Jiangsu

Introduction

Province in East China Province in ChinaJiangsu 江苏; 江蘇KiangsuProvinceChinese transcription(s) • Chinese江苏省; 江蘇省 (Jiāngsū Shěng) • AbbreviationJS / 苏; 蘇 (pinyin: Sū) • Wukaon1 su1 san3 • Jiang–Huaijiang1 su1 sen3NanjingMaster of the Nets GardenYuantouzhuXiao MausoleumChunqiu YanchengLocation of Jiangsu in ChinaCoordinates: 32°54′N 119°48′E / 32.9°N 119.8°E / 32.9; 119.8CountryChinaDetached from Jiangnan Province1661As a province of the Republic of China1 January 1912Provincial government moved to Zhenjiang1928Japanese occupation1937–1945Capture of Nanjing23 April 1949Partition into Subei and Sunan Administrative Regions1 October 1949Provincial status restored15 November 1952Named after江 Jiāng – Jiangning (now Nanjing) 蘇 Sū – SuzhouCapitalNanjingLargest citySuzhouDivisions - Prefecture-level - County-level - Township-level13 prefectures95 counties1237 towns and subdistrictsGovernment • TypeProvince • BodyJiangsu Provincial People's Congress • Party SecretaryXin Changxing • Congress chairmanXin Changxing • GovernorLiu Xiaotao • Provincial CPPCC ChairmanZhang Yizhen • National People's Congress Representation144 deputiesArea • Province102,600 km2 (39,600 sq mi) • Rank25thHighest elevation (Mount Huaguo)625 m (2,051 ft)Population (2020) • Province84,748,016 • Rank4th • Density826.0/km2 (2,139/sq mi)  • Rank4th • Urban63,370,000 (74%) • Rural21,780,000 (26%)DemonymJiangsuneseDemographics • Ethnic compositionHan: 99.6%Hui: 0.2% (160,800) • Languages and dialectsStandard ChineseCentral Plains MandarinLower Yangtze MandarinWu ChineseGDP (2025) • TotalCN¥14.24 trillion (2nd; US$2.04 trillion) • Per capitaCN¥167,970 (3rd; US$24,113)ISO 3166 codeCN-JSHDI (2023)0.836 (4th) – very highWebsitewww.jiangsu.gov.cn (in Chinese)English version Jiangsu"Jiangsu" in simplified (top) and traditional (bottom) Chinese charactersSimplified Chinese江苏Traditional Chinese江蘇PostalKiangsuLiteral meaning"Pacified Place" (Jiang(ning) and Su(zhou))TranscriptionsStandard MandarinHanyu PinyinJiāngsūBopomofoㄐㄧㄤ   ㄙㄨGwoyeu RomatzyhJiangsuWade–GilesChiang1-su1IPA[tɕjáŋ.sú]other MandarinXiao'erjingجْيَانْقسُوWuWugniukaon1 su1Suzhounesekaon1 sou1IPAShanghainese: [kɑ̃˥ su˧]Suzhounese: [kɑ̃˦ səu]Yue: CantoneseYale RomanizationGōng-sōuJyutpinggong1 sou1IPA[kɔŋ˥.sɔw˥]Southern MinTâi-lôKang-soo Jiangsu is a coastal province in East China. It is one of the leading provinces in finance, education, technology, and tourism, with its capital in Nanjing. Jiangsu is the third smallest, but the fourth most populous, with a population of 84.75 million, and the most densely populated of the 22 provinces of the People's Republic of China. Jiangsu has the highest GDP per capita and second-highest GDP of Chinese provinces, after Guangdong. Jiangsu borders Shandong in the north, Anhui to the west, and Zhejiang and Shanghai to the south. Jiangsu has a coastline of over 1,000 kilometers (620 mi) along the Yellow Sea, and the Yangtze flows through the southern part of the province. Since the Sui and Tang dynasties, Jiangsu has been a national economic and commercial center, partly due to the construction of the Grand Canal. Cities such as Nanjing, Suzhou, Wuxi, Changzhou, and Shanghai (separated from Jiangsu in 1927) are all major Chinese economic hubs. Since the initiation of economic reforms in 1990, Jiangsu has become a focal point for economic development. It is widely regarded as one of China's most developed provinces, when measured by its Human Development Index (HDI). Its 2025 nominal GDP per capita reached CN¥167,970 (US$24,113), becoming the first province in China to reach the $20,000 mark in 2021. Jiangsu is home to many of the world's leading exporters of electronic equipment, chemicals and textiles. It has also been China's largest recipient of foreign direct investment since 2006. In 2025, its GDP was more than CN¥14.24 trillion (US$2 trillion nominal), which is the sixth-highest of all administrative divisions. If it were a country, it would be the twelfth-largest economy as of 2022 as well as the 19th most populous. Jiangsu is also one of the leading provinces in research and education in China. As of 2022[update], Jiangsu hosts 168 institutions of higher education, ranking first of all Chinese provinces. Jiangsu has many highly ranked educational institutions, with 16 of its universities listed in the Double First-Class Construction, ranking second after Beijing. As of 2025, six major cities in Jiangsu ranked in the world's top 200 (Nanjing 5th, Suzhou 33rd, Zhenjiang 98th, Yangzhou 118th, Wuxi 161st, and Changzhou 173rd) cities by scientific research output, as tracked by the Nature Index.

