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Nanjing · Neighbourhood ·

Jianye Hexi (West Bank New Town)

建邺河西 · 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.

About this neighbourhood

Hexi (literally "west of the river" — though the Qinhuai is the local reference river rather than the Yangtze) was a peripheral district of farmland and small villages until the 2000s, when Nanjing designated it as the city's primary 21st-century expansion zone. The 2014 Summer Youth Olympics, hosted in Nanjing, accelerated infrastructure and venue construction; many of the Olympic-era buildings remain in active use.

Jiangsu Centre, completed in 2014, is the tallest building in Nanjing at 354m and the visual landmark of the new district. Its observation deck (Yuanjun) is the standard high-level perspective on the Yangtze and the city centre to the east. The surrounding tower cluster includes the Aqua City and Eye of the Future commercial complexes, the Jinmao Tower extension, and Nanjing Greenland Centre.

Hexi Central Park, several blocks south of Jiangsu Centre, is a substantial public space with a sequence of pavilions, water features, and seasonal flower displays. The park functions as the social space for the new district's residents.

The Olympic Sports Centre, a kilometre west of the central tower cluster, retains its Olympic-era main stadium, swimming centre, and Indoor Arena. Major sporting events, concerts, and conferences continue to use the venues.

What to see

Jiangsu Centre (Nanjing's tallest tower at 354m), Hexi Central Park, Olympic Sports Centre, Eye of the Future shopping mall, Aqua City lifestyle complex, Yuanjun observation deck.

What to eat

Mall and tower-base international dining; Cantonese yum cha at Yuanyuan and similar; modern cafes in the lifestyle complexes; emerging restaurant scene around the metro stations.

Transit

Metro Lines 2, 4, 7, 10 cross the district; the new metro coverage in Hexi is dense. Buses connect to central Nanjing in 20 minutes.

Where to stay

International conference hotels — Jumeirah Nanjing, Marriott, Hilton, Crowne Plaza Hexi. Few mid-range or boutique options; the district is corporate-dominated.

Hazards & notes

The district is large and pedestrian-unfriendly between widely-spaced towers. Plan visits to specific clusters rather than walking general perambulation.

Verified May 2026