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Nanjing means "southern capital" (versus Beijing meaning "northern capital".) It is a renowned historical and cultural city and was the capital of several dynasties over the course of Chinese history. It has many historical sites including Ming tombs that are on the [wiki=3d51617f232f1b2232edda05111e74b0]UNESCO World Heritage List[/wiki]. It was most recently the capital of China under the Kuomintang, from 1927 until their retreat to Taiwan in 1949, and is still officially the capital of [wiki=652e667e9d348d73ec3579bcc7f84b76]Republic of China[/wiki] ([wiki=551fe18ef47d4e6e9d943b9a68ada21d]Taiwan[/wiki]), which retreated to Taiwan but still declares itself the sole legitimate government of China. With a current urban population of approximately 5 million people, Nanjing is an important centre for commerce and trade in Eastern China.
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By plane
Nanjing's Lukou International Airport is about 35km from the city centre and serves inbound international flights from Japan, Korea, Thailand, Malaysia, Singapore and Germany. You can also fly to Lukou International from most major cities in China, including Hong Kong (Shanghai now also has a daily night-time flight from Pudong primarily aimed at connecting international travellers.) There is a shuttle bus available from the airport.
There are several options to get from the airport to Nanjing.
Subway line S1(Airport line) is probably the cheapest way to the downtown. It costs ¥6 and takes 30 minutes to get to Nanking South Station and can transfer to other lines (Line 1 to city center (Shinjiekou) or Line 3) from there.
The 30-minute taxi journey to the city centre costs ¥100 or more (there's a ¥20 toll about 3 km away from the airport). It is usually cheaper to take the airport bus to the centre and take a taxi from there.
There are two express-bus routes from the airport to downtown Nanjing - both terminate at the railway station and connect with the subway and local city buses. The services run at 15-minute intervals with one line serving Zhonghuamen (also has good metro and bus connections) and Hanzhongmen, while the other runs to the east of the city and stops close to Fuzimiao. A one-way ticket costs ¥20 and can be purchased from the kiosk outside the arrivals hall.
WARNING - if taking the bus to the airport from Zhonghuamen or Nanking Railway Station, ignore the touts who hang around outside the bus station and metro station claiming to operate the official bus service - they will usually quote the same price, you'll be loaded into the back of a small, run-down minibus and will usually drop you off several kilometres short of the airport and claim that the fare into the actual airport is several hundred yuan. To find the actual bus service, enter the bus station building and go to Gate 7 - buy the ticket from the kiosk at the gate, not the main ticket office.
If you're flying into Shanghai, there are bus and train services that travel to and from Nanjing. The bus runs four times a day from Shanghai Pudong International Airport, with a stop at Shanghai Hongqiao International Airport and then on to Nanjing Zhongyangmen (and back). From there, take the metro or a taxi to your destination. It costs ¥136 from Shanghai and the trip takes about five hours (only about four at night). Many people prefer to take a plane to Shanghai then bus, taxi or train to Nanjing.
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By train
There are many daily departures to and from [wiki=5466ee572bcbc75830d044e66ab429bc]Shanghai[/wiki] Station and Shanghai Hongqiao Station, which is about four hours away on slow trains and around 75 minutes on the new fast ones (see [wiki=993092537d6e816f9dbed643a25528f8]High-speed rail in China[/wiki]). Both types of train also stop at [wiki=cf3dc09cea06f0f46e196a14fb82057d]Wuxi[/wiki] and [wiki=5dd1ec8da74254b165d8fa6ca8515e87]Suzhou[/wiki] and some continue on to [wiki=95e9c48630a252346b29cd52b365d3e2]Hangzhou[/wiki]. Fast trains offer better equipment and are comparable with a business class flight, while slow trains are older and without as many amenities, but may suit people travelling on a budget.
The main station is simply Nanjing Station, although locals refer to it as Nanjing North. It is situated on the north shore of Xuanwu Lake and is also very close to Zhongyangmen long-distance bus station. It is modern and more like an airport than a train station - the departure areas are on the 2nd and 3rd floors and you'll go through a ticket and security check to enter this area. Look for your train number on the indicator boards to find the right waiting room and when your train is called (usually 10 minutes before departure) just follow the crowd to find the right platform. Arrivals are in the basement, as is the taxi stand and the entrance to the subway station. The ticket office, pedestrian entrance and the local-bus station is on the first floor.
