Nanjing

Nanjing strikes me a city of many would-be's. It would have been China's capital had the Nationalists maintained rule over the mainland; it would have been the capital of the obscure semi-Christian kingdom of Taiping (heavenly peace). It would have been Japan's governor's seat. But recent history has left Nanjing defeated and devastated. In December 1937 - January 1938, an estimated 260,000 civilians were murdered by Japanese troops in what is now called the 'Nanjing massacre' or the 'Rape of Nanjing'.

Nanjing's modern history is perhaps most visible in the Presidential Palace. In fact, the premises dates much further back than the Republic of China (1912-1949). It also served as a ducal palace during the Ming Dynasty; as a viceroyal palace during the Qing dynasty; as the imperial palace of the 'Heavenly King' of the 'Kingdom of Heaven' during the Taiping rebellion; and as a headquarters of the Japanese occupiers.

One of the more obscure chapters in recent Chinese history is the Taiping Rebellion, 1850 to 1864. A Christian convert, Hong Xiuquan, strayed from orthodoxy; believing himself to be the younger brother of Jesus, he established his Heavenly Kingdom of Peace (Tienguo Taiping). At the hight of rule he had 30 million subjects. His rule was marked by a strict separation between sexes, land reform, the abolishment of footbinding, and the suppression of Buddhism, Taoism and Confucianism: promoting his version of Christianity as the official religion. In 1864 imperial troops besieged Nanjing, while the 'Heavenly King' was dying a rather inglorious death of food poisoning.

While there's been debates over the Taiping's contributions to modern day China, it is a peculiar case of East meets West interesting; with Western (semi-) Christian values promoted as state ideology.

In spite of lofty norms and values speak, rule in the Taiping kingdom was brutal. The rebellion is said to have cost 20 million (!!!) or more lives.