Nanjing · Neighbourhood ·
Xinjiekou CBD
新街口 · 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.
About this neighbourhood
Xinjiekou — literally "New Street Mouth" — was laid out as the commercial heart of Republican-era Nanjing in 1929 as part of the Capital Plan. The Sun Yat-sen statue at the central intersection has been there since 1996 (replacing an earlier 1942 statue removed during the Cultural Revolution); it is the navigation reference point for the entire district.
Deji Plaza, completed in 2006 and substantially expanded since, is the single most prominent retail venue in Jiangsu — eight floors of international luxury fashion, a comprehensive food hall, and a connected office tower. The mall reportedly generates the highest single-store revenue of any retail venue in mainland China, ahead of even Shanghai's Plaza 66.
The Republican-era buildings around the Xinjiekou intersection are an underrated heritage layer. The Bank of Communications building (1935), the Central Trust Building, and the surrounding banking and commercial structures formed the financial centre of the Republican government. Many remain in active commercial use as banks or offices, with their facades preserved.
The underground commercial city, developed alongside the metro construction in the 2000s, is a genuine navigational alternative — restaurants, retail, and pedestrian connections run from below Xinjiekou across to Hanzhong Road, Wangfu Avenue, and the Nanjing Department Store.
What to see
Deji Plaza (eight floors of luxury retail), Nanjing International Finance Centre, Sun Yat-sen statue at the central intersection, the Republican-era Bank of Communications building, the underground commercial city.
What to eat
Mall food courts and full-service restaurants — a comprehensive sample of Nanjing and national chains; Nanjing salted duck at Yifeng across from Deji Plaza; the underground food street accessible from Xinjiekou metro.
Transit
Metro Lines 1, 2 Xinjiekou — the busiest interchange in the Nanjing metro system. The underground mall network is genuinely useful for navigating the district in rain or summer heat.
Where to stay
International five-star hotels: Park Hyatt, Westin, Sofitel, Crowne Plaza. Mid-range Chinese chains throughout. Business apartments around the surrounding office blocks.
Hazards & notes
The pedestrian density at peak times is extreme. The underground mall is genuinely confusing on first visit — exits A through O cover a quarter-kilometre radius. Use a clear surface landmark for orientation.