Terrain and climate: Nantong is located in the low-lying area within the plain of the Yangtze River Delta. The average elevation is between 2.0 and 6.5 m, tilting slightly from northwest to southeast. Most of the territory is a vast plain cut through with a network of rivers . The city belongs to the humid northern subtropical climate zone, with mild temperature and four distinct seasons. The annual average temperature hovers around 15 degrees Celsius, and the mean annual precipitation exceeds 1000 mm.

Natural Resources: Nantong integrates the advantages of the "golden coast" and the "golden waterway", boasting 226 km of Yangtze shoreline, over 30 km of which can be used to build 10,000-ton deep-water berths. The city also has a 210 km coastline, over 40 km of which can be used to build over-50,000-ton deep-water berths. At present, Nantong has completed 102 berths, including twenty-two 10,000-to 50,000-ton docks, forty-three over-50,000-ton berths, and two over-100,000-ton berths. The cargo handling capacity has reached 136 million tons. Nantong Port links with 312 ports in over 100 countries and regions, making it the main hub that connects the outside world with the mainland. It is an important member of the combined ports of the Shanghai International Shipping Institute and a member port of the International Association of Ports and Harbors. The city's coastal area covers 13,000 square kilometers and the coastal beach covers 230,000 hectares, making it one of the coastal areas with the richest land resources in China. Identified mineral resources mainly include iron ore, petroleum, natural gas, coal, marble, etc. The city's total arable land area is 7 million mu, with fertile soil and a wide range of crops. Nantong abounds in rice, silkworm cocoons, cotton, oilseed and other crops, and is rich in aquatic resources. The city is also a national export base of clams, seaweed, eels, Nereis and shrimps. The Lusi Fishing Ground is one of the top four fishing grounds in China and one of the top nine fishing grounds in the world.

Tourism resources: Boasting the charm of the Yangtze River and the Yellow sea, Nantong is endowed with beautiful scenery. The Hao River Scenic Area in the city center is striving to upgrade itself from a national 4A tourist scenic spot to a 5A one. The 30-li long Hao River, which surrounds the ancient city, has been described by domestic and foreign visitors as a "girl’s emerald necklace ". The museum group along the Hao River headed by Nantong Museum, "the first museum in China", highlights the rich cultural heritage of Nantong. The 4A Wolf Mountain Scenic Area with the Wolf Mountain (the first of the eight minor sacred Buddhist mountains in China) as its principal part, stands besides the Yangtze River and is widely known to many. The Qingdun Cultural Relic in Hai'an, the Shuihui Garden and Dinghui Temple in Rugao, Wen Tianxiang back-to-South crossing-the-Sea Pavilion in Tongzhou, the "disco on the sea" (picking up clams) and the "symphony in the air" (kite-flying along the seaside) in Rudong, Yuantuojiao Sun-Viewing Pavillion in Qidong and other scenic spots are all fascinating to visitors.