The Port of Nantong lies on the north shore at the head of the Yangtze River estuary. Serving the coastal zone of the Jiangsu Province, it is connected by canal to other cities in north Jiangsu. The Port of Nantong is a vital river port connecting the province to the East China Sea. The coast of the Sea moves constantly eastward as silt is added to the Yangtze River Delta. Thus, the Port of Nantong was much nearer the China Sea in ancient times. Combined with the Ports of Tiansheng (about 12 kilometers west) and Langshan (about 13 kilometers south), the Port of Nantong is one of the largest ports on China’s coast. In 2007, 947 thousand people lived in the urban area surrounding the Port of Nantong.

From 206 to 220 BC, during the Han Dynasty, the Port of Nantong was much closer to the coast of the China Sea. It grew as a port and as a commercial center until 1368 when it lost its status as a prefecture called Tong. From 1368 to 1724, it was under the jurisdiction of neighboring city, Yangzhou. In 1724, it was again given prefecture status, and its name was changed to Nantong. In 1912, it became a county.

The Port of Nantong’s prosperity was largely based on domestic spinning and weaving of cotton, although the modern industry was created in the late 1800s by Zhang Jian. After the Sino-Japanese War of the mid-1890s, Zhang committed to making Nantong a model district. He established the Dah Sun Cotton Mill about 9 kilometers west of the Port of Nantong. The Mill’s profits financed the building of an industrial complex in the Port of Nantong that included a modern silk factory, a machine shop, and oil and flour mills.

He also created a shipping line and a land reclamation company that created cotton fields out of much of the Yangtze estuary. Zhang also established China’s first teachers’ colleges, staffing hundreds of primary schools. He established a medical college, a textile school, and an agricultural college which were later merged to make Nantong University. Zhang went on to create libraries, theaters, and museums in the Port of Nantong, and it was called Zhang Jian’s Kingdom, or the “Model County,” by the time of the republican period after 1911.

Like most cotton-based economies in the world, the Port of Nantong was seriously affected by the Great Depression of the 1930s. After that difficult time, the Japanese occupied the Port of Nantong during World War II.

The economy of the modern Port of Nantong still depends greatly on cotton and the textile industry. In 1984, China designated it an “open” city, inviting foreign investors. Since the mid-1980s, the Port of Nantong has experienced much economic growth and has become an important industrial center and port for foreign trade. New factories manufacturing electronics, chemicals, and machinery have been added to the traditional textile plants.

In 2008, the new six-lane Sutong Bridge was completed. Crossing the Yangtze River, it makes it easier to travel quickly between the Port of Nantong and Shanghai, further encouraging the city’s growth. Today, Nantong is blessed with five Kentucky Fried Chicken franchises and a McDonalds.

In 1904, Zhang Jian constructed the first modern port facilities, including a wharf. In 1955, the government of the Port of Nantong established a private company to manage the port, replacing the socialist ownership. In 1959, new wharves were constructed that could accommodate 3-5 thousand tons vessels. A second modern wharf was built in 1961. Additional construction projects were undertaken during the Cultural Revolution.

In the late 1970s, large-scale construction of wharves was started. The Langshan port district was completed in 1980, with two deep-water wharves and shed space of over 6.5 thousand square meters. In 1980, the Port of Nantong was designated an “open” port for foreign trade, and the port began to export cotton products. In 1983, the first foreign ships arrived in the Port of Nantong. In 1984, the Port of Nantong began to handle containerized cargo.

By 1991, three bulk cargo berths and six Yangtze River berths had been completed, bringing the port’s cargo-handling capacity to 8.4 million tons. The multi-purpose berth began operating that year. In 1997, two special-purpose container berths were completed, adding capacity for 150 thousand TEUs. In 2001, over four thousand ocean-going vessels stopped in the Port of Nantong, and a third phase of construction at Langshan was completed.

The Port of Nantong celebrated the port’s 100th anniversary in September 2004. Since then, the port had continued to add new facilities for handling cargo from around the world. In 2007, a new general bulk cargo berth opened.

The Nantong Harbor Group, Ltd. was established in 2002 to administer the Port of Nantong’s operations, including over 550 thousand square meters of storage space. Their goal is to achieve annual throughput of 200 million tons by 2010.

Bulk cargoes handled by the Port of Nantong include iron ore, non-metallic ores, sulphur, non-ferrous metal ores, and grains. The port has capacity to handle 45 thousand tons of bulk cargo and 20 10-thousand ton ore vessels per day. Other cargoes include steel products, scrap, chemical fertilizers and industrial chemicals, cement clinker, and asphalt.

The Port of Nantong has specialized facilities for handling coal that supports the generation of electricity for the region. The Port of Nantong handles containerized cargo from around the world.

The Port of Nantong is home to the Cosco shipping corporation that operates a large port and ship repair yard on the Yangtze. With 1120 meters of coastline, the ship yards have a Panamax-class floating dock and can accommodate about 150 vessels a year.

The Port of Nantong is one of 14 port cities in China that are open to foreign investment, and it is an important part of the larger Shanghai Economic Zone. Ten thousand-ton vessels can berth simultaneously at its deep-water harbor.

Visitors to the City of Nantong will not want to miss these special sights. Langshan (or “Wolf Hill”) is a hill on the river that is said to be haunted by a white wolf. At the peak of the hill is a Buddhist temple dedicated to a monk from the Song Dynasty. The Cao Gong Zhu Memorial Temple is dedicated to the memory of the local hero who defended the Port of Nantong from Japanese pirates in the mid-16th Century.

Opened in 1985, the Nantong Textile Museum documents the thousand-year history of the weaving and textile industries in the Port of Nantong. It contains six exhibition halls, courtyards, and gardens where visitors can relax and meditate. The 1905 Nantong Museum, a traditional style Chinese building, displays antiquities and fossils, including pieces of pottery and calligraphy found in the Port of Nantong. Visitors can take a boat trip on the Hao He River in the evening to watch the city lights come on and the city’s beautiful fountains.