Name

[edit] Jiangsu's name is a compound of the first elements of the names of the two cities of Jiangning (now Nanjing) and Suzhou; meaning "Pacified Place". The first character is derived from Chinese abbreviation of jiāng (江) for Jiangning taken from its Northern Song name of Jiangning (江寧, Jiāngníng, "Pacified area of the Yangtze"), while the abbreviation for this province is "苏" (Sū), which serves the second character of its name is a contraction of the old name Gusu. It refers to "Satisfied place" in the Old Yue language. Alternatively, the province is also spelled in various forms as Chiangsu, Chiang-su or Kiangsu in postal romanization. Since 1958, the province has adopted its current pinyin name of Jiangsu, a spelling that would be adopted by numerous international organizations and media outlets by the 1980s.

History

[edit] Imperial dynasties[edit] This section needs additional citations for verification. Please help improve this article by adding citations to reliable sources in this section. Unsourced material may be challenged and removed. (November 2024) (Learn how and when to remove this message) During the earliest Chinese dynasties, the area that is now Jiangsu was far away from the center of Chinese civilization, which was in the northwest Henan; it was home of the Huai barbarians (淮夷), an ancient ethnic group. During the Zhou dynasty more contact was made, and eventually the state of Wu appeared in southern Jiangsu, one of the many hundreds of states that existed across northern and central China at that time. Near the end of the Spring and Autumn period, Wu became a great power under King Helu of Wu, and defeated in 484 BC the state of Qi, a major power in the north in modern-day Shandong province, and contest for the position of overlord over all states of China. The state of Wu was subjugated in 473 BC by the state of Yue, another state that had emerged to the south in modern-day Zhejiang province. Yue was in turn subjugated by the powerful state of Chu from the west in 333 BC. Eventually the state of Qin swept away all the other states, and unified China in 221 BC. One of the tortoise stelae of Xiao Dan (478–522), a member of the Liang royal family. Ganjiaxiang, Qixia District, near Nanjing Under the reign of the Han dynasty (206 BC to 220 AD), Jiangsu was removed from the centers of civilization in the North China Plain, and was administered under two zhou (provinces): Xu Province in the north, and Yang Province in the south. During the Three Kingdoms period, southern Jiangsu became the base of the Eastern Wu (222 to 280), whose capital, Jianye (later renamed to Jiankang), is modern Nanjing. When nomadic invasions overran northern China in the 4th century, the imperial court of the Jin dynasty moved to Jiankang. Cities in southern and central Jiangsu swelled with the influx of migrants from the north. Jiankang remained as the capital for four successive Southern dynasties and became the largest commercial and cultural center in China. The Huqiu Tower of Tiger Hill, Suzhou, built in 961 After the Sui dynasty united the country in 581, the political center of the country shifted back to the north, but the Grand Canal was built through Jiangsu to link the Central Plains with the prosperous Yangtze Delta. The Tang dynasty (618–907) relied on southern Jiangsu for annual deliveries of grain. It was during the Song dynasty (960–1279), which saw the development of a wealthy mercantile class and emergent market economy in China, that Jiangnan (southern Jiangsu, Shanghai, and adjacent areas) emerged as a center of trade. From then onwards, major cities like Suzhou or Yangzhou, would be synonymous with opulence and luxury in China. Today the region remains one of the richest parts of China. The Jurchen Jin dynasty gained control of North China in 1127 during the Jin-Song wars, and Huai River, which used to cut through north Jiangsu to reach the Yellow Sea, was the border between the north, under the Jin, and the south, under the Southern Song dynasty. The Mongols took control of China in the thirteenth century. The Ming dynasty, which was established in 1368 after driving out the Mongols who had occupied China, initially put its capital in Nanjing. Regions surrounding Nanjing, corresponding to Jiangsu and Anhui today, were designated as Nanzhili province (literally "southern directly governed"). Following a coup by Zhu Di (later, the Yongle Emperor), however, the capital was moved to Beijing, far to the north, although Nanjing kept its status as the southern capital. In late Ming, Jiangnan continued to be an important center of trade in China; some historians see in the flourishing textiles industry at the time incipient industrialization and capitalism, a trend that was however aborted. The 76 m (249 ft) tall Beisi Pagoda of Suzhou, built between 1131 and 1162 during the Song dynasty The Qing dynasty converted Nanzhili to "Jiangnan province"; in 1666 Jiangsu and Anhui were split apart as separate provinces. Jiangsu's borders have been for the most part stable since then. With the start of Western incursion into China in the 1840s, the rich and mercantile Yangtze River Delta was increasingly exposed to Western influence. Shanghai, originally an unremarkable little town of Jiangsu, quickly developed into a metropolis of trade, banking, and cosmopolitanism, and was split out later as an independent municipality. Jiangnan also figures strongly in the Taiping Rebellion (1851 – 1864), a massive and deadly rebellion that attempted to set up a Christian theocracy in China; it started far to the south, in Guangdong province, swept through much of South China, and by 1853, had established Nanjing as its capital, renamed as Tianjing (天京 "Heavenly Capital"). Modern times[edit] The Republic of China was established in 1912, and China was soon torn apart by warlords. Jiangsu changed hands several times, but in April 1927, Chiang Kai-shek established a government at Nanjing; he was soon able to bring most of China under his control. The provincial government moved to Zhenjiang in 1928. This was however interrupted by the second Sino-Japanese War, which began full-scale in 1937; on December 13, 1937, Nanjing fell, and the combined atrocities of the occupying Japanese for the next three months would come to be known as the Rape of Nanjing, after which it became the seat of the collaborationist government of East China under Wang Jingwei, and most of Jiangsu remained under Japanese occupation until the end of the war in 1945. After the war, Nanjing was once again the capital of the Republic of China, though now the Chinese Civil War had broken out between the Kuomintang government and Communist forces, based further north, mostly in Northeast China. The decisive Huaihai Campaign was fought in northern Jiangsu; it resulted in Kuomintang defeat, and the communists were soon able to cross the Yangtze River and take Nanjing. The Kuomintang fled southward and eventually ended up in Taipei, from which the Republic of China government continues to administer Taiwan, Pescadores, and its neighboring islands, though it also continues to claim (technically, at least) Nanjing as its rightful de jure capital. Later on, after the capture of Zhenjiang, the provincial government was then relocated to Shengsi County in Zhejiang. After the communist takeover, Beijing (formerly Peiping) was made capital of the People's Republic, while Jiangsu was dissolved into Subei and Sunan Administrative Regions. On 15 November 1952, Jiangsu Province was reconstituted and Nanjing was demoted to be the provincial capital. The reform and opening up of Deng Xiaoping initially focused on the south coast of China, in Guangdong province, which soon left Jiangsu behind; starting from the 1990s they were applied more evenly to the rest of China. Suzhou and Wuxi, two southern cities of Jiangsu in close proximity to neighboring Shanghai, have since become particularly prosperous, being among the top 10 cities in China in terms of gross domestic product and outstripping the provincial capital of Nanjing. The income disparity between northern and southern Jiangsu however remains large.

