Facing a branch of the Qinhuai River (Qínhuái Hé, 秦淮河), Nanjing's eponymous Confucius Temple (Fūzǐ Miào, 夫子庙) sits amid the restaurants, shops and tourists of Fuzi Miao Pedestrian Street. Originally built in 1034 during the Song Dynasty, when China's homegrown philosophy saw a revival, the current structure—largely rebuilt, though some structures date from the Qing Dynasty—still serves as a temple venerating Confucius. Statues of Confucius and his followers line the central courtyard and colored stone friezes tell Confucian tales along the wall of one of the structure's halls. A building opposite the temple's back door is included in the ticket price and details parts of Nanjing's "intangible cultural heritage." To the right of the temple's entrance sits Taiping Heavenly Kingdom History Museum, which was once a Ming Dynasty genera... more >>

A remnant of Nanjing's days as the Ming Dynasty capital, the Nanjing Drum Tower (Gǔ Lóu, 鼓楼) sits in the middle of a roundabout surrounded by trees in the Gu Lou District to which it lends its name. Initially completed in 1382, it was used for marking the time, welcoming guests to the city, and noting special occasions with the beating of the tower's two large drums and 24 small drums. After a tour by the Qing Dynasty's Emperor Kangxi, the tower was rebuilt and a memorial stele mounted on the back of a turtle installed. Besides the stele, a number of other historic relics are on display. While signage is not in English, these ancient items speak for themselves. From the second floor of the tower, the streets of Nanjing disappear below the trees as nearby Zifeng Tower and other skyscrapers rise up above them. The ivy-covered Great North Building of Nanjing University's... more >>

Mochou Lake Park (Mòchóu Hú Gōngyuán, 莫愁湖公园) is a green break from the city, consisting of pathways and gardens surrounding Mochou Lake. This is a place to get away from the city traffic and is also en route to the Nanjing Massacre Museum. Chinese legend tells of a girl named Mochou renowned for her beauty who was forced to married a rich man in order to pay for her father's burial. Between a dead father and an unhappy union, Mochou decided things just weren't working out, so she drowned herself in Mochou Lake. In the present day, the lake is a pleasant place to kill a few hours and there are some great go-carts available here if you fancy a more dramatic death by high-speed cart collision. Jiangsu guide | Nanjing guide | Nanjing attractions | Nanjing flights Nanjing hotels | Nanjing on the China Travel Blog more >>

Once running 35 km (22 mi) around central Nanjing, the ancient Nanjing City Wall (Nánjīng Chéngqiáng, 南京城墙) was one of the longest and oldest city walls in the world. Though only about 25 km (16 mi) of the wall's original length remains, the barrier is still an impressive sight, looming an average of 12 m (40 ft) in height. Disconnected lengths of the wall lie scattered about the city, including, at the south end of the wall, the massive fortress-like Zhonghua Gate, the most impressive of the wall's remaining gates. Where the wall skirts Xuanwu Lake, the Taicheng City Wall offers a scenic walk and connects to still active Jiming Temple. Though parts of the Nanjing City Wall were built earlier, the wall as seen today was largely built when Ming Dynasty founding Emperor Hongwu established his capital at Nanjing in 1368 with funds from wealthy Yan... more >>

The Presidential Palace (Zǒngtǒng Fǔ, 总统府) has a very long, rather complex history of changing hands and providing the stage for some landmark events. Once the site of the Ming Dynasty Palace of Prince Han, the palace was also used as government offices during the Qing Dynasty. When the Taiping Rebellion rolled into the city, making it their capital, their deified leader set up shop in the palace and had the structure enlarged. When Qing troops took the city, the palace was among the casualties. Following the establishment of the Republic of China, Dr. Sun Yatsen took the oath of Provisional President in the reconstructed compound. The building saw continued use by the Nationalist Government until Japan took the city in WWII. After Japan's defeat, then Nationalist Government returned to Nanjing in 1946 and in 1948 the compound became the Presidential Palace. Jiangsu guide | ... more >>

