Definition

1. Proper noun:
   • A major city in eastern China: Nanjing is a significant urban center located in Jiangsu Province, China, situated on the Yangtze River.
   • A former capital of China: The city served as the capital of various Chinese dynasties and governments throughout history.
   • The site of a major historical atrocity: Nanjing is internationally known as the location of a large-scale massacre and wartime atrocities committed by the Japanese army in 1937, during the Second Sino-Japanese War.

Examples of Usage

• Proper noun:
  • Nanjing is an important cultural and economic hub in eastern China.
  • The government moved its operations to Nanjing during that period.
  • Historical documents detail the tragic events that occurred in Nanjing in the 1930s.

Advanced Usage

• "The Nanjing Massacre": The specific term for the war crimes committed in the city, also known as the Rape of Nanjing.
  • The Nanjing Massacre is a pivotal and somber chapter in modern Chinese history.
• "Nanjing Decade": A historical term referring to the period from 1927 to 1937 when Nanjing was the capital of the Republic of China.
  • The Nanjing Decade was a time of significant modernization efforts.

Variants and Related Words

• Nanking: An older romanization for the name of the same city.
  • The Treaty of Nanking was signed in 1842.

Synonyms

• Nanking: (Historical variant spelling)
• Southern Capital: (A translation of the city's Chinese name, 南京, though this is not a direct synonym in common English usage.)

Related Phrases

• Nanjing Road: A famous shopping street in Shanghai, named after the city.
  • We went shopping on Nanjing Road.
• Nanjing University: A prestigious university located in the city.
  • She received her degree from Nanjing University.

Related Idioms

(Note: As a proper noun for a specific location, 'Nanjing' itself is not commonly used in idiomatic expressions in English. The related idioms typically involve the full historical event name.) - "Never forget Nanjing": A phrase used in historical education and remembrance. - The memorial's purpose is to ensure we never forget Nanjing.

Noun

1. a city in eastern China on the Yangtze River; a former capital of China; the scene of a Japanese massacre in the 1930s