Zhenjiang (镇江)

1. Introduction

Zhenjiang City, abbreviated as Zhen, historically known as Jingkou and Runzhou, is a prefecture-level city under the jurisdiction of Jiangsu Province, People's Republic of China. It is located in the southern part of Jiangsu Province, on the south bank of the Yangtze River. The city borders Taizhou to the east, Yangzhou to the north, Nanjing to the west, and Changzhou to the south. Situated at the eastern end of the Ningzhen Mountains and the western plain of the Yangtze River Delta, the terrain is higher in the west and lower in the east, with the southern part belonging to the Maoshan Mountains. The Yangtze River flows along the northern and eastern boundaries of the city, while the Beijing-Hangzhou Grand Canal runs from south to north through the area.

Zhenjiang is a nationally renowned historical and cultural city with a history of over three thousand years. It once served as the capital of Jiangsu Province during the Republic of China era. Zhenjiang is also an important city in the Yangtze River Delta urban agglomeration and the Nanjing metropolitan area, serving as a port and trade transit hub at the confluence of the Yangtze River and the Beijing-Hangzhou Grand Canal. The People's Government of Zhenjiang City is located at No. 68 Nanshan Road, Runzhou District.

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2. History

2.1 The Ferry Era: Shang Dynasty to the Six Dynasties

The indigenous people of Zhenjiang were the Jingman. During the Western Zhou Dynasty, King Kang of Zhou (around 1000 BC) enfeoffed "Ze" as the Marquis of Yi, with present-day Zhenjiang being the "Yi" territory. In 1954, the Western Zhou bronze vessel "Yi Hou Ze Gui" unearthed from Yandun Mountain in Dagang, Zhenjiang, along with its 126-character inscription, suggests that Zhenjiang has a civilization history of at least 3,000 years.

During the Spring and Autumn period, Zhenjiang belonged to the State of Wu and was called "Zhufang." King of Wu excavated the Han Ditch to connect the Yangtze River and the Huai River. Located on the south bank where the Han Ditch met the Yangtze, Zhenjiang gradually became one of the main ferry crossings in the lower reaches of the Yangtze River for north-south traffic. The State of Wu was later destroyed by the State of Yue, which in turn was conquered by the State of Chu, which renamed Zhufang to "Guyang" (because Zhenjiang is located south of Beigu Mountain).

In 210 BC, Qin Shi Huang toured Guyang. Seeing its formidable terrain, "using the mountains as ramparts, overlooking the river and gazing at the sea," he ordered 3,000 prisoners in red garments to cut through Jingxian Mountain to break the area's "imperial aura" and renamed it "Dantu," with the county seat established in what is now downtown Zhenjiang.

In the late Eastern Han Dynasty, as the empire fell into chaos, Sun Zhong, originally from Fuyang, Zhejiang, relocated to Zhongli Village in Situ, Danyang. His descendants, Sun Jian, Sun Ce, and Sun Quan, successively established power in the Jiangdong region. Before Sun Quan moved the capital to Jianye (present-day Nanjing), in 209 AD (the 14th year of the Jian'an era), he first built a formidable military fortress—"Jingcheng"—on the strategically advantageous Beigu Mountain overlooking the river at Jingkou. Later known as the Iron Urn City, it served as the eastern bulwark for the new capital, and Zhenjiang was also called "Jingkou." This stretch of the Yangtze River later became known as the Jing River.

In the late Western Jin Dynasty, central China was ravaged by the War of the Eight Princes and the Upheaval of the Five Barbarians. To escape the warfare, large populations migrated south across the river. The Eastern Jin established "qiao" (refugee) prefectures and commanderies in the Jiangnan region to settle these refugees. As a crucial ferry crossing, Jingkou hosted the refugee-established Southern Xuzhou, Southern Yanzhou, and 18 commanderies including Southern Donghai, Southern Langya, Southern Lanling, and Southern Puyang, with over 60 county seats. The number of immigrants far exceeded that of the indigenous people. Over the next century, the local Wu dialect in Zhenjiang was rapidly replaced by the Jianghuai dialect. Except for the eastern rural areas of Danyang, Jintan, and Dantu, the vast majority of Zhenjiang's residents adopted the tones of the Jianghuai dialect combined with the vocabulary of the Wu dialect, forming the unique Zhenjiang dialect, similar to the situation with the Hangzhou dialect. Among those who sought refuge here were Zu Ti, known for "rising at the crow of the cock to practice swordplay," as well as the ancestors of the literary scholar Liu Xie and the statesman Liu Yu. After Liu Yu replaced the Eastern Jin and established the Song Dynasty, he ordered the assimilation of immigrants and the reorganization of the refugee commanderies and counties.

2.2 The Canal Era: Tang and Song to Ming and Qing Dynasties

In 589 AD, Sui Dynasty forces crossed the river and captured the Chen Dynasty's capital Jiankang and Jingkou, changing Dantu County to Yanling County. In 595 AD (the 15th year of the Kaihuang era of Emperor Wen of Sui), Runzhou was established here. During the Sui and Tang periods, with the opening of the Beijing-Hangzhou Grand Canal, Zhenjiang, as a vital conduit for grain transport linking the central plains dynasties with the emerging Jiangnan economic region post-Six Dynasties, developed into a prosperous shipping and commercial city.

In 1113 AD (the 3rd year of the Zhenghe era of Emperor Huizong of Song), Runzhou was elevated to Zhenjiang Prefecture, marking the first use of the name "Zhenjiang."

