Nantong City is located at the estuary of the Yangtze River in the east of Jiangsu province. Bordering on the river and facing the Pacific Ocean sea , the city appears like a peninsular and stands opposite Shanghai across the river, enjoying a golden coast and waterway as well as such well-known titles as “ Pearl of the River and Sea ” and “ the First Window on the Yangtze River ” .

Nantong also boasts a long history with its Haian Qingdun Area inhabited with primitive clans more than 5000 years ago.

As one of China's first 14 coastal cities opening to the outside world, Nantong now administers 4 county-level cities (Rugao, Tongzhou, Haimen, and Qidong), 2 counties (Haian and Rudong), 2 districts (Chongchuan and Gangzha), as well as the state -level Nantong Economic and Technological Development Zone. The city covers a total land area of 8,001 sqm km2 and bordering sea area of about 10,000 sqm km2 with its population totaling to 7.8 million. The urban area occupies 381.26 sqm km2 with a population of 759.8 thousand.

Located in the warm and wet monsoon subtropics, Nantong enjoys sufficient sun shine , profuse rainfall, and warm climate with distinct seasons. Flat in terrain and covered with a dense water system, the city has more than 400 km of riverbank and coastline and extensive shallows. As one of China's national industrial cradles in modern times, Nantong has a relatively strong comprehensive economic strength and ranks among the top 50 cities with strong comprehensive strength. In 2003, the city's GDP reached RMB100.665 billion with GDP per capita breaking USD1500, ranking 32 among China's top 200 cities in general urban competitiveness.