Nanjing

No reviews yetCity Jiangsu, China

Qinhuai River in Fuzi Miao 3, Nanjing, Jiangsu, China

Riverside near Fuzi Miao, Nanjing, Jiangsu, China

Nanjing Museum big, Nanjing, Jiangsu, China

About Nanjing

Nanjing, the southern capital, has ruled China more than once: under several early dynasties, under the first Ming emperor, who ringed it with one of the longest city walls ever built, and as the capital of the Republic of China in the twentieth century. Today it is the capital of Jiangsu province, a green city of plane-tree avenues on the south bank of the Yangtze.

History is layered everywhere. On Purple Mountain, the Ming Xiaoling Mausoleum and the tomb of Sun Yat-sen sit among forests and temples, while the massive Zhonghua Gate and long stretches of wall still guard the old city. The Nanjing Museum and the Presidential Palace trace dynasties and revolutions, and the Massacre Memorial Hall remembers the victims of 1937 with quiet dignity.

Nanjing is also a pleasure to wander. Lanterns glow over the Qinhuai River at Fuzimiao, cherry blossoms frame Jiming Temple in spring, and Xuanwu Lake offers island walks beneath the walls. Save room for salted duck, the city's best-known dish.

Best seasonMarch to May and September to November; summers are hot and humid.

Ideal stayTwo to three days for Purple Mountain, the walled city and the museums.

ArrivingNanjing Lukou International Airport serves the city, and Nanjing South station lies on the Beijing to Shanghai high-speed line.

Exploring Nanjing: 12 Must-See Spots

Landmarks 3

Sun Yat-sen Mausoleum

On the southern slopes of Purple Mountain, the tomb of Sun Yat-sen, founding father of modern China, was completed in 1929 with bl...

Zhonghua Gate

The largest gate of Nanjing's Ming city wall, Zhonghua Gate is less a single gateway than a fortress, with enclosed courtyards bet...

Nanjing Yangtze River Bridge

Opened in 1968, this double-deck road and rail bridge was the first major Yangtze crossing designed and built by China on its own,...

History 3

Ming Xiaoling Mausoleum

The tomb of the Hongwu Emperor, founder of the Ming dynasty, and his empress lies on Purple Mountain and is part of a UNESCO World...

Nanjing Massacre Memorial Hall

Built on a site where victims were buried, this memorial hall records the mass killings carried out by Japanese troops after they...

Nanjing Presidential Palace

This sprawling compound served as offices of Qing viceroys, as the palace of the Taiping Heavenly King, as the place where Sun Yat...

Museums 1

Nanjing Museum

One of China's oldest and largest museums, founded in the 1930s, the Nanjing Museum fills several halls with bronzes, jade, porcel...

Parks 1

Xuanwu Lake

Just outside the Ming city wall in the north-east of the old centre, Xuanwu Lake is a large park of islands joined by causeways an...

Temples and Shrines 2

Jiming Temple

First founded in the sixth century, Jiming Temple is one of Nanjing's oldest Buddhist sites, perched on a hill above Xuanwu Lake w...

Linggu Temple

East of the Sun Yat-sen Mausoleum on Purple Mountain, the Linggu Temple area is wooded and peaceful. Its Beamless Hall is a remark...

Neighborhoods 1

Fuzimiao and Qinhuai River

Around the Confucius Temple, the Fuzimiao quarter spreads along the Qinhuai River with lantern-hung lanes, snack stalls and painte...

Food and Drink 1

Laomendong

Just inside the city wall east of Zhonghua Gate, Laomendong is a rebuilt quarter of grey-brick lanes, courtyard houses, teahouses...

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