to challenge the Inquisition. He thinks nothing of razing entire towns and commands a great army; however, his lack of subtlety is his weakness, because it allows the Assassins who operate in the shadows to keep their eyes on him at all times.[8]
Michelle H. Lin as Lin: A descendant of Shao Jun, a Chinese Assassin from the 16th century.[8]

text: Production[edit]

text: Development[edit]

text:
"You know, we absolutely want to respect the game. There's so much cool stuff in the game that we're actually spoiled for choice in terms of what we can use and what we can't, but we also want to bring new elements to it and perhaps our own version of things that already exist in the game. But we're definitely making a feature film, and we're approaching it as a feature film, as opposed to approaching it as a video game. But I love the world... When I met up with the guys from Ubisoft and they started to explain this whole world and the idea of D.N.A memory – you know, I think it's a very feasible scientific theory. I just thought, 'This is so rich,' and about the possibility of it being this cinematic experience. So I'm really excited about it, and we're working very hard to make sure that we've got the best and most exciting, original package."

—Michael Fassbender, star and producer of the film, on how much of the film would remain faithful to the game and how much would be an original story.[24]

text: By October 2011, Sony Pictures was in final negotiations with Ubisoft Motion Pictures to make a film version of Assassin's Creed,[25] to be released in 3D.[26] In July 2012, Michael Fassbender was announced to star in the film, as well as co-produce, through his DMC Film banner, with Conor McCaughan.[9] Jean-Julien Baronnet, CEO of Ubisoft Motion Pictures, said Fassbender was the studio's first choice to star in the film. As well, negotiations between Sony Pictures and Ubisoft Motion Pictures were put on hold, with Ubisoft executives planning to develop the film independently in order to maintain greater creative control. Sony was able to still distribute the film, but Ubisoft Motion Pictures would not resume talks until packaging the project with a writer and director.[27] In October 2012, Ubisoft revealed the film would be co-produced with New Regency and distributed by 20th Century Fox. New Regency financed part of the film's production, in order for Ubisoft to not shoulder much financial risk, yet still be able to be involved creatively;[28] RatPac Entertainment and Alpha Pictures also co-financed the film.[23] Baronnet also revealed Ubisoft hoped to release the film along with a new game launch for the series.[28]

text: In January 2013, Michael Lesslie was hired to write the film.[29] In June 2013, Frank Marshall entered negotiations to produce the film, along with Fassbender and McCaughan, for DMC Film, and Eli Richbourg for Ubisoft.[30] In July, Scott Frank revealed he was rewriting the script.[31] In January 2014, a Linkedin profile for executive producer Fannie Pailloux stated filming was scheduled to begin in August 2014.[32] In April 2014, Adam Cooper and Bill Collage were hired to rewrite the script.[33] By the end of April, Justin Kurzel was in talks to direct.[34] In June, Olivia Munn expressed interest in appearing in the film.[35]

text: Pre-production[edit]

text: On February 12, 2015, Ubisoft's CEO Yves Guillemot confirmed that New Regency had begun production on the film.[36] The following day, Marion Cotillard was revealed to have joined the cast. Filming was expected to begin in late 2015.[12] In April 2015, Fassbender revealed that filming was scheduled to begin in September 2015.[37] In May 2015, Alicia Vikander was in talks to star in the film,[38] though in the following month, she took a role in the fifth Bourne film, Jason Bourne, instead,[39] and Ariane Labed was cast in her place.[23] Producers on the film include Baronnet, Patrick Crowley, Fassbender, Marshall, Conor McCaughan, and Arnon Milchan.[23] In July 2015, Michael K. Williams was added to the cast.[20] In late August 2015, Fassbender's role was revealed as Callum Lynch in the present day and Aguilar in 15th century Spain; filming locations for the film were also announced.[10]

text: Filming[edit]

text: Principal photography on the film began on August 31, 2015, with filming taking place in Malta, London, Spain, and the 007 Stage at Pinewood Studios.[10][40][41][42] Adam Arkapaw serves as cinematographer, while Andy Nicholson was production designer.[43] In October 2015, Jeremy Irons and Brendan Gleeson joined the cast.[13] In December 2015, shooting took place in Spain,[44] and Irons' role was revealed to be Alan Rikkin.[17] Principal filming ended on January 15, 2016,[45] with further filming taking place in Ely Cathedral in July.[46]

text: Music[edit]

text: In May 2016, it was announced that Jed Kurzel, the brother of director Justin Kurzel, would score the film.[47]

text: Connections to the video games[edit]