Both a scenic spot and a memorial, the Rain Flower Terrace (Yǔhuā Tái, 雨花台) sees visitors for its wooded hilltop green beauty and political significance as a memorial to Nanjing's martyrs. When China was torn by warring kingdoms during the Six Dynasties Period, Buddhist monk Yun Guang read scriptures on the hill in the name of peace. The eloquence of his reading was said to have moved Heaven, causing a rain of flowers which became colorful stones. The area has long been known for its colorful agate stones (yǔhuā shí, 雨花石). The Rain Flower Pebble Art Festival (Yǔhuā Shí Guójì Wénhuà Lǚyóu Jié, 雨花石国际文化旅游节) is held at the park at the end of September every year. Later, the park came to house memorials to political prisoners executed by the Kuomintang in the 1930s and 1940s. In the early 1950s, the newly established ... more >>

A highlight of Nanjing's Zijin Shan, Dr. Sun Yat-sen's Mausoleum (Zhōngshān Líng, 中山陵) is one of the most interesting monuments in modern China—and, among Chinese tourists, one of the most popular. The blue and white colors of this 1929 structure represent the Nationalist (Kuomintang) colors, which can still be seen in the flag of Taiwan but, aside from this building, are scarcely seen in the People's Republic. It's a clear measure of the deep respect Sun Yat-sen retains for all Chinese, whether overseas, Taiwanese or mainland, that his final resting place is a place of pilgrimage, where millions come to honor the "Father of Modern China" every year. Completed four years after Sun's death and twenty years before the Communists finally drove Chiang Kai-shek's Kuomintang off the mainland, the venerated leader lies entombed in an elegant building atop an... more >>

The Tang Shan Hot Springs (Tāng Shān Wēnquán, 汤山温泉) bubble up amidst pleasant surroundings 28 km (17.5 mi) east of the Nanjing City Wall's Zhongshan Gate (Zhōngshān Mén, 中山门), Purportedly a source of healing vapors and waters, the Hot Springs have welcomed emperors, high officials, and local citizens for centuries to cure skin diseases, arthritis, neuralgia and many other ailments. Locals tout the benefits of the odorless water, which contains calcium, magnesium, potassium and sodium and averages between 50°C-60°C (122°F-140°F). A number of Tang Shan Hot Springs hotels are located nearby. The Tang Shan Hot Springs are not to be confused with the Tangquan Hot Springs in Pukou, northwest of central Nanjing, nor should they be confused with the Tang Shan area north of Beijing. Jiangsu guide | Nanjing guide | Nanjing attractions | Nanjing flights Nanj... more >>

Situated at the foot of Zijin Shan (Purple Gold Mountain) in the east of Nanjing, the Ming Xiaoling Tomb (Míngxiào Líng, 明孝陵) is the final resting place for Ming Dynasty Emperor Hongwu and Empress Ma. One of China's largest imperial tombs, the 600-year-old site has been named a UNESCO World Cultural Heritage site. Born Zhu Yuanzhang, Emperor Hongwu founded the Ming Dynasty in 1368, at which point he named Nanjing his capital and commissioned the construction of the city walls, the imperial palace, and his future tomb. The tomb took 17 years to finish, and only a part of its original glory survives today, the original grounds having suffered looting and desecration, largely at the hands of the Taiping rebels. The founder's tombs were to be the last sited in Nanjing, as his progeny relocated the capital to Beijing. If you take the traditional path, you ent... more >>

Xuanwu Lake (Xuánwǔ Hú, 玄武湖) is dotted by causeway-linked garden isles and surrounded by a large park next to Zijin Shan in the northern part of Nanjing. When the weather is agreeable, Xuanwu Lake Park (Xuánwǔ Hú Gōngyuán, 玄武湖公园) comes alive with residents walking the lakeside paths, boating or exercising. Little vendors, teashops and refreshment stands abound around the lake. A great place for kids, the park houses playgrounds and a small zoo in addition to the paddle boats. Xuanwu's diverse gardens and groves change with the season, making return visits a delight as delicate spring cherry blossoms give way to the riotous floral colors of summer, which in turn fade into the more subdued shades of autumn. The lake once formed a natural barrier, hugging the Nanjing City Wall along the Taicheng City section. Originally an imperial getaw... more >>