During the Jingkang Incident at the end of the Northern Song Dynasty, Jin troops captured Yangzhou, causing a large influx of central plains refugees to cross the river south to Zhenjiang. At that time, as a frontline defense on the Yangtze, Zhenjiang garrisoned over 40,000 troops, including the 8,000-strong Huai army led by Han Shizhong and his wife Liang Hongyu, who famously defeated Jin general Wuzhu at Huangtiandang.

After the Yuan Dynasty conquered the Southern Song, it dispatched a large number of trusted Semu people to various parts of Jiangnan to suppress the Han Chinese. Among Zhenjiang's 13,504 residents at the time, 2,422 belonged to seven ethnic groups: Hui, Mongol, Jurchen, Yelikewen (likely Nestorian Christians), Khitan, Uighur, and Hexi. Most were Muslims, forming their own neighborhoods and living in concentrated areas; some were Nestorian Christians.

During the Ming Dynasty, Zhenjiang Prefecture was under the Southern Zhili and administered three counties: Dantu, Danyang, and Jintan.

In the Qing Dynasty, Zhenjiang Prefecture added Liyang County to its jurisdiction. In 1659, the naval forces of Ming loyalists Zheng Chenggong and Zhang Huangyan entered the Yangtze River and briefly captured Zhenjiang. Subsequently, the Qing stationed Mongol Eight Banner troops in Zhenjiang, established the Deputy Commander of Jingkou, and allocated nearly half the city's area for the Eight Banner garrison. The Zhenjiang bannermen were initially Han Army Eight Banners. After the 28th year of the Qianlong era, due to poor military performance, Mongol Eight Banner troops originally stationed in Nanjing were transferred, comprising over 1,000 soldiers and about 5,000 family dependents.

2.3 The Yangtze Era: Late 19th Century

On July 21, 1842, during the later stages of the First Opium War, British forces adopted the strategy of capturing Zhenjiang, blockading the Beijing-Hangzhou Grand Canal, and cutting off Qing grain transport to force Emperor Daoguang to agree to a treaty. The Battle of Zhenjiang was the decisive battle of the First Opium War and one of its most brutal engagements. Led by Hugh Gough, over a hundred British ships and 15,000 troops sailed up the Yangtze from Wusongkou and fiercely attacked Zhenjiang city. Hailing, the Deputy Commander of Jingkuo, commanded the defending force of 1,500 Mongol Eight Banner soldiers in intense street fighting, resulting in heavy casualties. The British also suffered 168 losses. After his defeat, Hailing took responsibility and hanged himself. Upon entering the city, British troops indulged in extensive looting and burning, damaging Zhenjiang's streets and markets. Consequently, Emperor Daoguang accepted British terms for peace negotiations. On August 1, British forces passed by Yangzhou on the river. Yangzhou gentry and merchants paid a ransom of 500,000 silver dollars as a condition for the British not to occupy the city. On August 29, the Treaty of Nanjing was signed on the river at Xiaguan, Nanjing.

In 1853, the Taiping Army captured Zhenjiang and blockaded canal grain transport. In 1858, the Treaty of Tianjin was signed, designating Zhenjiang as one of three treaty ports to be opened on the Yangtze River. On February 23, 1861, Zhenjiang Prefect Shi Rongguang and British Consul Harry Parkes signed the agreement establishing the Zhenjiang British Concession. It designated a riverside area near Yinshan Gate, about 5 li west of Zhenjiang's city gate, which had been destroyed during the Taiping Rebellion, including 130 mu of flat land and 26 mu of Yinshan Hill, to be leased to the British. Initially, due to ongoing Taiping activity in Zhenjiang, British and American merchants could only trade at Qihaokou on the north bank of the Yangtze. After the war, upon repeated urging by the Qing government, foreign merchants began renting land and building in the concession on the south bank. The British Consulate was built on the slopes of Yinshan Hill.

From Zhenjiang's opening as a port to the early 20th century—roughly 50 years—Zhenjiang, situated at the confluence of the Yangtze River and the Beijing-Hangzhou Grand Canal, rapidly developed into a new shipping and trade center in the latter half of the 19th century. Major East Asian shipping companies—Jardine Matheson, Butterfield & Swire, and the China Merchants Steam Navigation Company—all built wharves along the river near the Zhenjiang British Concession, operating Yangtze River shipping. Steamship routes from Zhenjiang via the Grand Canal to Shanghai, Qingjiangpu, and other places were also successively opened. Many British and American merchants, as well as numerous Cantonese merchants, conducted trade in Zhenjiang. Trade between Zhenjiang and other Yangtze ports was substantial, especially in the rice market and tung oil trade (from Hongjiang in western Hunan Province). Simultaneously, the entire Huai River basin, including areas north of the Yangtze in Jiangsu Province, the northern half of Anhui Province, the southern half of Shandong Province, and large parts of Henan Province, formed Zhenjiang's direct hinterland. Zhenjiang became a major transshipment port between these regions and Shanghai. For about 50 years, Zhenjiang maintained prosperity, becoming the second most modernized commercial city in the lower Yangtze region after Shanghai. During the same period, nearby Nanjing, though also listed as a treaty port to be opened, suffered severe damage during the Taiping Rebellion and took years to recover, only declaring its opening in 1899. It had not yet become a commercial competitor to Zhenjiang. The traditional commercial center of Yangzhou, across the river from Zhenjiang, was clearly in decline.

The Zhenjiang British Concession did not allow Chinese to set up stalls or operate hotels or teahouses within its boundaries. There were very few retail shops inside the concession. Zhenjiang's commercial center was located in the area between the British Concession and the old city's West Gate. In 1889, the "Burning of Foreign Buildings" incident occurred in Zhenjiang.