text: Aymar Azaïzia, head of Assassin's Creed content at Ubisoft, stated that the film, which is "a brand new story, [with] new characters set in our universe," had the possibility to feature "some familiar faces," and that the present day element would feature Abstergo.[48] Fassbender said, "We really want to respect the game[s] and the elements to it. But we also wanted to come up with our own thing. And one thing I've sort of learned from doing the franchises like X-Men is that audiences, I think, want to be surprised and to see new elements of what they already know, and different takes on it."[11] The Animus, the machine used to experience ancestors' memories, was redesigned for the film, from a chair, to a machine that lifts the user in the air, allowing for a more modern, interactive and dramatic experience. Fassbender also noted the change was made to avoid comparisons to The Matrix.[49] The Abstergo compound in the film features an artifact room that holds specific weapons from the games beyond the traditional Assassin wrist blades, including: Altaïr Ibn-La'Ahad's sword (Assassin's Creed);[11] Connor/Ratonhnhaké:ton's bow (Assassin's Creed III);[42] Edward Kenway's flintlock pistols (Assassin's Creed IV: Black Flag); the cane sword of the twins Jacob and Evie Frye (Assassin's Creed Syndicate) and the axe and guillotine gun of Arno Dorian (Assassin's Creed Unity).[50][51] Fassbender also stated that Ubisoft was "very keen" about elements being created for the film, and were considering incorporating them into future games.[11]

text: The film also features the games' signature "Leap of Faith" jump, performed by Fassbender's stunt double, Damien Walters, rather than a digital double, as the production team wanted to make many of the elements in the film as "real" as possible, without the use of visual effects. The 125-foot (38 m) freefall was described as "one of the highest freefalls performed by a stuntman in almost 35 years".[52]

text: Release[edit]

text: Assassin's Creed was released on December 21, 2016.[53] The film was originally announced in May 2013 to be released on May 22, 2015,[54] a date that was pushed back the following month to June 26, 2015.[55] In November 2013, the film was pushed back once again to a new release date of August 7, 2015.[56] In September 2014, the film was pushed to an unspecified 2016 release date,[57] which was later revealed to be December 21, 2016.[53] The film was released in 2D, 3D and selected IMAX 3D territories.[citation needed]

text: Reception[edit]

text: Box office[edit]

text: Assassin's Creed grossed $54.6 million in the United States and Canada and $186.3 million in other territories for a worldwide total of $240.9 million, against a production budget of $125 million.[6]

text: In North America, Assassin's Creed was initially expected to gross $25–35 million from 2,902 theaters over its first six days of release.[58][5] However, after grossing $1.4 million from Tuesday night previews and $4.6 million on its first day, six-day projections were lowered to $22 million.[59] It went on to gross $10.3 million in its opening weekend (a six-day total of $22.5 million), finishing 5th at the box office.[60]

text: Critical reception[edit]

text: On Rotten Tomatoes, Assassin's Creed has an approval rating of 18% based on 192 reviews, and an average rating of 4/10. The website's critical consensus reads, "Assassin's Creed is arguably better made (and certainly better cast) than most video game adaptations; unfortunately, the CGI-fueled end result is still a joylessly overplotted slog."[61] On Metacritic, the film has a score of 36 out of 100 based on 38 critics, indicating "generally unfavorable reviews".[62] Audiences polled by CinemaScore gave the film an average grade of "B+" on an A+ to F scale.[63]

text: Peter Bradshaw of The Guardian wrote, "I bet playing the game is much more exciting. But then getting Fassbender to slap a coat of Dulux on the wall of his hi-tech prison cell and monitoring the progressive moisture-loss would be more exciting."[64] Robbie Collin of the Daily Telegraph was equally scathing, saying, "For everyone who thought Dan Brown's conspiracy novels were just lacking a spot of parkour, Assassin's Creed might be your favourite film of the year. But for the clinically sane 99.9 percent of the rest of us, it's rather less exciting."[65]

text: David Ehrlich of IndieWire gave the film a B−, and said "declaring this to be the best video game movie ever made is the kind of backhanded compliment that sounds like hyperbole, but the description fits the bill on both counts."[66]

text: Home media[edit]

text: Assassin's Creed was released onto Blu-ray and DVD on March 21, 2017 [67] and Digital HD from Amazon Video and iTunes on March 10, 2017.[citation needed]

text: Potential sequels[edit]

text: In March 2016, Daphne Yang, CEO of the film's Taiwanese co-financier CatchPlay, stated that New Regency was looking to turn the film into a franchise, since it is based on "successful Ubisoft games and would make ideal sequels."[68] Two additional films are planned, with the first sequel having entered development during the production of the initial film.[69] Kurzel told Premiere that he would like to explore the Cold War in the sequel.[70]