Geography

[edit] Population density and low elevation coastal zones in Jiangsu. Jiangsu is particularly vulnerable to sea level rise. Jiangsu in 1946 Tourists cross a bridge in Chengxu temple, a Taoist temple which was built in 1086–1093 during the Song dynastyThis section needs additional citations for verification. Please help improve this article by adding citations to reliable sources in this section. Unsourced material may be challenged and removed. (November 2024) (Learn how and when to remove this message) Jiangsu is flat, with plains covering 68 percent of its total area (water covers another 18 percent). Most of the province stands not more than 50 meters (160 ft) above sea level. Jiangsu also has a well-developed irrigation system, which earned it (especially the southern half) the moniker of traditional Chinese: 水鄕; simplified Chinese: 水乡 (shuǐxiāng "land of water"). The southern city of Suzhou has so many canals that it has been dubbed "Venice of the East" or the "Venice of the Orient". The Grand Canal of China cuts through Jiangsu from north to south, crossing all the east–west river systems. Jiangsu also borders the Yellow Sea. The Yangtze River, the longest river of China, cuts through the province in the south and reaches the East China Sea, which divides the region into two parts: more urban, prosperous south and more poorer, rural north, and these two parts has a tense division. Mount Huaguo, near the city of Lianyungang, is the highest point in Jiangsu, at an altitude of 625 meters (2,051 ft) above sea level. Large lakes in Jiangsu include Lake Tai (the largest), Lake Hongze, Lake Gaoyou, Lake Luoma, and Lake Yangcheng. Before 1194 A.D., the Huai River cut through north Jiangsu to reach the Yellow Sea. The Huai River is a major river in central China, and it was the traditional border between North China and South China. Since 1194 A.D., the Yellow River further to the north changed its course several times, running into the Huai River in north Jiangsu each time instead of its other usual path northwards into Bohai Bay. The silting caused by the Yellow River was so heavy that after its last episode of "hijacking" the Huai River ended in 1855: the Huai River was no longer able to go through its usual path into the sea. Instead it flooded, pooled up (thereby forming and enlarging Lake Hongze and Lake Gaoyou), and flowed southwards through the Grand Canal into the Yangtze. The old path of the Huai River is now marked by a series of irrigation channels, the most significant of which is the North Jiangsu Main Irrigation Canal (traditional Chinese: 蘇北灌溉總渠; simplified Chinese: 苏北灌溉总渠), which channels a small amount of the water of the Huai River alongside south of its old path into the sea. Xuanwu Lake in Nanjing Most of Jiangsu has a humid subtropical climate (Cfa or Cwa in the Köppen climate classification), beginning to transition into a humid continental climate (Köppen Dwa) in the far north. Seasonal changes are clear-cut, with temperatures at an average of −1 to 4 °C (30 to 39 °F) in January and 26 to 29 °C (79 to 84 °F) in July. Rain falls frequently between spring and summer (meiyu), typhoons with rainstorms occur in late summer and early autumn. As with the rest of the coast, tornados are possible. The annual average rainfall is 800 to 1,200 millimeters (31 to 47 in), concentrated mostly in summer during the southeast monsoon. Climate change in Jiangsu[edit] Due to its flat terrain, low altitude, and dense population, Jiangsu is one of the most vulnerable regions in China to climate change and its ensuing sea level rise. According to the data collected by the Center of Climate Change in Jiangsu from 1961 to 2007, on average, the province experiences an temperature increase between 0.16 and 0.45 Celsius per 10 years and total precipitation change between -28.7 and 37.09 mm per 10 years. Extreme weather have become stronger and more common. Jiangsu's agriculture, ecosystem, water resource, transportation, and coastline are all negatively impacted. The speed of sea level rise exceeds the world's average by a large margin. Specifically, a ranking on climate change risk of global regions released in early 2023 by the Cross Dependency Initiative (XDI) puts Jiangsu as the most vulnerable of the entire world. Jiangsu is at more risk due to its extensive industrial, trade, residential, and commercial development. In response to climate disturbance across the country, the fourteenth five-year plan, endorsed by the National People's Congress in 2021, indicates the general direction and various steps towards a low-carbon transition. On a provincial level, the Jiangsu government aims to achieve an 18% carbon dioxide decrease per unit GDP and accelerate the development of a green, low-carbon economy, as indicated in the 14th five-year development. The province also plans to recover the damaged coastal regions such as Lianyugang and Yancheng, and improve resilience against rising sea level by implementing seawalls and river floodgates. Major cities: Nanjing Suzhou Wuxi Xuzhou Changzhou Yangzhou Lianyungang Yancheng Zhenjiang Nantong Huai'an Taizhou Suqian

