Jiangxi's capital, Nanchang, is famed among Chinese for being the birthplace of the People's Liberation Army. Indeed, it was in Nanchang in 1927 that revolutionary heroes Zhou Enlai and Zhu De led 30,000 troops in mutiny against the Kuomintang; today, the date of the uprising, August 1, is celebrated throughout China, and Nanchang remains a site of pilgrimage for patriotic Chinese.

Even if revolutionary history isn't your cup of tea, Nanchang has plenty to offer. However, it may be more for what you'll find in the surrounding countryside than in the city itself. Thanks to its excellent air, rail and road connections, Nanchang make the perfect base for exploring northern Jiangxi, from bucolic Wuyuan to the ancient porcelain center of Jingdezhen to the cool mountain retreat of Lushan. All are within easy reach, and day trips from Nanchang to nearby destinations like the ancient villages of Jingtai, Luotiancun and Shuinan or the shores of placid Poyang Hu (Poyang Lake) are a breeze.

As for Nanchang proper, once you get past its and Soviet-inspired post-war industrial homeliness, there are plenty of Nanchang attractions worth the visit. The rebuilt Tengwan Ge (Jumping King Pavilion) dates back to the Tang Dynasty; today, it's a pleasant spot for a stroll, relaxing in a teahouse and, on weekends, a chance to catch traditional music, dance and theater. Tengwan Ge goes well with a tour of the nearby Jiangxi Provincial Museum, a distinctive work of green-glass contemporary Chinese architecture housing relics going back to prehistoric times.

Another sight with an ancient pedigree is Youmin Temple but, thanks to the widespread wartime destruction of Nanchang, the remainder of popular attractions are dominated by post-war monuments, including the Monument to the Martyrs on People's Square and the massive Stalinesque Exhibition Hall across the street. The Memorial Hall to the Martyrs of the Revolution and Former Headquarters of the Nanchang Uprising provide further insight into both Nanchang's revolutionary past; the latter is also one of the city's few remaining examples of early 20th century European-influenced architecture.

Beyond major attractions, Nanchang's streets, restaurants and markets are as lively as any in China and, despite its share of post-war industrial blight and boom-time gaudiness, many a charming neighborhood street awaits those with the patience, time and walking shoes.

History

Before the 1927 Nanchang Uprising thrust the city into the spotlight, Nanchang was a quietly prosperous city with a long and proud history. Instigated in part by Soviet agents and conducted under the leadership of communist Kuomintang officers Zhou Enlai and Zhu De (later the first Premier and first Vice President of the People's Republic of China respectively) the uprising failed in its immediate objective of holding Nanchang. Kuomintang forces quickly drove the rebels westward into Jiangxi's rugged mountains, but the long-term effects of the uprising were profound. Zhu De formed the nucleus of what would become the People's Liberation Army, which he and Mao Zedong would lead to ultimate victory in 1949.

Long before the 20th century's power struggles, Nanchang had served as a political and commercial center for Jiangxi. The original walled city, known as Gan, was founded in 201 BC at the outset of the Han Dynasty (202 BC-220 AD) and the region was established as Nanchang County.

As Jiangxi grew in importance, Nanchang's location south of fertile Poyang Hu and on the major north-south trade route following the Gan Riverensured its steady growth. By the 8th century, Nanchang was the provincial capital of Jiangxi, which would become China's most populous region by the 12th century. At this time, trade from the south came up the Gan River to the Yangzi (Yangtze) where it fed into the Grand Canal—a distribution system which, along with the Silk Road, helped make China the world's wealthiest and most powerful nation for centuries.

Despite periodic upheavals—Nanchang was the site of bloody conflict during the Yuan Dynasty and again during the Taiping Rebellion—the city remained, on the whole, a prosperous center of commerce until the late 19th century, when north-south trade shifted from river and overland routes to coastal ones served by steamships.

Nanchang would experience more violence in the 20th century, not just as a result of the 1927 Nanchang Uprising, but also during the Japanese occupation of eastern China—1939's Battle of Nanchang between Nationalist and Japanese forces wrought havoc on the region and saw Japan occupy and hold the city.

By this time, Zhu De's revolutionary communist forces had evolved into the People's Liberation Army, which had famously fought its way out of Jiangxi before uniting with their comrades after the Long March, and within a decade, both the Japanese and the Kuomintang would be defeated.

In the years following the final communist victory in 1949, Nanchang experienced a period of intensive industrialization as well as waves of Red pilgrims. Ancient buildings, traditional ways and many citizens fared poorly during the Cultural Revolution, as Nanchang's history fostered a particularly fervent crop of Red Guards. Following the Reform and Opening period initiated at the beginning of the 1980s, the city has, in many ways, settled back into its long-time role Jiangxi's commercial heart and continues to experience steady economic growth.

Climate

Nanchang's sub-tropical monsoon climate pattern makes for drier, colder winters and wet springs and early summers, with fall and early spring being the most pleasant times of year for travel. Summer highs push a humid 40° C; winter lows fall as far as -10° C. In between, spring's early growing season and fall harvest are wonderful times to tour the northern Jiangxi countryside and Nanchang. October is particularly nice in the Poyang Lake and northern Gan River region as seasonal crabs hit the market and harvest and crab festivals abound.

Getting Around

The base rate for taxis is 6 RMB for the first two kilometers and then 1.9 RMB per additional kilometer (between 11:00 p.m. to 5:00 a.m., 20% more will be charged per additional kilometer). Nanchang is a relatively small city and usually it will cost you around 10 RMB within the city district.

To and From Nanchang

Air

Changbei Airport is about 23 km from downtown, and there are nearly a hundred flights to other domestic cities like Beijing, Fuzhou, Guangzhou, Haikou, Shenzhen, Xiamen, Wenzhou, Xian, Shanghai and Hong Kong every week.

Train

Beijing-Kowloon Railway and Zhejiang-Jiangxi Railway meet in Nanchang. There are more than a hundred pairs of trains setting off from or passing by Nanchang daily. Trains to nearly all the large and middle-sized domestic cities are available.

Bus

Nanchang-Jiujiang Expressway and Nanchang-Zhangshu Expressway are important connections for both banks of Ganjiang River. There are inter-provincial long-distance buses running between Nanchang and nearly a hundred cities in other provinces including Gunagzhou, Shenzhen, Nanjing, Hefei and Yiwu. Buses to other cities, counties and towns within Jiangxi Province are also available.

There are three long-distance bus stations in Nanchang, and they are Nanchang Long-distance Bus Station (located at No. 161 Bayi Dadao, nearby the railway station), Changnan Bus Station and Xufang Bus Station.

Ferry

There are Ganjiang River, Fuhe River, Xianghu Lake, Qingshan Lake and Aixi Lake several water transport routes in Nanchang and Nanchang Port is the largest port along Ganjiang River. There are ferries to and from Boyang, Duchang, Ruihong, Zhouxi and Lianhu. But the water transport has to stop during low water period in recent years because of the impact of climate and other elements.