Jiankang

**Jiankang** (Chinese: 建康) is the current Capital City of the Zheng Empire, situated in what is modern-day Nanjing.

## Etymology and Names

The city was originally named **Jianye**, and became the capital of Eastern Wu during its reign. It was only during the founding of the Zheng dynasty that its name was changed to Jiankang, in accordance to naming taboo.

The city also has many informal or poetic names. It might be referred to as follows:

* Simply as **The Capital** (Chinese: 京师)
* **Boulder City** (Chinese: 石头城), after the Boulder Fort on the west side of the city
* **Goldridge City** (Chinese: 金陵城), named after the Gold Ridge on the north of the city

## Geography

Generally speaking, the city of Jiankang can be divided into three portions: the Palace, the Inner City, and the Outer City.

On the map below, the Outer City is demarcated by the blue line, the Inner City by white shading, and the Palace by the yellow shading. The Boulder Fort is marked in red, to the west of the city, while the Imperial Park is delineated by the green line.

### Palace

Yonghua Palace Complex (永华宫), or the **Palace of Eternal Splendour**, is the Imperial palace complex and nerve centre of the Imperial government. Surrounded by a mighty wall, it is the residence of the Emperor, and where a large proportion of Imperial rites are held, along with the major decisions that affect countless subjects throughout the Zheng lands.

### Inner City

The Inner City is demarcated by a massive wall, known as the Wall of Xuanfeng after the era in which it was built. It is situated on the northern side of the city, around the Palace, and is where the residences of nobles, governmental offices and princes and other notables are situated.

### Outer City

The Walled City is surrounded by a much larger but less fortified wall - known colloquially as 'The Fence' - and is where the residences of the elite, as well as the more prosperous of the city's common folk, reside. It is divided into a series of walled neighbourhoods, separated by wide streets that act as firebreaks.

## Significant Locations

As the Imperial Capital, Jiankang is naturally replete with places of interest.

### Governmental

* Imperial Ancestral Temple (太庙), where the spirits of the Imperial ancestors are venerated

### Religious

#### Buddhist

While Buddhism has put down deep roots in the south of the Empire, its communities of practitioners are still relatively small in Jiankang compared to that of the Taoists. Nonetheless, they are rapidly growing, and Imperial patronage has resulted in many grand temples and pagodas being built.

* Keyura Monastery (璎珞寺), situated to the northeast of Jiankang, on the southern foothills of Bell Ridge
* Yaoguang Temple (瑶光寺), situated in the west of the Inner City
	+ Sweet Dew Pagoda (甘露塔), within the grounds of Yaoguang Temple
* Realm-Protecting Temple (护国寺), situated in the southeast of the Inner City

#### Taoist

Jiankang is a major centre of Taoist cultivation, even before the foundation of the Zheng Empire. Now, major patronage from the Imperial house and from wealthy clans has created a 'City of Six Hundred Enclosures', including some great and ancient temples that claim to date back to the Later Han Dynasty.

* Bauhinia Temple (紫荆观), situated in the southeast of the Inner City
* Temple of Pellucid Clouds (清云馆), situated just within the northeast gate of the Inner City
* White Cloud Temple (白云观), situated in the east of the Inner City