2.4 The Railway Era: 20th Century Onwards

Entering the 20th century, Zhenjiang's urban development was successively impacted by a series of adverse factors and gradually stalled. In 1906, the Beijing-Hankou Railway opened, diverting goods to and from Henan Province through the port of Hankou. In 1911, the Tianjin-Pukou Railway, running parallel to the Beijing-Hangzhou Grand Canal, opened. Consequently, goods from Shandong and Anhui provinces were also shipped directly to Shanghai and Qingdao, and Nanjing replaced Zhenjiang as the north-south transportation hub.

On March 24, 1927, after the Northern Expeditionary Army entered Zhenjiang, Lu Xiaobo, Chairman of the Zhenjiang Chamber of Commerce, led the merchant militia into the Zhenjiang British Concession, taking over the Municipal Council and police station. All British nationals evacuated. On November 15, 1929, a formal ceremony was held for the recovery of the Zhenjiang British Concession.

In 1929, as Nanjing was designated the capital of the Republic of China, Dantu County was renamed Zhenjiang County and became the provincial capital of Jiangsu. In the 1930s, Zhenjiang undertook some municipal construction, most importantly the building of the main road, Daxi Road, which ran through the western commercial district. This was also the only asphalt road in Jiangsu Province before 1949.

On November 23, 1937, Japanese forces, learning that Jiangsu Provincial Governor Gu Zhutong was holding a military conference at the Dahua Hotel, sent planes to bomb the area. Half a month later, Japanese troops entering the city burned down Zhenjiang's commercial district, reducing the Daxi Road commercial area in western Zhenjiang, including the recovered former British Concession, almost entirely to ruins. Only the former British Consulate on the hill survived.

During the rule of the Wang Jingwei regime, the provincial capital of Jiangsu was moved from Zhenjiang to Suzhou. In 1945, after the victory in the War of Resistance, the capital was moved back to Zhenjiang in early 1946, and large-scale provincial capital construction commenced. In 1949, this construction halted due to the Kuomintang's defeat in the Chinese Civil War.Following the establishment of the Central People's Government of the People's Republic of China, Zhenjiang gradually transformed from a traditional transit commercial city into a medium-sized industrial city. As the conditions of the old port area located in the urban district continued to deteriorate, a new port area—Dagang Port—was developed in the Dagang area of the eastern suburbs. In the western part, Gaozhi Port and Longmen Port were established in Gaozhi Town, Dantu District, and Longmen Village, Jiangqiao Subdistrict, Runzhou District, respectively.

3. Geography

Zhenjiang City borders Nanjing to the west, Changzhou to the southeast, and faces Yangzhou and Taizhou across the Yangtze River to the north.

A key geographical feature of Zhenjiang is its location at the northwestern apex of the Yangtze River Delta. To its southeast lies the extremely flat, water-network-rich Taihu Plain, while a large part of Zhenjiang itself is part of the Ningzhen Hills, characterized by undulating terrain.

Low mountains and hills account for 51.1% of Zhenjiang's total area, which are distinctly divided into two major mountain systems: the east-west trending Ningzhen Mountain Range, stretching 100 kilometers across the northern part of the city; and the north-south trending Maoshan Mountain Range, composed of quartz sandstone and extending 140 kilometers between Jurong and Jintan counties in the southern part. Notable peaks include Maoshan's Damao Peak (372 meters), Yaji Mountain (410 meters), Baohua Mountain (396 meters), Shili Changshan (351 meters), and Chuishan (250 meters). In the 1930s, geologist Li Siguang discovered in Zhenjiang's southern hills that the Ningzhen Mountain Range forms a northward-convex inflection point near the urban area of Zhenjiang, changing its strike from northeast-southwest to southeast-northwest. Furthermore, the mass of the mountain bodies differs significantly on either side of this inflection point. The north-south trending Maoshan also points directly to this spot. Together, they form an "epsilon-type (山字型) structure." He theorized that this was the reflected arc portion of the eastern wing of the Huaiyang epsilon-type structure controlled by the Yangtze Paraplatform, thereby establishing his theory of geomechanics.

Zhenjiang is traversed by two major rivers: the Yangtze River and the Beijing-Hangzhou Grand Canal, which converge within the urban area. The Yangtze flows along the northern side of Zhenjiang, with a stretch of 103.7 kilometers within the city. This section is characterized by numerous bends and forks, an unstable shifting riverbed, and significant tidal influence. The northern part of Zhenjiang's central urban area directly borders the Yangtze, although this section of the river has gradually been separated from the main channel by Zhengrunzhou, forming an inner river extending into the city, also known as "Jinshan Lake," with a water surface area of about 5.6 square kilometers. The Zhenjiang section of the Beijing-Hangzhou Grand Canal is 42.6 kilometers long and has always held significant shipping value. Near the Jingkou Gate in Zhenjiang's Jingkou District, there are Song and Yuan dynasty granaries and the Jingkou Gate with its ancillary facilities, which have a history of over 1,000 years. In 2013, after conservation and development, a new cultural relics and heritage park was established here, open to visitors free of charge.