Administrative divisions

[edit] Main articles: List of administrative divisions of Jiangsu and List of township-level divisions of Jiangsu See also: List of cities in China Jiangsu is divided into thirteen prefecture-level divisions, all prefecture-level cities (including a sub-provincial city): Administrative divisions of Jiangsu Nanjing Wuxi Xuzhou Changzhou Suzhou Nantong Lianyungang Huai'an Yancheng Yangzhou Zhenjiang Taizhou Suqian Shanghai Division code Division Area in km2 Population 2020 Seat Divisions Districts Counties CL cities 320000 Jiangsu Province 102,600.00 84,748,016 Nanjing city 55 19 21 320100 Nanjing city 6,582.31 9,314,685 Xuanwu District 11 320200 Wuxi city 4,787.61 7,462,135 Binhu District 5 2 320300 Xuzhou city 11,764.88 9,083,790 Yunlong District 5 3 2 320400 Changzhou city 4,384.57 5,278,121 Xinbei District 5 1 320500 Suzhou city 8,488.42 12,748,262 Gusu District 5 4 320600 Nantong city 8,001.00 7,726,635 Chongchuan District 3 1 3 320700 Lianyungang city 7,615.29 4,599,360 Haizhou District 3 3 320800 Huai'an city 9,949.97 4,556,230 Qingjiangpu District 4 3 320900 Yancheng city 16,972.42 6,709,629 Tinghu District 3 5 1 321000 Yangzhou city 6,591.21 4,559,797 Hanjiang District 3 1 2 321100 Zhenjiang city 3,840.32 3,210,418 Jingkou District 3 3 321200 Taizhou city 5,787.26 4,512,762 Hailing District 3 3 321300 Suqian city 8,555.00 4,986,192 Sucheng District 2 3   Sub-provincial cities Population distribution of Jiangsu in 2010 Administrative divisions in Chinese and varieties of romanizations English Chinese Pinyin Wu Romanization Jiang–Huai (Langjin Pinin) Jiangsu Province 江苏省 Jiāngsū Shěng kaon sou san Jiang1 su1 Sen3 Nanjing city 南京市 Nánjīng Shì noe cin zy Lang2 jin1 Shr4 Wuxi city 无锡市 Wúxī Shì vu sih zy U2 si5 Shr4 Xuzhou city 徐州市 Xúzhōu Shì zi tseu zy Sü2 zhou1 Shr4 Changzhou city 常州市 Chángzhōu Shì zan tseu zy Chang2 zhou1 Shr4 Suzhou city 苏州市 Sūzhōu Shì sou tseu zy Su1 zhou1 Shr4 Nantong city 南通市 Nántōng Shì noe thon zy Lang2 tong1 Shr4 Lianyungang city 连云港市 Liányúngǎng Shì lie yuin kaon zy Liän2 üin2 gang3 Shr4 Huai'an city 淮安市 Huái'ān Shì wa oe zy Huä2 ang1 Shr4 Yancheng city 盐城市 Yánchéng Shì yie zen zy Iän2 chen2 Shr4 Yangzhou city 扬州市 Yángzhōu Shì yan tseu zy Iang2 zhou1 Shr4 Zhenjiang city 镇江市 Zhènjiāng Shì tsen kaon zy Zhen4 jang1 Shr4 Taizhou city 泰州市 Tàizhōu Shì tha tseu zy Tä4 zhou1 Shr4 Suqian city 宿迁市 Sùqiān Shì soh tshie zy Su5 ciän1 Shr4 These prefecture-level cities are in turn subdivided into 95 county-level divisions (55 districts, 21 county-level cities, and 19 counties). Those are in turn divided into 1,237 township-level divisions (699 towns, 19 townships, and 519 subdistricts). At the end of the year 2021, the total population was 85.05 million. Population by urban areas of prefecture & county cities No. Cities 2020 Urban area 2010 Urban area 2020 City proper 1 Nanjing 8,085,241 5,827,888 9,314,685 2 Suzhou 5,892,892 3,302,152 12,748,262 3 Wuxi 3,956,985 2,757,736 7,462,135 4 Changzhou 3,572,349 2,257,376 5,278,121 5 Xuzhou 2,517,693 1,735,166 9,083,790 6 Nantong 1,993,344 1,612,385 