Wang Wulong

Wang was born in Huai'an County (now Huai'an), Jiangsu, in February 1942. In 1962, he entered Nanjing Forestry University, majoring in chemical technology of forest products. He joined the Chinese Communist Party (CCP) in March 1965. After university, he met the Cultural Revolution and became a sent-down youth at Red Flag Farm in August 1968. In February 1970, he was assigned to Xuzhou Electrolytic Chemical Plant, where he worked for over seven years. He became deputy director of Xuzhou Chemical Industry Institute in August 1977, factory deputy director of Xuzhou Gas Factory in March 1980, and party secretary of Xuzhou Chemical Plant in May 1981.

He got involved in politics in March 1983, when he was appointed vice mayor of Xuzhou. In October 1989, he was named acting mayor, replacing Xu Zhonglin. He was installed as mayor in April 1990. In May 1991, he became deputy director of Jiangsu Provincial Planning and Economy Committee, rising to director the next year. He became mayor of Nanjing, capital of Jiangsu province, in March 1994, and then party secretary, the top political position in the city, beginning in June 1995. He concurrently served as chairman of Nanjing Municipal People's Congress since January 1998. During his tenure as mayor, he ordered relevant departments to cut down the street trees on the main roads of Nanjing in order to make the city brighter, which was opposed by the media and the Nanjing people jokingly called him "Mayor of Cutting Trees" (砍树市长).[2] In January 2003, he took office as vice chairman of Jiangsu Provincial People's Congress.