Zhonghuamen Station (adjacent to Zhonghuamen metro and bus stations, formerly called Nanjing South, changed its name to Zhonghuamen Station to prevent duplicate the name with the new high-speed Nanjing South station opened in June 2011) is to undergo a major redevelopment and most long-distance overnight services will depart from here in the future. Although it's only a tiny station with a few services a day, the majority of services between Nanjing and Huangshan (Yellow Mountain) will stop here so it's worth booking a ticket to Zhonghuamen to avoid a slow 45-minute journey around the eastern suburbs to the main station. The south station is located about 1 block east of Zhonghuamen metro station so onwards connections are easy and usually quicker than from the main station.
All passenger service at Nanjing West Station had been suspended in early 2012. The former terminal station just west of the downtown area, built in 1908, the facilities will be converted as a railway museum in the next few years.
The new Nanjing South Station is huge, and served by Nanjing metro. It is the main station for long-haul high-speed trains to Beijing, Shanghai, Xuzhou, Zhengzhou, Jinan, Tianjin, Wuhan, Hefei and other destination. For destinations like Zhenjiang, Danyang, Changzhou, Wuxi, Suzhou, Kunshan, you may find Nanjing Station is more convenient. There are two 300 km/h high-speed rail lines connect Nanjing and Shanghai. One is Shanghai-Nanjing HSR line depart at Nanjing's main station. The other one is Beijing-Shanghai HSR line depart at Nanjing South Station. If you are going to Shanghai, it's okay to use either line, and trains on Beijing-Shanghai lines are usually faster as it is a long distance line and has less stops. But if you are going to intermediate stations like Zhenjiang, Changzhou, Wuxi, or Suzhou, Shanghai-Nanjing HSR line at Nanjing's main station is preferred, as stations on Beijing-Shanghai line are usually far away from the urban area of these cities (Shanghai and Kunshan are exceptions, both rail lines use the same station). There is also a 250 km/h high-speed rail line connect Nanjing with Hefei and Wuhan. A trip to Hefei takes around one hour, and Wuhan 3.5 to 4 hours. A ride to Beijing usually take 4 hours on a G-series bullet train.
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By bus
Nanjing is well connected to Shanghai, Hangzhou and most destinations within Jiangsu, Anhui and northern Zhejiang provicnces by bus as well as longer overnight sleeper services to Beijing (12 hours) and Guangzhou (24 hours). Most services depart from Zhongyangmen bus station, a large, clean modern terminal in the north of the city approximately 10 minutes walk to the west of the main train station. The station has English signange and announcements but the ticket clerks generally cannot understand English. Some services into Anhui province depart from Nanjing South (Zhonghuamen) station, which is adjacent to Zhonghuamen metro station. There are also bus stations serving nearby destinations at Hanzhongmen, Nanjing East (to the north of Purple Mountain) and Nanjing North (on the west side of the Yangtze River) although they are less useful to travellers.
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By road
There is a modern highway system between Shanghai and Nanjing, which can allow you to travel quite quickly from city to city. Beware of traffic in the morning and evening rush hours. If you're just one person it may be much cheaper to travel by train, but if you're in a larger group sharing a car service can be cheaper. Keep in mind that you need to be a very experienced driver to handle Chinese traffic, so you may be better served using trains and buses between the cities and taxis in the cities, unless you're really on for a challenge.
If you are interested in driving yourself, see [wiki=bdbbba7d7954b115ee5320de13c60159]Driving in China[/wiki].
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By boat
Nanjing is situated on the Yangtze river. Scheduled passenger liner service is available along the Yangtze river between Shanghai downstream and Wuhan in the Hubei province upstream although the river is mostly used for transport of goods.
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If you're staying more than a few days it's worth buying a Jinlingtong (also known as IC-tong). These are available from any metro station, most bus termini and from any branch of Huaxia Bank (look for an information window displaying the letters 'IC'). The card costs Y75 and contains Y25 refundable deposit and Y50 credit, and can be topped up at the aformentioned locations. The card can be used on the metro, all city buses (but not all suburban buses), cross-river ferries, taxis (although drivers are reluctant to accept them and may tell you the scanner is broken) and in some Suguo convenience stores.