7,726,635 7 Yangzhou 1,846,656 1,077,531 4,559,797 8 Yancheng 1,678,542 1,136,826 6,709,629 9 Kunshan 1,652,159 1,118,617 see Suzhou 10 Huai'an 1,561,105 1,523,655 4,556,230 11 Lianyungang 1,395,701 897,393 4,599,360 12 Jiangyin 1,331,352 1,013,670 see Wuxi 13 Changshu 1,230,599 929,124 see Suzhou 14 Taizhou 1,140,206 676,877 4,512,762 15 Zhenjiang 1,123,813 950,516 3,210,418 16 Zhangjiagang 1,055,893 762,625 see Suzhou 17 Suqian 940,921 783,376 4,986,192 18 Yixing 889,871 710,497 see Wuxi 19 Pizhou 850,815 631,572 see Xuzhou 20 Danyang 792,584 500,572 see Zhenjiang 21 Rugao 761,879 614,909 see Nantong 22 Xinghua 649,849 575,288 see Taizhou 23 Taixing 619,033 553,079 see Taizhou 24 Hai'an 601,165 see Nantong 25 Taicang 586,830 435,225 see Suzhou 26 Qidong 580,157 479,243 see Nantong 27 Xinyi 549,911 402,169 see Xuzhou 28 Dongtai 524,562 489,815 see Yancheng 29 Liyang 495,507 368,409 see Changzhou 30 Jingjiang 453,970 388,119 see Taizhou 31 Gaoyou 422,816 341,069 see Yangzhou 32 Jurong 412,996 299,033 see Zhenjiang 33 Yizheng 356,995 271,969 see Yangzhou 34 Yangzhong 221,434 179,771 see Zhenjiang — Haimen 661,983 453,781 see Nantong — Wujiang see Suzhou 781,771 see Suzhou — Jiangdu see Yangzhou 506,706 see Yangzhou — Jiangyan see Taizhou 376,724 see Taizhou — Dafeng see Yancheng 347,389 see Yancheng — Jintan see Changzhou 275,185 see Changzhou ^ UK: /dʒæŋˈsuː/; US: /ˈdʒjɑːŋˈsuː/ Chinese: 江苏ⓘ; pinyin: Jiāngsū, alternatively romanized as Kiangsu or Chiangsu ^ New districts established after 2010 census: Lishui (Lishui County), Gaochun (Gaochun County). These new districts not included in the urban area count of the pre-expanded city. ^ a b New district established after 2010 census: Wujiang (Wujiang CLC). The new district not included in the urban area count of the pre-expanded city. ^ a b New district established after 2010 census: Jintan (Jintan CLC). The new district not included in the urban area count of the pre-expanded city. ^ New district established after 2010 census: Tongshan (Tongshan County). The new district not included in the urban area count of the pre-expanded city. ^ a b New district established after 2020 census: Haimen (Haimen CLC). The new district not included in the urban area count of the pre-expanded city. ^ a b New district established after 2010 census: Jiangdu (Jiangdu CLC). The new district not included in the urban area count of the pre-expanded city. ^ a b New district established after 2010 census: Dafeng (Dafeng CLC). The new district not included in the urban area count of the pre-expanded city. ^ New district established after 2010 census: Hongze (Hongze County). The new district not included in the urban area count of the pre-expanded city. ^ New district established after 2010 census: Ganyu (Ganyu County). The new district not included in the urban area count of the pre-expanded city. ^ a b New district established after 2010 census: Jiangyan (Jiangyan CLC). The new district not included in the urban area count of the pre-expanded city. ^ Hai'an County is currently known as Hai'an CLC after 2010 census.

