The New Student's Reference Work/Nanking

Nanking (nän-kǐn′), capital of the province of Kiangsu (and formerly of China), is situated on the Yangtse, 130 miles from its mouth.  Since the removal of the capital to Peking, the official name has been Keang-ning-fu.  When it was the capital of the Taiping rebels from 1853 to 1864, the latter destroyed the Porcelain tower, the summer palace, the tomb of the kings and all the other buildings for which it was famous, and also part of the walls, formerly 20 miles around and in some places 70 feet high.  Since its recapture it has recovered a little.  The manufacture of nankeen and satin has been resumed.  It was captured by the English in 1842.  In 1899 the Chinese government declared Nanking open to foreign trade.  Population 270,000.