The Yangtze River course in the Zhenjiang section is winding, with numerous islands and sandbars. The largest island is Yangzhong City, separated from the southern bank by a branch stream. Next is Shiyezhou, covering 44 square kilometers, where the Runyang Yangtze River Bridge is located. Zhengrunzhou, located at the edge of the urban area, has connected to the mainland, forming over 50,000 mu of riverside tidal flats and wetlands with typical wetland ecological landscapes.

| Month | Jan | Feb | Mar | Apr | May | Jun | Jul | Aug | Sep | Oct | Nov | Dec | Year | | :--- | :--- | :--- | :--- | :--- | :--- | :--- | :--- | :--- | :--- | :--- | :--- | :--- | :--- | | Record high °C (°F) | 20.8(69.4) | 26.5(79.7) | 29.5(85.1) | 33.5(92.3) | 36.5(97.7) | 38.0(100.4) | 39.5(103.1) | 38.8(101.8) | 38.2(100.8) | 32.5(90.5) | 29.2(84.6) | 22.8(73.0) | 39.5(103.1) | | Average high °C (°F) | 6.9(44.4) | 8.9(48.0) | 13.6(56.5) | 19.9(67.8) | 25.7(78.3) | 28.7(83.7) | 31.8(89.2) | 31.2(88.2) | 27.3(81.1) | 22.3(72.1) | 16.0(60.8) | 9.6(49.3) | 20.2(68.3) | | Daily mean °C (°F) | 2.7(36.9) | 4.7(40.5) | 8.9(48.0) | 14.9(58.8) | 20.5(68.9) | 24.3(75.7) | 27.8(82.0) | 27.2(81.0) | 23.2(73.8) | 17.7(63.9) | 11.2(52.2) | 5.1(41.2) | 15.7(60.2) | | Average low °C (°F) | −0.5(31.1) | 1.3(34.3) | 5.0(41.0) | 10.5(50.9) | 16.0(60.8) | 20.6(69.1) | 24.5(76.1) | 24.0(75.2) | 19.8(67.6) | 13.9(57.0) | 7.4(45.3) | 1.6(34.9) | 12.0(53.6) | | Record low °C (°F) | −9.0(15.8) | −11.0(12.2) | −5.6(21.9) | −0.1(31.8) | 7.3(45.1) | 12.1(53.8) | 18.4(65.1) | 17.9(64.2) | 10.7(51.3) | 3.2(37.8) | −4.6(23.7) | −12.0(10.4) | −12.0(10.4) | | Average precipitation mm (inches) | 50.5(1.99) | 54.1(2.13) | 83.9(3.30) | 76.2(3.00) | 86.0(3.39) | 169.2(6.66) | 204.7(8.06) | 143.4(5.65) | 84.6(3.33) | 57.5(2.26) | 62.4(2.46) | 33.7(1.33) | 1,106.2(43.56) | | Average relative humidity (%) | 72 | 72 | 72 | 72 | 72 | 77 | 81 | 81 | 78 | 74 | 72 | 69 | 74 |

Source: China Meteorological Data Service Center

4. Administrative Divisions

Zhenjiang City administers 3 municipal districts and oversees 3 county-level cities on behalf of the province.

• Municipal Districts: Jingkou District, Runzhou District, Dantu District
• County-level Cities: Danyang City, Yangzhong City, Jurong City

In addition to the formal administrative divisions, Zhenjiang City has established the Zhenjiang New Area at the county level, which operates jointly with the national-level Zhenjiang Economic and Technological Development Zone and is administratively subordinate to Jingkou District. The national-level Zhenjiang High-Tech Industrial Development Zone is administratively subordinate to Runzhou District.

Zhenjiang City is one of only two cities in Jiangsu Province that span the Yangtze River, possessing two exclaves north of the river: Xinminzhou (belonging to Jingkou District) and Gaoqiao Town (belonging to Dantu District). Zhenjiang Bus Route 226 provides access to Xinminzhou, while Zhenjiang Bus Route 213 previously provided access to Gaoqiao Town.

The following is the integrated markdown format combining the content of two images:

| Division Code | Division Name | Chinese Pinyin | Area (sq km) | Resident Population (2020 Census) | Government Seat | Postal Code | Subdistricts | Towns | |--|--|--|--|--|--|--|--|--| | 321100 | Zhenjiang City | Zhènjiāng Shì | 3,840.32 | 3,210,418 | Runzhou District | 212000 | 25 | 31 | | 321102 | Jingkou District | Jīngkǒu Qū | 343.69 | 619,570 | Zhengdonglu Subdistrict | 212000 | 8 | 3 | | 321111 | Runzhou District | Rùnzhōu Qū | 124.03 | 299,956 | Qilidian Subdistrict | 212000 | 8 | | | 321112 | Dantu District | Dāntú Qū | 617.08 | 347,264 | Yicheng Subdistrict | 212100 | 2 | 6 | | 321181 | Danyang City | Dānyáng Shì | 1,047.24 | 988,900 | Qu'a Subdistrict | 212300 | 2 | 10 | | 321182 | Yangzhong City | Yángzhōng Shì | 327.35 | 315,462 | Sanmao Subdistrict | 212200 | 2 | 4 | | 321183 | Jurong City | Jùróng Shì | 1,377.86 | 639,266 | Chongming Subdistrict | 212400 | 3 | 8 |

Note: The figures for Jingkou District include 2 subdistricts and 3 towns under the jurisdiction of the Zhenjiang New Area, covering an area of 218.9 sq km.

5. Economy

Historically, Zhenjiang's urban economy was primarily based on inland river shipping and transit trade. After 2010, the scale of commerce, handicrafts, and modern industries—including new technology sectors (new materials, cloud technology, new biomedicine), photovoltaics, automobiles, and steel manufacturing—has continuously expanded. Currently, state-owned enterprises, central state-owned enterprises, and foreign-funded enterprises are extensively established in Zhenjiang's urban area, Zhenjiang New District, and Dantu New City. Meanwhile, traditional Wu dialect areas such as Danyang, Yangzhong, Xinfeng in Dantu, Huangxu Town, and Guyang Town (Sanshan Town), along with Gaoqiao Town located north of the Yangtze River, have inherited the traditional Southern Jiangsu development model. Here, township enterprises have transformed into private and non-public enterprises. These areas now represent Zhenjiang's most affluent and vibrant regions in terms of per capita income, consumption, and economic vitality, making significant contributions to the overall economic development and tax revenue of the Zhenjiang area. The private entrepreneurs in these regions embody the traditional Confucian business spirit of the Jiangnan area, coupled with the courage to explore both domestic and international markets.

