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 Nanjing, China travel tales
Our customers share their travelling experiences in Nanjing, China.
Read about first hand stories on travel tips and guides, events, entertainment,shopping, food, business and transportation.
Also, you might want to read our
Beijing city guide,
Guangzhou city guide,
Kunming city guide,
Shanghai city guide,
and Xian city guide.
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| E Friedman |
05 October 2003 |
Stayed at Jinling Hotel - Nanjing, China.
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Although Nanjing has about 4 million people, the city is well-planned and easy to navigate. I was able to walk from the city center to any destination in about 40 minutes. The traffic is very manageable. Nanjing is a somewhat older and more relaxed counterpart of Shanghai, but it also has some resemblance to Beijing with its culture and history.
Here's a brief hit-list of places I would recommend in Nanjing:
*Tomb of Hongwu. Located in northeastern Nanjing, this is the tomb of the first Ming emperor. It is said that the Forbidden City in Beijing was modelled on the architecture here, and I can see why. It is grand in scale, and although there are fewer buildings than in Beijing's FC, the tomb is impressive.
*Purple Mountain Observatory. The observatory in the northeast was a great place to get a panoramic view of the city. One can take a cable car to the top (30 mins) or you can walk underneath it. It was interesting to see the traditional astronomical instruments that they had at the observatory.
*Sun Yat-sen's mausoleum. Also in the northeast, this mausoleum has the tomb of the father of China's first republic. I lived in Taiwan for two years, so this tomb has particular significance to me; Sun Yat-sen was also the father of the Kuomindang, the political party which currently holds sway in Taiwan. It's a bit of a carnival here, with hawkers selling things next to the mausoleum, but it's worth a visit. *Memorial to the Victims of the Nanjing Massacre. About 15 minutes' ride from the city center, this memorial has both an outdoor and indoor section. The outdoor section has a carefully planned architecture, with a desolate look to represent the terrible Rape of Nanjing by invading Japanese. Included are memorials to various places where executions took place (often 10,000 people were killed in one go). Most gruesome is the excavation of one of the execution grounds, right under the memorial; you can see the bones (and skulls) of countless victims. A powerful reminder of the past. The indoors area tries to piece together the Rape of Nanjing through pictures, which is very haunting. "SOLEMN SILENCE" signs dominate the area. If anyone has been to Auschwitz or another concentration camp, one can appreciate the feelings located at this memorial.
*Nanjing Museum. Like a mini-Shanghai Museum, this museum has an excellent collection of jades, bronzes, pottery, textiles, etc. If you don't have a chance to see the Shanghai museum, this is an excellent substitute. One can even take pictures of the exhibits as long as no flash is used. *Fuzi Miao. This is a huge shopping area in the south, and it also has a lively night life. If you are in need of some modernity, this is probably one of the most developed areas in Nanjing. Fizi Miao, an old Confucian building complex, it also worth a look, but it's the area around it which is the draw.
In terms of restaurants, many in the city, especially in the Xinjiekou and Fuzi Miao area, are excellent and comparable to western restaurants. Many of the restaurants in these area also include English menus, or at least have pictures, so you can point to the food in the menu and get good food. Nanjing has a relatively small, but growing, ex-pat population, and this is reflected in a growing trend by the food and service sector to include English in their services. Lonely Planet's guidebook is a good guide, but only the beginning; I would encourage anyone with a little courage to explore some of the smaller restaurants, as they can also be good value.
A word of warning is that the city officials haven't really caught on to the tourism industry yet, so signage is poor; you might need to ask for directions. I can read Chinese, but even I had trouble finding signs to point me in the right direction. Knowing the bus system is also useful, and it's cheap, too; RMB1-2 per ride depending on the route. City maps in hotels and sold on the street have bus routes written on each street, so it's easy to understand and easy to use. A taxi ride from the city center to the farthest point in Nanjing shouldn't cost more than RMB15. Flagfall is RMB7 and it increased at a rate of RMB0.3 per 100 meters or so after a kilometer. Streets have cardinal directions, so you can stop taxis taking the scenic route.
Especially for those in the Shanghai area, I would recommend a trip to this former capital (only three hours by train from Shanghai), but considering its history, it would be a good trip for anyone.
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| K Watanabe |
11 April 2003 |
Stayed at Jinling Hotel - Nanjing, China.
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Nanjing's summer is very very hot!!
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| P French |
21 October 2002 |
Stayed at Ramada Plaza Yihua - Nanjing, China.
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The hotel is near Hunan Lu, a good, cheap food street and also has several shops nearby selling factory clothing - Burberry, Banana Republic, Polo etc - all genuine and all under RMB100.
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| S Aidan lee |
01 August 2002 |
Stayed at Jinling Hotel - Nanjing, China.
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Nanjing, a pretty city in Jinagsu, is also an ancient capital. But I think the most important thing to see in Nanjing is the Nanjing Massacre Museum. A bit propaganda on the part of the Chinese, but I think it's important to know this part of horror in human history.
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| C Murray |
21 July 2002 |
Stayed at Jinling Hotel - Nanjing, China.
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Had a fantastic day at the Purple Mountain - the cable car is a must! The restaurants can be a bit pricier (but still relatively cheap) in the more 'touristy' streets. A very safe environment.
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| M Lin |
14 June 2002 |
Stayed at Jinling Hotel - Nanjing, China.
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The hotel was very helpful in directing us where to eat and sightseeing.
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| E Doyon |
27 May 2002 |
Stayed at Sheraton Nanjing Kingsley Hotel & Towers - Nanjing, China.
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I did not have time to visit but the airport is of international level unlike Guangzhou.
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| V Eichhorn |
03 May 2002 |
Stayed at Ramada Plaza Yihua - Nanjing, China.
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I would not go there again, for me really nothing absolute necessary one has to see.
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| T Tong |
03 May 2002 |
Stayed at Jinling Hotel - Nanjing, China.
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Nanjing requires at least 2 full days' visit to do it justice. Walking about Zhongshan Scenic Area requires at least one day and even the fit and healthy might have a problem covering the entire area in one day. Traffic in that attraction is chaotic to say the least. The other attractions in the city include Fuzi Miao, the Ming city walls and gates, the Nanjing massacre memorial. With respect to the the latter memorial, the museum is comprehensive in its exhibition of photographs and records of the atrocities committed in Nanjing during World War 2. There are simple but adequate English translations of the Chinese exhibits though in rather small print and in very darkened rooms. The serious historian can easily spend half a day at the museum.
Taxis are about the most comfortable mode of transport in Nanjing and they are cheap to the international traveller. Armed with a good map (supplied by Jinling Hotel), it is not difficult to pick out the attractions of the city.
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| T Leleux |
23 February 2002 |
Stayed at Jinling Hotel - Nanjing, China.
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First visit to Nanjing and found it interesting in that there not too many Western faces around. The locals were friendly towards us, both with and without the children.
I would consider staying in Nanjing for a few days next time in in China.
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