Politics

[edit] Main articles: Politics of Jiangsu and List of provincial leaders of the People's Republic of China The politics of Jiangsu is structured in a one party (Communist) government system like all other governing institutions in mainland China. The Governor of Jiangsu is the highest-ranking official in the People's Government of Jiangsu. However, in the province's dual party-government governing system, the Governor has less power than the Jiangsu Chinese Communist Party Provincial Committee Secretary, colloquially termed the "Jiangsu CCP Party Chief". Courts[edit] In July 2021, the Jiangsu Intermediate Court established a labor tribunal to handle labor disputes arising from the platform economy.: 183 

Economy

[edit] An industrial landscape in Ganjiaxiang, Qixia District, Nanjing As of 2022, Jiangsu had a gross domestic product (GDP) of CNY¥12.29 trillion (US$1.83 trillion), the second-highest in China after Guangdong. Its GDP is greater than those of Australia and South Korea, which are the world's 12th- and 13th-largest economies respectively. In 2022, Jiangsu's GDP adjusted by purchasing power parity was $3.04 trillion, making it the 3rd-largest of any country subdivision globally, behind California and Guangdong. Jiangsu's economy in PPP also was just behind that of Italy with a GDP PPP of $ $3.05 trillion, the 12th largest in the world. Jiangsu is very wealthy among the provinces of China. Its 2022 nominal GDP per capita reached ¥144,390 (US$21,467), becoming the first province in China to reach the $20,000 mark. Cities like Nanjing, Suzhou, and Wuxi have GDPs per capita around twice the provincial average, making south Jiangsu one of the most prosperous regions in China. The province has an extensive irrigation system supporting its agriculture, which is based primarily on rice and wheat, followed by maize and sorghum. Main cash crops include cotton, soybeans, peanuts, rapeseed, sesame, ambary hemp, and tea. Other products include peppermint, spearmint, bamboo, medicinal herbs, apples, pears, peaches, loquats, ginkgo. Silkworms form an important part of Jiangsu's agriculture, with the Lake Tai region to the south a major base of silk production in China. Jiangsu is an important producer of freshwater fish and other aquatic products. Jiangsu has coal, petroleum, and natural gas deposits, but its most significant mineral products are non-metal minerals such as halite (rock salt), sulfur, phosphorus, and marble. The city of Xuzhou is a coal hub of China. The salt mines of Huaiyin have more than 0.4 trillion tonnes of deposits, one of the greatest collections of deposits in China. Jiangsu is historically oriented toward light industries such as textiles and food industry. Since 1949, Jiangsu has developed heavy industries such as chemical industry and construction materials. Jiangsu's important industries include machinery, electronic, chemicals, and automobile. The government has worked hard to promote the solar industry and hoped by 2012 the solar industry would be worth 100 billion RMB. Jiangsu's economy growth has directly benefited from the reform Chinese's policies, and its growth trajectory reflects that of many other coastal provinces, such as Zhejiang and Shandong. The reform and opening up of Deng Xiaoping have greatly benefited southern cities, especially Suzhou and Wuxi, which outstrip the provincial capital, Nanjing, in total output. In the eastern outskirts of Suzhou, Singapore has built the Suzhou Industrial Park, a flagship of Sino-Singaporean cooperation and the only industrial park in China that is in its entirety the investment of a single foreign country. Jiangsu contains over 100 different economic and technological development zones devoted to different types of investments.

Demographics

[edit] Historical populationYearPop.±%1912 32,283,000—    1928 34,126,000+5.7%1936–37 36,469,000+6.9%1947 36,080,000−1.1%1954 41,252,192+14.3%1964 44,504,608+7.9%1982 60,521,114+36.0%1990 67,056,519+10.8%2000 73,043,577+8.9%2010 78,659,903+7.7%Shanghai was part of Jiangsu Province until 1927. Nanjing part of Jiangsu Province until 1927; dissolved in 1952 and incorporated into Jiangsu Province. The majority of Jiangsu residents are ethnic Han Chinese. Other minorities include the Hui and the Manchus. In 2021, 73.94 percent of the province lived in urban areas, while 26.06 lived in rural areas. Demographic indicators in 2021 Population: 85.05 million (urban: 62.89 million; rural: 39.421 million) Birth rate: 5.65 per 1000 Death rate: 6.77 per 1000 Sex ratio: 103.05 males per 100 females Literacy rate: 96.94% Religion[edit] Religion in Jiangsu Chinese ancestral religion (16.7%) Christianity (2.64%) Other religions or not religious people (80.7%) The predominant religions in Jiangsu are Chinese folk religions, Taoist traditions and Chinese Buddhism. According to surveys conducted in 2007 and 2009, 16.67% of the population believes and is involved in cults of ancestors, while 2.64% of the population identifies as Christian. The reports didn't give figures for other types of religion; 80.69% of the population may be either irreligious or involved in worship of nature deities, Buddhism, Confucianism, Taoism, folk religious sects, and small minorities of Muslims. In 2010, there were 130,757 Muslims in Jiangsu. Altar of the Three Pure Ones at the Temple of Zhenwu in Yangzhou Xiangfu Buddhist Temple in Wuxi Main courtyard of the Temple of Tianfei in Nanjing