Located within the core layer of the Nanjing Metropolitan Area, Zhenjiang is an emerging industrial city. It boasts 2 national-level development zones, 6 provincial-level development zones, 5 national-level high-tech industrial bases, and 1 provincial-level high-tech zone. Zhenjiang hosts the world's primary anchor chain production base, the world's largest single-factory high-grade coated paper production base, and China's largest production bases for automotive engine cylinder blocks and acetic acid. It is gradually evolving into an important advanced manufacturing base in the Yangtze River Delta region, characterized by three leading industries (machinery, chemicals, papermaking), five advantageous industries (electronic information, new materials, transportation equipment, food, power), and ten industrial clusters (shipbuilding and marine equipment, engineering electrical appliances, hardware tools, eyewear, aromatic vinegar, etc.). Since the reform and opening-up, over 1,300 foreign-funded enterprises from more than 80 countries and regions have invested in Zhenjiang, including 50 Fortune Global 500 companies. The city holds four national-level brands such as the National Overseas Students Entrepreneurship Park and the National Torch Plan "Optoelectronics and Communication Components Industrial Base," along with three provincial-level brands including a provincial software park, a provincial international service outsourcing demonstration base, and a provincial characteristic technology innovation park.

In 2015, the annual regional GDP reached 350 billion yuan, a growth of 9.3%; general public budget revenue was 30.28 billion yuan, up 9%; fixed asset investment totaled 250 billion yuan, increasing by 18%; total retail sales of consumer goods amounted to 111 billion yuan, rising 11%; per capita disposable income for urban and rural residents reached 39,000 yuan and 19,000 yuan respectively, growing by 8.5% and 9.5%.

210 municipal-level key industrial projects completed investments of 81 billion yuan; industrial technological transformation investments reached 56.2 billion yuan; actual utilized foreign capital in the industrial sector was $1.3 billion; private capital attracted totaled 31 billion yuan; total foreign trade import and export volume completed $6.8 billion. Industrial enterprises above designated size achieved profits and taxes of 86.4 billion yuan and profits of 56 billion yuan, increasing by 11.2% and 11.9% respectively. Forty-four new enterprises were listed on the New Third Board and regional equity trading markets, exceeding the cumulative total of previous years; direct debt financing instruments issued amounted to 16.75 billion yuan, ranking among the top in the province. The deposit balance of financial institutions citywide exceeded 400 billion yuan. Government debt was effectively controlled, achieving a "dual decline" in debt growth and financing costs. Efforts were made to explore solutions for breaking corporate "guarantee chains," and the regional financial ecology remained sound.

In 2016, the annual regional GDP reached 383.384 billion yuan, a year-on-year growth of 9.3% at comparable prices. The added value of the primary industry was 13.778 billion yuan, up 0.1%; the secondary industry added value was 187.040 billion yuan, growing 8.6%; the tertiary industry added value was 182.566 billion yuan, increasing 10.7%. Per capita regional GDP was 120,603 yuan, a rise of 9.1% over the previous year, equivalent to $18,750 at the annual average exchange rate. The industrial structure continued to optimize, with the proportion of added value from the three industries adjusting from 3.8:49.3:46.9 in the previous year to 3.6:48.8:47.6. The proportion of service industry added value in GDP increased by 0.7 percentage points.

In 2017, Zhenjiang ranked 18th in the comprehensive well-off index among Chinese prefecture-level cities.

6. Transportation

6.1 Water Transport

Due to the insufficient vertical clearance of the Nanjing Yangtze River Second Bridge and the upstream Nanjing Yangtze River Bridge, oceangoing vessels with a displacement exceeding 50,000 tons cannot pass through (Nanjing's Longtan Port is located downstream of the Yangtze River Bridge and is unaffected). This makes Zhenjiang one of the important deep-water shoreline (-15 meters) port cities in the lower reaches of the Yangtze River, providing direct eastward access to the Pacific Ocean via the Yangtze.

Located at the crossroads of two golden waterways—the Yangtze River and the Beijing-Hangzhou Grand Canal—water transport has always been the lifeline of Zhenjiang's rise and development. Existing ferry services include the Zhenyang Ferry to Yangzhou City, the Dagang Ferry connecting to Jiangbei's Gaoqiao Town, and the Jiangxin Ferry to Jiangxinzhou. The newly developed freight terminal is located at Dagang Port in the Zhenjiang New Area. Furthermore, Zhenjiang Port also includes the Longmen Port in Runzhou District and ports in the Gaozhi Subdistrict of Dantu District (including the Gaozhi Port within the Dantu Economic Development Zone), all capable of accommodating 50,000-ton cargo ships. The main port in Yangzhong can also handle such vessels.

6.2 Railway

Zhenjiang City is situated along the important Shanghai-Nanjing Railway trunk line (from Nanjing to Shanghai), which opened in 1906. The main station was Zhenjiang West Station, located at Jingjiling, where the railway line passed through Baogai Mountain via a tunnel. After the construction of the Nanjing Yangtze River Bridge, the line was renamed the Beijing-Shanghai Railway, and the urban section of the railway was relocated southward, with the new Zhenjiang Station built on West Zhongshan Road.

