Nanjing

Introduction

Nanjing

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Nanjing (南京), literally meaning Southern Capital, is one of the most important cities in Chinese history. It also an amazing place to visit and the current day capital of Jiangsu province. The city is located on the lower bends of the Yangtze River making its location extremely important throughout Chinese history. In addition to this these facts, that Nanjing was the capital of China for 6 dynasties and during the Republic of China only gives it more prestige.

Brief History

The city was first settled in 495 BC and became the capital of China in 229 AD during the 3 Kingdoms period. Although this title was lost at the beginning in of the Sui Dynasty in 581 AD when the city was brunt to the ground. During the late Tang Dynasty the city was rebuilt and it became the capital for the Southern Tang Dynasty (937 to 975). Although at the beginning of the Song Dynasty the capital was moved again. Nanjing then became the capital of China again during the early part of the Ming Dynasty (1368 to 1421), until the capital was moved to Beijing.

The next major moment for the city's history was in 1910 when the Republic of China was founded. The capital was moved again in 1912 to appease the Emperor into abdicating from the thorn. In 1927 General Chiang Kai-shek moved the captial again to Nanjing and started what was called the Nanjing Decade, which lasted until the capital was moved because of advancing Japanese forces. The capital was relocated, briefly, to Nanjing, after the World War II until 1949. During World War II Nanjing was the site of one of the most horrific instances ever committed during a war. The brutality of the Nanjing Massacre, or Rape of Nanjing, can still be felt in the city to this day.

After the communist took power in 1949 Nanjing quickly became an important east coast city. Today it is a major economic centre and is also a very popular place with tourists. It is also an education centre because it is the home to several very high ranking Chinese Universities. Nanjing is a great place to spend two or three days exploring the palaces, gardens and even the wonderful green space of Purple Mountain.

Neighbourhoods

Sights and Activities

Observatory on Purple Mountain

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• Purple Mountain, or in Chinese Zijin Shan (紫金山), is a wonderful green space located on the eastern side of Nanjing. This nice mountain covers an area of around 20 square kilometres. It is also home to many important historical sights dating from ancient China to the 20th century. One of these sights is the amazing tomb of Sun Yat-sen. Getting around the park itself is very easy with a convenient tourist bus system connecting all the important sights. It is also possible to climb the mountain for a good hike.
• Linggu Temple (灵谷寺) has seen many different phases and was moved to its current location in the late 6th century. The temple has seen many different rulers and emphasizes. At its centre is the Linggu Pagoda, that was built in 1929 and has the speeches of Dr. Sun Yat-Sen carved into its sides. In the temple itself there is the Three Superb Tablet, which features a painting of Monk Bazhi by Wu Daozi, a memorial poem written by Li Bai and calligraphy by the famous Yan Zhenqing. The original tablet was destroyed during a battle and the current day one is a replica created during the Qing Dynasty.
• Ming Xiaoling Mausoleum (明孝陵) is the tomb of Emperor Hongwu, a Ming Dynasty ruler. Construction was completed in 1405 and this amazing tomb is considered an UNESCO World Heritage Site with the other Ming Tombs outside of Beijing.
• Purple Mountain Observatory (紫金山天文台) is an astronomical observatory located within the preserve.
• Sun Yat-sen Mausoleum is an amazing tomb that is well worth the long staircase up to the top. This man considered the father of modern China, by all sides, and is greatly honored in this tomb. This is a must see on any trip to Nanjing.

Presidential Palace

Nanjing

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• Presidential Palace (Nanjing) (总统府) is now the China Modern History Museum and is an amazing place to see. During the Ming dynasty this place was the location of two successive ducal palaces then in the Qing Dynasty it was the office of the Vicerory of Liangjian. During the 1853 Taiping Revolution the palace was expanded and made into the home for the Palace of the Heavenly King. In 1911 it was designated as the Presidential Palace for the Republic of China, although it was not officially used in this capacity until 1927. When the communist came to power the palace was turned into government offices until 1980 when it was made into a museum. For more information read the offical Website: Nanjing Massacre Memorial
• Xu Garden (煦园) is a wonderful classical garden and is incorporated into the Presidential Palace

Other Sights and Activities

• City Wall was the largest city wall in the world during the 15th century.
• Fuzi Miao is a nice confucian temple on the river.
• Jiangnan Gongyuan is a nice city park
• Jiming Temple
• Jinghai Temple
• Nanjing Massacre Memorial (侵华日军南京大屠杀遇难同胞纪念馆) is located outside the city and honors those that were brutally killed during this event.
• Nanjing Museum Complex
• Porcelain Pagoda (南京陶塔) is currently being rebuilt after being destroyed in the 19th century.
• Qixia Temple (栖霞寺) is a nice temple located about 22 kilometres northeast of the city
• Stone City (石頭城) is the ancient remains of a fortified city within the current city of Nanjing, all that remains are portions of the large city walls.
• Zhan Garden

Events and Festivals

Weather

Nanjing has a humid subtropical climate. Summers are from late May to mid-September with average highs between 26 °C and 32 °C and lows of 20 °C-24 °C. Winters are from December to February with average highs between 7 °C and 10 °C and nights mostly around zero or slightly below. Some snow is possible during these months, though winters are comparatively dry. Most of the rain falls during the warmer months, peaking in June and July with almost 200 mm a month. Average precipitation a year is over 1,000 mm.