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By taxi
Taxis are a great way to get around and most trips will cost less than ¥25. The taxi driver should start the meter as soon as you are picked up (starting at ¥9); if the taxi driver doesn't start using the meter and you don't say anything he/she may assume you don't know any better and overcharge you at the end of your journey. Ask for a printed receipt detailing the taxi number, kilometres travelled, times, and money exchanged from the driver upon exiting the taxi. Don't expect to get a taxi during both the morning and afternoon rush hours; demand is high and the drivers make their shift changes around these times, too. Tipping is not expected in taxis in China, so the price on the meter is the price you should pay. Unlike taxi drivers in Beijing or Shanghai (who frequently shuttle foreigners around and may be accustomed to gratuity under the table) tipping in Nanjing is an alien concept. You are likely to befuddle but please a driver by insisting that they accept additional 'free' money. As with anywhere else in China, you are very unlikely to get a driver who speaks any English, so unless you speak Mandarin remember to get your hotel's business card and get hotel staff to write down your destination names in Chinese to show your taxi driver before you set off.
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By metro
The metro is a clean, cheap, safe and fast way of getting from A to B quickly - the system has 6 lines and covers most of the central city and most important suburbs. The lines are as follows:
Line 1 runs from Maigaoqiao in the north, via the railway station and along the length of Zhongshan Lu through the city centre to Andemen - from there the line splits with alternate services going to the Olympic New Town area around the Olympic Sports Centre and to the south towards China Pharmaceutical University via the new South High-Speed train station. Services between Maigaoqiao and Andemen run every 3 minutes, and every 6 minutes on each branch line.
Line 2 runs from the new town area in the west and follows Hanzhong Lu and Zhongshan Donglu to the east, terminating nearby the Purple Mountain scenic area. Trains run every 6 to 8 minutes. There are interchanges to Line 1 at Yuantong and Xinjiekou stations.
Line 3 runs from the new town area in the northside of yangtze river and goes to Jiangning area to the south.
Line 10 runs from the andemen station and to the northside of yangtze river via Jiangxin Island.
Line S1 runs from Nanking Lukou Airport to Nanking South Railway station.
Line S8 runs from the new town area in the northside of yangtze river to the Jinniuhu station(close to the border with Tianchang city of Anhui Province.
Trains run from approx. 5am to 11pm. Single-journey tokens cost between 2 and 12 CNY depending on distance and can be purchased from vending machines in the station. Stored-value tickets are also available (see above) and give a 5% discount and ￥0.4 discount when transfering to bus within 1 hour.
Operation map : http://www.njmetro.com.cn/images/map_new.jpg
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By bus
Buses are handy for getting around - particularly places that are inaccessible by subway, although Nanjing's bus system feels a little aged compared to Hangzhou and Shanghai and has no English information. However, Google Maps displays bus services for Nanjing and some tourist maps such as those sold around the train station will have bus routes.
Buses running within the city proper will carry a route number displayed on a red placard below the front windscreen next to the entrance door. Low-numbered routes (1-100) follow major thoroughfares and link major shopping, residential and transportation hubs. 3-figure route numbers follow indirect routes and run around quieter residential streets and are less handy for travellers, but can be an interesting way of seeing Nanjing's ordinary working class neighbourhoods. Routes displaying the Chinese character for 'you' (travel) are primarily aimed at tourists and link all the major tourist sights. Routes numbered '8XX' e.g. 801, 806, 813 etc are night buses which run approximately twice an hour between 11pm and 5am when the regular service ends. Buses heading to surrounding suburban towns depart from hubs on the edge of downtown such as Nanjing Train Station (North/East), Changjiang Daqiao (Yangtze River No.1 Bridge - going north-west), Hanzhongmen (West) and Zhonghuamen (South/East). These services display the name of the suburb/town that they serve in Chinese characters and have no route number.
Fares are a flat 2 yuan on numbered services except for some routes which run older non-airconditioned buses which charge 1 yuan - no change is given so have some coins ready. For suburban routes, fares are charged by distance and a conductor collects the fares. There's a discount of 20% for IC card users. Note that many bus stops are some distance apart (often 3-4 blocks) so keep an eye out for your stop and an ear out for the stop's name on the PA announcements (which are only in Chinese). If the bus is quiet then press the buzzer next to the door to signal to the driver that you want to alight.
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By bicycle
Nanjing is fairly cycle-friendly with segregated bike lanes on most busy roads - however there are a lot of bikes on the road so care should be taken. Generally, the pace is quite slow, and some of the hills in the central-west part of the city can be tiring to climb (but fun and a little scary to descend). Although it's possible to cycle up the Purple Mountain, it should be tackled in the early morning as the roads will be crammed with fast-moving bus and taxi traffic for most of the day, and the roads are narrow with no bike lanes. The bike/pedestrian path around the edge of Xuanwu Lake is a popular place for cyclists, as well as a popular racing ground for local motorcyclists - take care on the many blind corners.
