The Battle of Nanjing (1853) (Chinese: 太平軍攻佔南京; pinyin: Taiping jun gongzhan Nánjīng) began after the fall of Wuhan on March 8, 1853, and ended with the fall of the capital city of Nanjing on March 19, 1853, to Taiping troops, a few days after the Qing government evacuated the city.

[4] The floating bridges initially used in the siege of Wuchang were burned and destroyed to delay Qing advances led by Xiang Rong.

Qing forces were unable to contain a Taiping human wave attack and the Inner City fell quickly.

The Taiping forces murdered about 30,000 family members of the Manchu soldiers after capturing the city.

During the battle the Taiping forces used spies disguised as Buddhist monks who successfully entered the city.