The Lianyungang-Zhenjiang High-Speed Railway crosses the river via the Wufengshan Yangtze River Bridge at Gaoqiao Town in Dantu District, located north of the Yangtze River, with its southern end in the Zhenjiang New Area. Within Zhenjiang, this line has stations at Dagang South and Dantu. It also connects to Zhenjiang Station via a link line.

The Beijing-Shanghai High-Speed Railway passes through Zhenjiang and has Zhenjiang South Station. Passengers from Yangzhou on the opposite bank of the river can reach Zhenjiang South Station on the Beijing-Shanghai High-Speed Railway within half an hour via the Yangli Expressway, providing access to northern cities like Beijing, Tianjin, Jinan, Qingdao, Shenyang, Changchun, Harbin, and northwestern cities like Wuhan, Yichang, Chongqing, and Chengdu. Near the station exit, there is a bus hub, a taxi waiting area, and the Nanxu Long-Distance Bus Station.

The Nanjing-Hangzhou High-Speed Railway passes through Jurong City and has Jurong West Station. This station is located in Guozhuang Town, Jurong City, Jiangsu Province, adjacent to the Nanjing-Hangzhou Expressway and connected to Provincial Highway S243. It is 27.1 km from downtown Jurong and 7 km from Guozhuang Town, facilitating travel for local residents to and from Beijing, Tianjin, Jinan, Hangzhou, Ningbo, and Nanjing. Currently, only bus routes connecting downtown Jurong and Jurong West Station serve this station.

The Shanghai-Nanjing Riverside High-Speed Railway stops at Jurong Station in Zhenjiang City.

6.3 Metro

Nanjing Metro Line S6 opened on December 28, 2021, with 5 stations within Jurong, Zhenjiang.

6.4 Highways

• G2 Shanghai-Nanjing Expressway: Opened in 1996, it passes through Jurong and Danyang in Zhenjiang, with a branch line connecting to the urban area. Due to extremely high traffic volume and severe congestion after opening, it was expanded to eight lanes in both directions by 2006.
• G4011 Yangli Expressway: Runs north-south, passing through Shiyezhou in Dantu, Jiangqiao in Runzhou, Shangdang in Dantu, and Baoyan in Dantu to Xuebu in Changzhou. The Runyang Yangtze River Bridge connects Zhenjiang with Yangzhou on the north bank of the Yangtze River and the Beijing-Shanghai Expressway.
• National Highway 233 and National Highway 312 pass through the area.

7. Education

Zhenjiang City is currently home to five regular institutions of higher education, including two undergraduate institutions: Jiangsu University (whose main predecessor was Zhenjiang Agricultural Machinery Institute (1961-1982), Jiangsu Institute of Technology (1982-1994), and Jiangsu University of Science and Technology (1994-2001). It was renamed in 2001 after merging with Zhenjiang Medical College and Zhenjiang Teachers College, and is a national key university) and Jiangsu University of Science and Technology (formerly known as Zhenjiang Shipbuilding Institute and East China Shipbuilding Institute). There are also other higher vocational colleges, including Zhenjiang College, Jiangsu Vocational College of Agriculture and Forestry, Jiangsu Aviation Vocational and Technical College, the Jurong Campus of Hongshan College of Nanjing University of Finance and Economics, the Danyang Campus of Zhongbei College of Nanjing Normal University, and the private Jinshan Vocational and Technical College.

Additionally, there is a military higher education institution, the Zhenjiang Ship and Boat Academy.

Furthermore, Jiangsu United Institute of Technology has two branches in Zhenjiang: the Judicial Police Branch and the Zhenjiang Branch, as well as a teaching site at Danyang Secondary Vocational School.

8. Population

According to the Seventh National Population Census in 2020, the city's permanent resident population was 3,210,418. Compared with the 3,114,105 people from the Sixth National Population Census, there was an increase of 96,313 people over the ten years, a growth of 3.09%, with an average annual growth rate of 0.31%. Among them, the male population was 1,631,648, accounting for 50.82% of the total population; the female population was 1,578,770, accounting for 49.18% of the total population. The overall sex ratio (with females as 100) was 103.35. The population aged 0–14 was 381,669, accounting for 11.89% of the total population; the population aged 15–59 was 2,072,396, accounting for 64.55% of the total population; the population aged 60 and above was 756,353, accounting for 23.56% of the total population, of which the population aged 65 and above was 562,226, accounting for 17.51% of the total population. The urban population was 2,550,827, accounting for 79.45% of the total population; the rural population was 659,591, accounting for 20.55% of the total population.

By the end of 2022, the city's permanent resident population was 3.2222 million, an increase of 5,000 from the previous year. The urban population was 2.5855 million, with an urbanization rate of 80.2% among the permanent resident population. The proportion of the population aged 60 and above among the permanent residents was 25.2%, an increase of 1.3 percentage points from the previous year. The birth rate of the permanent resident population was 4.16‰, the death rate was 8.17‰, and the natural growth rate was -4.01‰. The city's registered population was 2.6686 million, a decrease of 12,400 from the previous year; the number of births was 10,900, and the number of deaths was 23,600. The birth rate of the registered population was 4.1‰, the death rate was 8.9‰, and the natural growth rate was -4.8‰. Among the registered population, males numbered 1.3146 million, a decrease of 7,000; females numbered 1.3540 million, a decrease of 5,000.

8.1 Ethnic Groups

Among the city's permanent resident population, the Han ethnic group numbered 3,181,300, accounting for 99.09%; ethnic minorities numbered 29,118, accounting for 0.91%. Compared with the 2010 Sixth National Population Census, the Han population increased by 85,688, a growth of 2.77%, but its proportion of the total population decreased by 0.31 percentage points; the ethnic minority population increased by 10,625, a growth of 57.45%, and its proportion of the total population increased by 0.31 percentage points.

