Cities · Nanjing ·
Neighbourhoods of Nanjing
A practical district-by-district guide — what each neighbourhood feels like, where to eat, how to get around, and what to avoid.
10 districts covered
夫子庙
Confucius Temple (Fuzimiao)
Nanjing's classical commercial-cultural quarter — the Qinhuai River, the Confucian Temple complex, and the densest concentration of Ming-and-Qing-revival architecture in the city. Touristy but essential.
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鼓楼
Zhongshan-Gulou (Drum Tower)
Nanjing's geographic heart — the Drum Tower at the city centre, the Republican-era university quarter, embassy buildings on Yihe Road, and the pre-1949 administrative core that survived the Japanese occupation and 1949 transition.
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新街口
Xinjiekou CBD
Nanjing's commercial centre — the largest single retail concentration in Jiangsu, with Deji Plaza and a continuous chain of malls, towers, and underground retail at the south end of the Republican-era city plan.
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栖霞
Qixia (Northeast Hills)
Nanjing's northeastern Buddhist mountain district — Qixia Mountain temple complex, the autumn red maples that draw photographers, and a peaceful rural-edge feel that contrasts with the city centre.
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雨花台
Yuhuatai (Rain Flower Terrace)
Nanjing's southern memorial-and-park district — the Yuhuatai Martyrs Memorial, the Yuhuatai stone pebble grounds, and a residential suburb that reads as quieter than the central districts.
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建邺河西
Jianye Hexi (West Bank New Town)
Nanjing's 21st-century western expansion — the Hexi New Town financial district, the Olympic Sports Centre (2014 Youth Olympics), the Jiangsu Centre tower, and the most modern face of the city.
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秦淮
Qinhuai District (Old South City)
The traditional southern Nanjing — ancient city walls, Ming-era residential alleys, the southern stretch of the Qinhuai River, and a layered historical residential character with strong neighbourhood identity.
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鼓楼学府
Gulou Academic District
Nanjing's university belt north and west of the Drum Tower — Nanjing University, Hohai University, Nanjing Normal University, with the Republican-era and Communist-era academic infrastructure in a continuous belt.
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莫愁湖
Mochou Lake (Untroubled Lake)
A classical landscape lake on the western edge of the central city — Tang dynasty origins, restored Ming-and-Qing pavilions, a quieter alternative to the Qinhuai-Confucius Temple commercial bustle.
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江宁
Jiangning (Southern Fringe)
Nanjing's southern outer-suburban district — Niushou Mountain Buddhist culture park, Ming Tombs (the Xiaoling Mausoleum is at the northern fringe of Jiangning), the high-tech industrial zone, and a mix of new development with older village character.
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