Transportation

[edit] Air[edit] Nanjing Lukou International Airport (IATA: NKG) serves as the major airport in the province, with flights to Tokyo, Osaka, Hong Kong, Seoul-Incheon, Frankfurt, Bangkok, Milan, Vancouver and Los Angeles. Other passenger airports include Sunan Shuofang International Airport, Changzhou Benniu Airport, Yangzhou Taizhou International Airport, and Nantong Xingdong Airport. Air traffic in the populated Suzhou area is often diverted to Shanghai Hongqiao International Airport, to which Suzhou is conveniently connected to via bus services and by expressway. Xuzhou Guanyin International Airport, Yancheng Nanyang International Airport, and Lianyungang Baitabu Airport serve as hubs in northern Jiangsu. Rail[edit] Main article: Railways in Jiangsu The southern part of the province, namely the Shanghai-Nanjing corridor, has very high-frequency rail services. Jiangsu is on the Jinghu railway from Beijing to Shanghai, as well as the high speed line between the two cities: Shanghai–Nanjing intercity railway and Beijing-Shanghai high-speed railway, completed in 2010 and 2011, respectively. Since the completion of the Beijing-Shanghai high-speed line, travel time between Beijing and Nanjing has been reduced to approximately four hours (from eleven hours previously); travel time between Nanjing and Shanghai on the fastest high-speed trains takes just over an hour. As of 2022, all major cities in Jiangsu have been connected by high-speed lines, including: Shanghai-Nanjing intercity railway since 2010, Beijing-Shanghai high-speed railway since 2011, Nanjing–Hangzhou high-speed railway since 2013, Nanjing–Anqing intercity railway since 2015, Lianyungang–Zhenjiang high-speed railway since 2020, Xuzhou–Yancheng high-speed railway since 2019, Yancheng–Nantong high-speed railway since 2020, Shanghai–Suzhou–Nantong railway since 2020, and Lianyungang–Xuzhou high-speed railway since 2021. Road[edit] Jiangsu's road network is one of the most developed in the country. The Beijing–Shanghai Expressway (G2) enters the province from the north and passes through Huai'an, Yangzhou, Taizhou, and Wuxi on the way to Shanghai; travelling from Shanghai westbound, the G2 forks at Wuxi and continues onto Nanjing separately as G42, the Shanghai–Nanjing Expressway, which serves the widely travelled southern corridor of the province. The Ningchang Expressway links Nanjing with Changzhou. The Suzhou area is extensively networked with expressways, going in all directions. The Yanhai Expressway links the coastal regions of the province, passing through Nantong, Yancheng, and Lianyungang. Historically, the province was divided by the Yangtze River into northern and southern regions. The first bridge across the river in Jiangsu, the Nanjing Yangtze River Bridge, was completed in 1968 during the Cultural Revolution. The second bridge crossing, Jiangyin Bridge, opened 30 years later at Jiangyin. As of October 2014, there were 11 cross-Yangtze bridges in the province, including the five in Nanjing, which also has two cross-river tunnels. The Jiangyin Bridge (1,385 m (4,544 ft)), Runyang Bridge (opened in 2005, connecting Yangzhou and Zhenjiang, 1,490 m (4,890 ft)), and Fourth Nanjing Bridge (opened in 2012; 1,418 m (4,652 ft)) all rank among the ten longest suspension bridges in the world. The Sutong Bridge, opened in 2008, connecting Nantong and Changshu, has one of the longest cable-stayed bridge spans in the world, at 1,088 m (3,570 ft). Metro (subway)[edit] As of December 2022, Jiangsu has six cities that have operational subway systems, together with an extra city (Huai'an) currently under construction. These six cities are Nanjing, Suzhou, Wuxi, Changzhou, Xuzhou and Nantong. The Nanjing Metro was opened in September 2005. It was the sixth city in mainland China that opened up a metro system. As of December 2019 the city currently has 11 metro lines (Line 1, Line 2, Line 3, Line 4, Line 10, Line S1, Line S3, Line S6, Line S7, Line S8 and Line S9), with several extra ones (i.e. Line 5) under construction. The Suzhou Metro was opened in April 2012. As of May 2025, it currently has nine operational lines: Line 1, Line 2, Line 3, Line 4, Line 5, Line 6, Line 7, Line 8, and Line 11, one under construction (Line 10), and at least 2 under planning (Line 9 and Line S4). Planned lines are expected to be operational by 2035. The Wuxi Metro was opened in July 2014. The system is currently composed of four operational lines by 2022: Line 1, Line 2, Line 3 and Line 4. It also has two other lines under construction: Line S1 and an extension of Line 4. The Changzhou Metro was opened in September 2019. The system currently only has two lines operational, Line 1 and Line 2. The Xuzhou Metro was opened in September 2019, a few days after the Changzhou Metro started operations. The system currently only has three lines operational, Line 1, Line 2 and Line 3. The Nantong Metro was opened in November 2022. It has one operating line: Line 1 and another line under construction: Line 2. The Huai'an Metro, also known as the Huai'an Rail System, began construction in November 2018. There are seven lines planned: Line 1, Line 2, Line 3, Line 4, Line 5, Line S1, and Line S2. It is expected to start operations before 2025.

Culture

[edit] The four mass migrations in the 4th, 8th, 12th and 14th centuries had been influential in shaping the regional culture of Jiangsu. According to dialects and the other factors, the province can be roughly segmented four major cultural subdivisions: Wu (吴), Jinling (金陵), Huaiyang (淮扬) and Xuhuai (徐淮), from southeast to northwest. The belts of transition blurred the boundaries. Group Wuyue Lower Yangtze Central Plains Designation Wu Jinling Huaiyang Xuhuai Major dialect Wu Chinese Lower Yangtze Mandarin Lower Yangtze Mandarin Central Plains Mandarin Core Suzhou Nanjing Yangzhou Xuzhou The Humble Administrator's Garden, one of the classical gardens of Suzhou Jiangsu is rich in cultural traditions. Kunqu, originating in Kunshan, is one of the most renowned and prestigious forms of Chinese opera.[citation needed] Pingtan, a form of storytelling accompanied by music, is also popular: it can be subdivided into types by origin: Suzhou Pingtan (of Suzhou), Yangzhou Pingtan (of Yangzhou), and Nanjing Pingtan (of Nanjing). Wuxi opera, a form of traditional Chinese opera, is popular in Wuxi, while Huaiju is popular further north, around Yancheng. Jiangsu cuisine is one of the eight great traditions of the cuisine of China. Kunqu Suzhou is also well known for its silk, Chinese embroidery, jasmine tea, stone bridges, pagodas, and classical gardens. Nearby Yixing is noted for its teaware while Yangzhou is known for its lacquerware and jadeware. Nanjing's yunjin is a noted type of woven silk. Since ancient times, south Jiangsu has been famed for its prosperity and opulence, and simply inserting south Jiangsu place names (Suzhou, Yangzhou, etc.) into poetry gave an effect of dreaminess,[citation needed] as was indeed done by many famous poets. In particular, the fame of Suzhou (as well as Hangzhou in neighbouring Zhejiang) has led to the popular saying: 上有天堂，下有蘇杭 ("above there is heaven; below there are Suzhou and Hangzhou"), a saying that continues to be a source of pride for the people of these two still prosperous cities. Similarly, the prosperity of Yangzhou has led poets to dream of: 腰纏十萬貫，騎鶴下揚州 ("with a hundred thousand strings of coins wrapped around its waist, a crane landed in Yangzhou").