9. Religion

For a long time, Zhenjiang has been one of the famous Buddhist centers in the lower reaches of the Yangtze River. The Jiangtian Temple on Jinshan, the Dinghui Temple on Jiaoshan, and the Longchang Temple on Baohua Mountain in Jurong are all listed as key national Buddhist temples in Han Chinese areas (142 in total, with 13 in Jiangsu Province). In addition, temples preserved in the urban area to this day include the Ganlu Temple and the Chao'an Temple, among others. However, these are not open as religious venues but are used for secular purposes such as museums.

The Maoshan Taoist Temple in Jurong near Zhenjiang is a famous Taoist sacred site in China, listed as one of the 21 key national Taoist temples. In the Hengshan area of Dingmao Street in Zhenjiang New District, there is the Taoist "Sanmao Palace." The Zhenjiang Dutian Temple is dedicated to Zhang Xun, who defended the isolated city of Suiyang (present-day Shangqiu, Henan) during the An Lushan Rebellion in the Tang Dynasty, ensuring the safety of the Jianghuai region. Located at the foot of Baota Mountain outside the South Gate, with a Dutian Xinggong on Xia Matou Street, the temple was grand in scale during the Qing Dynasty and the Republic of China for over two hundred years. Each year, it hosted a large-scale temple fair that lasted a month, attracting up to 200,000 participants from both sides of the Yangtze River and along the Grand Canal. Most of the Zhenjiang Dutian Temple was destroyed during the War of Resistance against Japan and reopened in 1997.

Zhenjiang also has a certain number of Muslims. The Shanxiang Mosque of Islam, located near Daxi Road, is the mosque preserved at its original site for the longest time in Jiangsu Province. Additionally, there is the "Gurun Libai Temple." The Gurun Libai Temple was first built in the second year of the Zhenguan era of the Tang Dynasty (628 AD). Originally located on Fumin Street in Ren'an Fang in Zhenjiang's urban area (near the Beijing-Hangzhou Grand Canal, in the area of today's Shuer Lane and Mengxi Garden), it was relocated to Jianzi Lane in the 30th year of the Wanli era of the Ming Dynasty (1602). It was destroyed in the 1970s and rebuilt in 2005 on Xuefu Road in Zhenjiang's Jingkou District, modeled after the original site. It is the largest mosque in Jiangsu Province and one of the earliest Islamic mosques in China. A number of rare cultural relics have been preserved to this day, including a Tang Dynasty stone well curb, a direction stele inscribed in three Arabic scripts from the Song and Yuan periods, a Ming Dynasty Gurun Libai Temple stele with a crane-shaped top, and steles commemorating three renovations during the Qing Dynasty.

In modern times, several Protestant Christian denominations were introduced to Zhenjiang. The China Inland Mission, the largest missionary society in China, once established its headquarters in Zhenjiang and set up a language school to train newly arrived missionaries. Its founders, Hudson Taylor and his wife, are both buried here (originally in the Niupi Po Foreigners' Cemetery by the Yangtze River. During the Cultural Revolution, the cemetery was converted into residential buildings. It was rediscovered during community development in 2013, and in 2014, their remains were relocated to the basement of the Hudson Taylor Memorial Bell Tower in the newly built Xuande Church in Dantu District). The American Southern Presbyterian Mission, the largest missionary society in Jiangsu Province, used Zhenjiang as a base to conduct large-scale missionary work in northern Jiangsu. Its most famous missionary was Absalom Sydenstricker (Pearl S. Buck's father), who established the West Gate Church and South Gate Church in Zhenjiang. The two-story residence built in the East Indian architectural style on Dengyun Mountain is still well-preserved today. The western part of Zhenjiang's old urban area was once a densely populated area with churches of various denominations, including the Zhenjiang Inland Mission Church (now No. 41, Boxian Road Small Street), the Silver Hill Gate Baptist Church of the Baptist Church (No. 79, Boxian Road), the Daxi Road Gospel Church of the Methodist Church (now No. 343, Daxi Road) and the Xia Matou Gospel Church (Xia Matou Street), the West Gate Church of the American Southern Presbyterian Mission (now No. 75, Daxi Road), the Xiaotaigu Mountain Truth Church of the Church of God (now No. 127, Baogai Road), the Shanxun Church of the Anglican Church (No. 4, Yishi Road, Zhongshan Bridge), and the Seventh-day Adventist Church (No. 60, Xinma Road). Today, two old Christian churches are still preserved here: the Daxi Road Gospel Church (originally belonging to the Methodist Church) and the Baogai Road Truth Church (originally belonging to the Church of God). There were few churches in the eastern part of the old urban area, including the Runan Church of the Presbyterian Church (No. 21, Nanmenwai Street), the Runzhong Baptist Church of the Baptist Church on Wutiao Street (No. 170, Zhongshan Road), and the Christian Assembly (Xifu Street). None of these remain today.

Catholicism was also introduced to the Zhenjiang area. However, the old Catholic church in the western part of the urban area no longer exists, leaving only the name "Tianzhu Street." Currently, the only preserved Catholic church is the Danyang Catholic Church.

