CITY · JIANGSU
Nanjing
南京 · Nánjīng
Overview
Former capital of the Ming dynasty and the Republic of China, on the Yangtze. Imperial walls, presidential palace, the Nanjing Massacre Memorial, and Purple Mountain.
Nanjing has been the capital of China six times — from the early imperial Wu kingdom through the Ming founding (1368) to the Republic of China under Sun Yat-sen and Chiang Kai-shek. The Ming-era city wall, at 35 km the longest preserved city wall in the world, still encloses the historic core. The Sun Yat-sen Mausoleum on Purple Mountain (Zijinshan), east of the city, is one of modern China's most visited memorials. The Nanjing Massacre Memorial Hall on the western edge of the city documents the 1937 atrocity in an unflinching presentation.
The city sits on the south bank of the Yangtze. It is a proper four-season climate: famously hot and humid summer (one of the 'Three Furnaces'), cold winter, short pleasant springs and autumns. The historic Confucius Temple area on the Qinhuai River is the night-life and street-food district. The Xinjiekou commercial centre is the modern city core. The high-speed rail puts Shanghai 90 minutes away, Beijing 3h 30m.
What to see
- Ming City Wall — Zhonghua Gate is the largest preserved city gate in China
- Sun Yat-sen Mausoleum on Purple Mountain
- Ming Xiaoling Mausoleum (UNESCO) — tomb of the Ming founder
- Confucius Temple and Qinhuai River area — best at night
- Presidential Palace — seat of the Republic of China government 1927–1949
- Nanjing Massacre Memorial Hall — sober and substantial
- Nanjing Museum — second-largest in China
- Gulou (Drum Tower) and the Yuejianglou Pavilion
What to eat
- Salted duck (yán shuǐ yā) — Nanjing's signature dish
- Duck blood and vermicelli soup (鸭血粉丝汤)
- Jingling Roast Duck (a regional Beijing-duck cousin)
- Pidu pancake (鸭油酥烧饼)
- Soup dumplings (Suzhou-style)
Getting there
Nanjing Lukou (NKG) airport, 35 km south — Line 1 metro to the city. Nanjing South is the HSR station: Shanghai Hongqiao 1h 10m, Beijing South 3h 30m.
Getting around
Metro is comprehensive (11 lines). Walking the Confucius Temple area in the evening is the way to see it. Cycling Purple Mountain is feasible. Didi works.
Where to stay
Xinjiekou (central) for shopping and HSR access. Confucius Temple area for atmosphere. Purple Mountain area for greener stays near the mausoleum sights.
We list neighbourhoods, not specific hotels — we don't endorse hotels.
When to go
March–April for cherry and plum blossom; October–November for autumn light. Avoid mid-summer humidity. The Nanjing Massacre commemoration on 13 December is a national memorial day; the museum is busy.
Budget guide (CNY per day)
| Backpacker | ¥280 |
| Mid-range | ¥620 |
| Comfortable | ¥1500 |
More on Nanjing
Itineraries visiting Nanjing
- Fujian Coast and Tulou Circuit, 7 days
7d · Xiamen's colonial island of Gulangyu, the Hakka earthen fortress villages of the tulou, Quanzhou's medieval Islamic and Confucian heritage, and the tea mountain of Wuyi — a Fujian round-trip.
- Classical Gardens Circuit — Suzhou, Hangzhou, and Beyond, 12 days
12d · China's finest classical gardens in sequence: Suzhou's UNESCO garden quartet, Hangzhou's West Lake landscape, Yangzhou's slender garden tradition, and Shaoxing's canal-town context.
Food of Eastern China
- Beggar's Chicken叫花鸡
A whole chicken stuffed with aromatics, wrapped in lotus leaves and clay, then slow-baked until the meat steams in its own juices.
- Beggar's Chicken — Jiaohuaji叫花鸡 (江苏式)
A Jiangsu-province variation of clay-baked chicken with a lotus-leaf wrap and a mushroom and pork stuffing.
- Dragon Well Tea龙井茶
China's most celebrated green tea — pan-fired flat leaves from Hangzhou's West Lake district with a sweet, chestnut flavour.
- Drunken Chicken醉鸡
Chicken steamed and marinated in Shaoxing rice wine, served chilled. A Shanghai banquet starter.
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