We are based in the provincial capital of Jiangsu, Nanjing in the People's Republic of China.

 

Our office and training rooms are located behind the Jiangsu Province Department of Education (JPDE), on the first floor of the Jiangsu International College of Education.

 

The main entrance to the JPDE is on West Beijing Road in downtown Nanjing.

 

 

Nanjing

Nanjing is the capital of China's Jiangsu province and has a prominent place in Chinese history and culture. Densely populated and highly industrialized, Jiangsu became a separate province in the 18th century.

 

Nanjing served as the capital of China during several historical periods and is considered to be one of the Four Great Ancient Capitals of China.

 

Location

Jiangsu borders Shangdong province to the north, Anhui to the west, Shanghai to the east and Zhejiang to the south. The province has over 1000km of coastline and the Yangzte river passes through its southern parts.

 

Located in the downstream Yangtze River basin and Yangzte River Delta economic zone, Nanjing has always been one of China's most important cities. It has been a national hub of education, research, transportation and tourism throughout history and is the second largest commercial centre in eastern China, behind only Shanghai.

 

Surrounded by the Yangtze river and mountains, Nanjing also enjoys beautiful natural scenery. Natural lakes such as Xuanwu Lake and Mochou Lake are located in the centre of the city and easily accessible to the public, while hills like Purple Mountain are covered with evergreens and oaks and host various historical and cultural sites.

 

Demographics

As an exceptionally prosperous city, Nanjing has attracted vast numbers of new residents over the last decade - Chinese nationals leaving their rural hometowns to take advantage of the plentiful work opportunities and city lifestyle available in Nanjing. In 1995, Nanjing had a population of 5.2 million. In 2004, the population has risen to 5.5 million, and has since passed the 6.4 million mark - an increase of 800,000 in 10 years.

 

Economy

By 2006, the amount of foreign investment in Nanjing had reached US$14 billion (RMB 10.7 billion). There are presently 97 projects in Nanjing from 55 Fortune 500 companies. Whereas in 1996 there were 438 foreign-invested companies in Nanjing, there are now 1,556 in and around the city.

 

Multinational firms, such as Fiat, Iveco, A.O. Smith and Sharp, have established their lines here. Since China's entry into WTO, Nanjing has received increasing attention from foreign investors, and on average, two new foreign firms establish offices in the city everyday.

 

 

The increase in foreign trade now accounts for more than 40 % of Nanjing's GDP and has contributed to a huge increase in the standard of living and spending power of residents.  In 1996, the average monthly income of Nanjing's urban residents was less than RMB500 a month. By 2004 it had risen to RMB900. In 2007, the average urban income has exceeded RMB1,600.

 

In 2004 the city's GDP was RMB 191 million (3rd in Jiangsu), and GDP per capita was RMB 33,050, a 15% increase from 2003.

 

Industry

The current industry of the city inherited the characteristics of the 1960s, with electronics, cars, petrochemical, iron and steel, and power as the "Five Pillar Industries". Large state-owned firms include Panda Electronics, Jincheng Motors and Nanjing Steel. The tertiary industry also regained prominence, counting for 44% of the GDP of the city.

 

Transportation

Nanjing is the key transportation hub in eastern China and the downstream Yangtze River area. Different means of transportation constitute a three-dimensional transport system that includes land, water and air.

 

Nanjing is well connected by over 60 state and provincial highways to all parts of China; express highways such as Hu-Ning, Ning-He and Ning-Hang allow commuters to easily reach Shanghai, Hefei and Hangzhou. Nanjing railway station has become an important railway junction, linking north, east and central China.

 

The port of Nanjing is the largest inland port in China, and annually deals with over 66 million tons of cargo. In 2004, Nanjing opened the one million container-capacity base in Longtan, to become the largest container port on the Yangzte.  In the 1960s the First Yangzte River Bridge was built which, at the time, one almost the only route in eastern CHina connecting the North and South.

 

Nanjing's airport serves both international and national flights and is the 15th busiest airport in China.

 

Education

Nanjing has been the educational and research centre in southern China for more than 1700 years. Presently it boasts some of the most prominent educational institutions in the region (Nanjing University 南京大学, Southeast University 东南大学, HeHai University 何海大学) and has the third most higher learning institutions in the country.