Jiangsu in the context of "East China"

Confucianism, also known as Ruism or Ru classicism, is a system of thought and behavior originating in ancient China, and is variously described as a tradition, philosophy, religion, theory of government, or way of life. Founded by Confucius in the Hundred Schools of Thought era (c. 500 BCE), Confucianism integrates philosophy, ethics, and social governance, with a core focus on virtue, social harmony, and familial responsibility.

Confucianism emphasizes virtue through self-cultivation and communal effort. Key virtues include ren (仁, "benevolence"), yi (義; "righteousness"), li (禮; "propriety"), zhi (智; "wisdom"), and xin (信; "sincerity"). These values, deeply tied to the notion of tian (天; "Heaven"), present a worldview where human relationships and social order are manifestations of sacred moral principles. While Confucianism does not emphasize an omnipotent deity, it upholds tian as a transcendent moral order.

Qidong is a county-level city under the administration of the prefecture-level city of Nantong in southeastern Jiangsu province, China. It is located on the north side of the Yangtze River opposite Shanghai and forms a peninsula jutting out into the East China Sea. It has a population of 967,313 in 2020.

The center of the city is named Huilong Township. It also has a well-known fishing port called Lüsi town, named after Lü Dongbin, one of the eight immortals, who is said to have visited the place four times. Qidong's Qilong township was formerly a separate island in the Yangtze called Yonglongsha but now forms a pene-enclave on Chongming Island, most of which belongs to Shanghai.

Jiangyin (simplified Chinese: 江阴; traditional Chinese: 江陰; pinyin: Jiāngyīn; Wade–Giles: Chiangyin, Jiangyin dialect: [kɐ̞ŋ.jɪŋ]) is a county-level city on the southern bank of the Yangtze River. It is administered by the prefecture-level city of Wuxi, Jiangsu province. Jiangyin is an important transport hub on the Yangtze River and one of the most developed counties in China. It had 1,595,138 inhabitants in the 2010 census. The city is part of the Jiangyin-Zhangjiagang-Jingjiang metropolitan area, which has 3,526,260 inhabitants.

Wuxi (Chinese: 无锡; pinyin: Wúxī, WOO-shee) is a city in southern Jiangsu, China. As of 2024, it had a population of 7,495,000. The city lies in the southern Yangtze delta and borders Lake Tai. Notable landmarks include Lihu Park, the Mt. Lingshan Grand Buddha Scenic Area and its 88-meter (289 ft)-tall Grand Buddha at Ling Shan statue, Xihui Park, Wuxi Zoo, and the Wuxi Museum. Transportation options include Wuxi Shuofang Airport, Wuxi Metro, Shanghai–Nanjing intercity high-speed railway, and Beijing–Shanghai high-speed railway. Wuxi is home to Jiangnan University.

The Yangtze Delta or Yangtze River Delta (YRD), once known as the Shanghai Economic Zone, is a megalopolis generally comprising most parts of Shanghai, southern Jiangsu, northern Zhejiang, and southern Anhui. The area lies in the heart of the Jiangnan region (literally meaning "south of the Yangtze"), where the Yangtze drains into the East China Sea. Historically, the fertile delta fed much of China's population, allowing cities and commerce to flourish. Today, it is one of China's most important metropolitan areas and is home to China's financial center, as well being as a tourist destination and a hub for manufacturing ranging from textile to automaking. In 2024, the Yangtze Delta had a GDP of approximately US$4.7 trillion (about the same size as Germany).

The urban buildup in the area has given rise to what may be the largest concentration of adjacent metropolitan areas in the world. It covers 350,000 km (140,000 sq mi) and is home to over 240 million people, about a sixth of China's population. With a fourth of the country's GDP, the YRD is one of the fastest growing and richest regions in East Asia.

The Dawenkou culture was a Chinese Neolithic culture primarily located in the eastern province of Shandong, but also appearing in Anhui, Henan and Jiangsu. The culture existed from 4300 to 2600 BC, and co-existed with the Yangshao culture. Turquoise, jade and ivory artefacts are commonly found at Dawenkou sites. The earliest examples of alligator drums appear at Dawenkou sites. Neolithic signs, perhaps related to subsequent scripts, such as those of the Shang dynasty, have been found on Dawenkou pottery. Additionally, the Dawenkou practiced dental ablation and cranial deformation, practices that disappeared in China by the Chinese Bronze Age.

Nanjing is the capital of Jiangsu, a province in East China. The city, which is located in the southwestern corner of the province, has 11 districts, an administrative area of 6,600 km (2,500 sq mi), and as of 2021 a population of 9,423,400.Situated in the Yangtze River Delta, Nanjing has a prominent place in Chinese history and culture, having served as the capital of various Chinese dynasties, kingdoms and republican governments dating from the 3rd century to 1949, and has thus long been a major center of culture, education, research, politics, economy, transport networks and tourism, being the home to one of the world's largest inland ports. The city is also one of the fifteen sub-provincial cities in the People's Republic of China's administrative structure, enjoying jurisdictional and economic autonomy only slightly less than that of a province. It has also been awarded the title of 2008 Habitat Scroll of Honor of China, Special UN Habitat Scroll of Honor Award and National Civilized City. Nanjing is also considered a Beta (global second-tier) city classification, together with Chongqing, Hangzhou and Tianjin by the Globalization and World Cities Research Network, and ranked as one of the world's top 100 cities in the Global Financial Centres Index.

As of 2021, Nanjing has 68 institutions of higher learning, including 13 double-first-class universities, ten 111-plan universities, eight 211 universities, and 97 academies. Nanjing University, which has a long history, is among the world's top 10 universities ranked by the Nature Index. The ratio of college students to the total population ranks No.1 among large cities nationwide. Nanjing has the fifth-largest scientific research output of any city in the world. As of 2024, it has been ranked as the world's second most prolific scientific research center in earth and environmental sciences and the world's third most prolific scientific research center in chemistry and physical sciences, according to the Nature Index.