How was Nanjing damaged when Qing troops defeated the Taiping Rebellion in 1864?

When Qing troops recaptured Nanjing in July 1864, the city suffered catastrophic damage, leaving it nearly prostrate. The destruction was the culmination of a brutal, years-long siege during the Taiping Rebellion, which involved heavy bombardment by European-supplied artillery and the use of explosives in tunnels to breach the city walls.12

Key aspects of the damage and aftermath included:

• Structural Destruction: Qing forces utilized explosives to destroy a 60-yard section of the city walls. Following the breach, there was widespread destruction of public buildings and temples throughout the city.21
• Human Toll: The fall of the city triggered a three-day period of slaughter. Estimates suggest that of the 400,000 Taiping soldiers and civilians in the city, approximately 200,000 died. Many rebels chose to burn themselves to death rather than surrender to the Qing troops.2
• Long-term Impact: The city’s recovery from this period was slow, taking decades to return to a state of normalcy. The devastation was so severe that the city remained in a state of ruin for a significant period before modern industry and infrastructure began to reach it toward the end of the 19th century.3