So named during the Ming Dynasty, Nanjing earned its fame as a Chinese capital as far back as 229 A.D. It is believed that Nanjing was the largest city in the world from 1358 to 1425 with a population of nearly half a million in 1400. Considered one of the most important historic and cultural cities of the world, the city still boasts remains of its ancient Ming Dynasty walls. At various times during the early part of the 20th century Nanjing was capital of China; the Japanese invaded and occupied it in 1937 and a "Nanjing Regime" was established there. It was eventually reabsorbed into the People's Republic of China.