10. Culture

10.1 Tourism

Among the tourist attractions in Zhenjiang, the most famous are the "Three Hills" located along the northern bank of the Yangtze River in the city area — Jinshan, Jiaoshan, and Beigushan. Although each hill is only a few dozen meters high, their proximity to the river and steep cliffs along the bank give them a strategically important appearance. They were developed early in history, leaving behind numerous historical sites, temples, and anecdotes, each with its own distinct characteristics. Jinshan, located in the western part of the old city, stands 44 meters tall and is entirely covered by the Jiangtian Temple, earning it the name "Jinshan Temple Wrapping the Hill." Jiaoshan, situated in the middle of the Yangtze River, is 71 meters high and houses the Dinghui Temple, known as "Jiaoshan Hill Wrapping the Temple." Beigushan, located in the northern part of the old city, features famous sites such as the Ganlu Temple, Beigu Tower, Duojing Tower, Laojun Hall, Guanyin Hall, Jiangsheng Pavilion, the ruins of the Zhenjiang Ganlu Temple Iron Pagoda (with Buddhist relics beneath it), the Tomb of Lu Su, and the Tomb of Taishi Ci. The Three Hills of Zhenjiang are designated as a National 5A-level Tourist Attraction.

Zhenjiang also boasts two national forest parks: Nanshan Scenic Area and Baohuashan Nature Reserve. Another famous scenic area, Maoshan Scenic Area, along with Xijindu Ancient Street Scenic Area (Yuntaishan), China Mi Fu Calligraphy Park (Shili Changshan), Nanshan, and Baohuashan, are listed as National 4A-level Scenic Spots. Additionally, Zhenjiang's eastern region features Chuishan, Huashan Village Ancient Street, the Zhu Family Ancient Residence (where descendants of the ancient Chinese Confucian scholar Zhu Xi lived), the former residence of Zhao Boxian, a founding figure of the Republic of China, and the Zhao Family Cemetery—the burial site of descendants of Zhao Kuangyin, the founding emperor of the Northern Song Dynasty, after their southward migration. In Zhenjiang's southern region, there is Huaiyin Village—the place where Dong Yong from Danyang and the Seventh Fairy formed their marriage bond—as well as the old water town street in Baoyan Town.

Zhenjiang is one of China's nationally renowned historical and cultural cities, boasting rich historical and cultural tourism resources that are well-integrated with its natural attractions. The city has four nationally designated Major Historical and Cultural Sites Protected at the National Level: the Jiaoshan Stele Forest, the Stone Carvings of Southern Dynasties Tombs in Danyang, the former site of the British Consulate in Zhenjiang (located on Boxian Road's modern architecture street and now housing the Zhenjiang Museum), and the Zhaoguan Stone Pagoda in Xijindu Ancient Street. Additionally, there are 23 provincial-level protected sites, such as the former residence of Pearl S. Buck, and 90 municipal-level protected sites, including Mengxi Garden.

10.1 Major Historical and Cultural Sites Protected at the National Level

• Jiaoshan Stele Forest
• Former Site of the British Consulate in Zhenjiang
• Zhaoguan Stone Pagoda
• Stone Carvings of Southern Dynasties Tombs (Danyang)

10.2 National-Level Intangible Cultural Heritage

• Legend of the White Snake
• Guqin Art
• Yang Opera
• Zhenjiang Hengshun Aromatic Vinegar Brewing Technique
• Traditional Brewing Technique of Fenggang Wine (Danyang)
• Qinhuai Lantern Art (Jurong)

10.2 Cuisine

Zhenjiang's most famous local delicacies are the "Three Oddities of Zhenjiang" — "cooking the pot lid in the noodle pot, aromatic vinegar that never spoils, and savory meat not served as a dish," referring respectively to Guogai Noodles, Zhenjiang Aromatic Vinegar, and Crystal Pork Trotter. As one of the three representative cities of Huaiyang Cuisine (alongside Yangzhou and Huai'an), Zhenjiang is particularly renowned for cooking the "Three Delicacies of the Yangtze River" — pufferfish, knife fish — as well as traditional dishes like Braised Silver Carp Head, Stewed Lion's Head Meatballs with Crab Roe, and Prepared Crab Oil, along with various exquisite pastries (including Crab Roe Soup Dumplings, Stewed Shredded Tofu, Shaomai, etc.). Among Zhenjiang's many restaurants and eateries, the most famous time-honored establishment is Yanchun Restaurant. This restaurant was long located on Tianzhu Street, but with the decline of the western old city, it has relocated and now operates four branches: Dashikou, Zhufang Road, Dongwu Road, and Jinshan Park. Additionally, the eastern region of Zhenjiang (today's Dalu, Dagang, Yaoqiao in Zhenjiang New Area, and Picheng Town in Danyang) is known for "Eastern Mutton," Jingjiang Qi (a type of baked bread), Dalu Town's Eel Noodle Soup, Dantu Baoyan Town's Dry Mixed Eel Noodles, Zhenjiang city's "Duck Blood and Vermicelli Soup," Danyang Rice Wine, Barley Porridge, Jurong's Maoshan Old Goose, Kudzu Root, and Yangzhong Yangcao.

11. Sister Cities

• Tsu, Japan (June 11, 1984)
• Tempe, United States (March 6, 1989)
• Shibata Town, Japan (Danyang City) (February 23, 1994)
• Lac Mégantic, Canada (October 8, 1995)
• Izmit, Turkey (November 14, 1996)
• Londrina, Brazil (June 4, 1997)
• Kurashiki, Japan (November 18, 1997)
• Iksan, South Korea (October 19, 1998)
• Mannheim, Germany (March 1, 2004)
• Aurich County, Germany (Yangzhong City) (October 15, 2010)
• Fairfield, Australia (October 19, 2007)
• Gangseo-gu, Busan, South Korea (October 18, 2010)
• Kiskőrös, Hungary (August 12, 2011)
• Stavropol, Russia (December 20, 2012)
• Helmond, Netherlands (June 5, 2013)

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