Education and research

[edit] Higher education[edit] For a more comprehensive list, see List of universities and colleges in Jiangsu and Project 211. As of 2022, Jiangsu hosts 168 institutions of higher education, ranking first of all Chinese provinces. There are two Project 985, 11 Project 211, and 16 Double First-Class Construction universities in the province. A combination of 93 members of Chinese Academy of Sciences and Chinese Academy of Engineering work in Jiangsu. As of 2025, six major cities in Jiangsu are ranked among the world's top 200 cities for scientific research output, according to the Nature Index. These cities include Nanjing (5th), Suzhou (33rd), Zhenjiang (98th), Yangzhou (118th), Wuxi (161st), and Changzhou (173rd). Notably, Jiangsu is the only province in China with at least five major cities achieving this distinction. Double First Class Universities in Jiangsu[edit] Jiangsu (16) Nanjing (13) China Pharmaceutical University Hohai University Nanjing Aeronautics and Astronautics University Nanjing Agricultural University Nanjing Forestry University Nanjing Medical University Nanjing Normal University Nanjing University Nanjing University of Chinese Medicine Nanjing University of Information Science and Technology Nanjing University of Posts and Telecommunications Nanjing University of Science and Technology Southeast University Wuxi Jiangnan University Suzhou Soochow University Xuzhou China University of Mining and Technology Other Major Research Universities in Jiangsu Jiangsu University Jiangsu Normal University Yangzhou University Nanjing Tech University Jiangsu University of Science and Technology Changzhou University Nantong University Suzhou University of Science and Technology Nanjing Institute of Technology Huaiyin Institute of Technology Additional schools[edit] Nanjing Jinling High School Huangqiao High School Xishan Senior High School Qianhuang Senior High School School of Foreign Languages and Cultures of NNU Xuyi High School Baochang High School

Tourism

[edit] Nanjing was the capital of several Chinese dynasties and contains a variety of historic sites, such as the Purple Mountain, Purple Mountain Observatory, the Sun Yat-sen Mausoleum, Ming dynasty city wall and gates, Ming Xiaoling Mausoleum (the mausoleum of the first Ming Emperor, Hongwu Emperor), Xuanwu Lake, Jiming Temple, the Nanjing Massacre Memorial, Nanjing Confucius Temple, Nanjing Yangtze River Bridge, and the Nanjing Zoo, along with its circus. Suzhou is renowned for its classical gardens (designated as a UNESCO World Heritage Site), as well as the Hanshan Temple, and Huqiu Tower. Nearby is the water-town of Zhouzhuang, an international tourist destination with Venice-like waterways, bridges and dwellings, which have been preserved over centuries. Yangzhou is known for Slender West Lake. Wuxi is known for being the home of the world's tallest Buddha statue. In the north, Xuzhou is designated as one of China's "eminent historical cities". The official travel and tourism website for Jiangsu was set up in 2008. Lion Garden in Suzhou Grand Buddha at Ling Shan, Wuxi Chaotian Palace Qixia Temple Tianning Temple Pagoda Tombs of Southern Tang Emperor Yangzhong Puffer Fish

Sports

[edit] Nanjing Olympic Sports Center Professional sports teams in Jiangsu include: China League One Nanjing City F.C. Nantong Zhiyun F.C. Suzhou Dongwu F.C. China League Two Wuxi Wugo F.C. Chinese Basketball Association Jiangsu Dragons Nanjing Monkey King Chinese Volleyball League Jiangsu Zenith Steel China Baseball League Jiangsu Pegasus

International relations

[edit] Twin Provinces[edit] Source: Country State/Province Time  Australia Victoria 1979/11/18  Japan Aichi 1980/7/28  North Korea Kangwon 1984/11/8  Canada Ontario 1985/11/21  United States New York 1989/4/21  United Kingdom Essex 1992/7/16  Germany North Rhine-Westphalia 1992/8/1  Italy Tuscany 1992/9/18  Japan Fukuoka 1992/11/4  Pakistan Punjab 1993/12/28  Germany Baden-Württemberg 1994/4/23  Netherlands North Brabant 1994/9/9  South Korea North Jeolla 1994/10/27  Brazil Minas Gerais 1996/3/27  Italy Veneto 1998/6/22  Sweden Östergötland 1999/3/22  Russia Moscow Oblast 1999/8/20  Belgium Namur 2000/5/7  South Africa Free state 2000/6/7  Poland Lesser Poland 2000/11/16  Finland Southern Finland 2001/5/11  Colombia Atlántico 2001/6/4  Malaysia Malacca 2002/9/18  France Alsace 2007/05/24  Mexico Baja California 2006/8/23  Switzerland Lucerne 2011/4/26  United States California 2011/7/18  Turkey İzmir 2012/4/30  Spain Basque 2012/4/27  Denmark Capital Region 2015/1/30  Belarus Mogilev 2015/5/10  Namibia Khomas 2015/6/19  Malaysia Kedah 2023/10/6 Twin towns and sister cities[edit] Source: Nanjing with Aichi, Japan