Getting There

By Plane

Nanjing Lukou International Airport (IATA: NKG, ICAO: ZSNJ) (南京禄口国际机场) is located about 35 kilometres from the downtown area of the city towards the southeast. In 2008 the airport handled almost 9 million passengers and is one of the top 20 busiest airports in China. There are daily flights to almost every major and medium sized city in China with several flights a day to Beijing. There is also limited international service to Macau, Seoul, Bangkok, Hong Kong, Osaka, Tokyo, Frankfurt and Singapore. Recently cross-strait charter service has begun with Taipei, but these flights are very hard to book for international travellers.

For the more intense traveller there is direct bus service from Shanghai Pudong International Airport to and from Nanjing. Remember that this is a long bus ride that is 5 hours or more and might not want to be done if a long international flight is involved. Better to spend some time in Shanghai before or after travelling to Nanjing.

By Train

Nanjing Train Station (南京火车站) is one of the largest train stations in the area. It is centrally located and has connections to every major and minor city in China. Located near one of the few bridges over the Yangtze River this train station is a major hub. There are now fast trains connecting Nanjing with Shanghai, Beijing and Hangzhou. Remember that the taxi pick-up area is in the basement and the taxi's hanging near the ground level entrance tend to scam people.

By Car

By Bus

There are several bus stations in town but the main one is located near downtown and has several daily buses to cities throughout the area, including Suzhou and Shanghai.

By Boat

Getting Around

By Car

By Public Transport

Nanjing is now home to a great subway system. Currently the lines are pretty limited but growing every day! Nanjing Metro Line 1, started service on May 15, 2005. Line 2 and the extension of Line 1 officially opened to passenger service on May 28, 2010.

By Foot

By Bike

Eat

Nanjing has a few culinary specialties that are typical of the region, with duck more widely available here than in most other parts of the country. Some of the specialities you should try are:

• Duck Blood Noodles (鸭血粉丝汤, Yaxue Fensi Tang) - Cellophane noodles in a clear broth topped with cubes of cooked duck's blood, pieces of duck intestine, duck liver, and sometimes pieces of stinky tofu. Much tastier than it sounds.
• Salt Duck (盐水鸭, Yanshui Ya) - Pieces of duck boiled in saltwater then sliced and served cold. Lighter than the greasier braised varieties.
• Stinky Tofu (臭豆腐, Chou Doufu) - Fermented tofu with an appearance similar to blue cheese and a complex taste.
• Xiaolongbao (小笼包) - Originally from Shanghai, these steamed soup-filled dumplings are widely available in Nanjing.

Drink

Nightlife

Fu Zi Miao

This has been Nanjing's traditionally nightlife area that runs along the Qinhuai River. These night markets, restaurants and pubs have thrived for several years making it a popular place. It is also a place that has traditionally been the home for upper-class prostitution until prostitution was banned by the Communists.

Nanjing 1912

This night life area is more popular with foreigners and younger Chinese. It hosts a variety of bars, clubs and restaurants that have a thriving younger culture. This place is fun every night of the week.

Sleep

Nan jing youth hostel

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Budget

Mid-Range

Upscale

Work

Learn

• Nanjing University (南京大学), also known as Nanda (南大), is one of the best universities in all of China. This is an amazing place to study almost any subject. It also has good programs for teaching foreigners Chinese. Lastly there is also a joint masters degree program with John Hopkins in the United States in International Relations.

Keep Connected

Internet

Phone

See also: International Telephone Calls

Post

China Post (中国邮政) is the official postal service of the People's Republic of China, operated by the State Postal Bureau of the People's Republic of China (website in Chinese only), and has more details about price to send letters, postcards and parcels, both domestically as well as internationally. The Chinese postal service is very good. Remember that in more remote places usually only one post office in a city can handle sending international boxes or letters. Also many times it might be worth having the name of the country you are trying to send to in Chinese characters. Post offices have a striking green logo and can easily be found everywhere in the cities. They are mostly open every day (including weekends!) from 8:00am to 6:00pm, though small offices might have shorter opening times, while the bigger ones in central and touristic areas are sometimes open during evenings as well.

External Links

• Official Governmental Website