Bikes can be rented from most youth hostels - ensure that the tires are pumped up and the brakes work before setting off though.
Buying a bike is relatively easy and cheap - the best option is to get a good quality used (possibly stolen) bike from the bike markets around Tangzi Jie (behind the Sheraton hotel) for ¥100-200. The cheap bikes sold in department stores and supermarkets are very poor quality and shouldn't be relied upon. For higher-quality, higher-performance bikes; Giant, Trek and Specialized all have stores in Nanjing. Rembember to carry a strong lock - bike theft is common.
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The city pass can be bought for ¥230 ( or ¥220 if you have a Nanking social security card) at the entrance to any of the big parks in the city, such as the zoo or Yuhuatai Memorial Park and provides you with free entry to 21 different locations including Purple Mountain but excluding the Confucius Temple and some other temples. You need to provide a passport photo for each pass and they are valid for one calendar year.
*Qin Huai River, a branch of the great Yangtze River, is 110 kilometres (about 68 miles) in length and covers a drainage area of 2,631 square kilometres (about 1,016 square miles). The river was originally called Huai River, and it is said that the river was channeled to the city of Nanjing during the reign of Emperor Qin Shi Huang, so it was named Qin Huai River from then on. Qin Huai River is the largest river in the Nanjing City area and is the 'life blood' of the city. Qin Huai River is so fascinating that it captures the imaginations of people both at home and abroad.There are many famous sites of interest along the banks of the Qin Huai River , including Confucius Temple just 5 minutes away, Zhanyuan Garden, Zhonghua Gate, and the sights along the Taoye Ferry journey to Zhenhuai Bridge.Taking the painted boats to cruise on the Qinhuai River, visitors can not only admire the sights along the river but can also experience the traditional culture of Nanjing. Visitors can take boats at different wharfs to admire the scenery along the river.
*The City Wall of Nanjing was designed by Emperor Zhu Yuanzhang (r. 1368-1398) after he founded the Ming Dynasty(1368-1644) and established Nanjing as the capital 600 years ago. To consolidate his sovereignty and keep out invaders, he adopted the suggestions of advisor Zhu Sheng to build a higher city wall, to collect grains and to postpone the coronation. Then, he started to build the city wall. It took 21 years for the project, which involved 200,000 labourers to move 7 million cubic metres of earth.
* Once an imperial examination testing centre for the entire Jiangsu region, this museum comprises a tiny fraction of the once-massive original buildings. The rest of the site is a massive, labyrinthine market; a top tourist attraction and a place where you can get all your haggling out of your system. Get your picture taken with the Confucius sculpture and grab some tea on one of the gondolas on the canal. On the southern side of town next to Zhonghua Gate and the Taiping Museum.
* The southern gate of Nanjing's city wall; this massive gate is one of the best preserved parts of Nanjing's city wall, and one of the best remaining examples of early Ming defensive architecture extant anywhere. The wooden castle at top was destroyed by fire, but the immense masonry (each complete with the mason's name and home province by order of the emperor) substructure remains. Two courtyards contain an archery range and vegetable gardens. The main gate has three immense depots within where, long emptied of provisions, you can find some scale models and exhibits about the gate. In one depot you can find an air raid siren used during the Japanese attack on the city.
* The palace was built by the first Ming Emperor in 1366 and originally stretched 2.5km in length. It was completely destroyed in the Qing Dynasty and what remains today barely hints at its size. In the tree shaded southern half are the small section of wall holding the huge arches of the Meridian Gate, five stone 'Outer Dragon' bridges and a array of megaliths, some baring fragments of carvings. The site was effectively a prototype of Beijing's Forbidden City as the layout was copied by the first Ming Emperor's son when he moved the capital northwards in 1421.
* A memorial for the hundreds of thousands of Chinese who died at the hands of Japanese troops in Nanjing during World War II. Two partially excavated mass-burial sites reveal victims remains in situ, accompanied by insightful information boards around the walkway. The elongated sites sympathetically restrained architecture and beautifully maintained gardens are interspersed with sculptures, murals and other artworks that inspire solemn meditations. Close to the entrance is the recently opened museum exhibiting multitudes of photos, videos and objects to tell the full story, somewhat even-handedly, that can easily occupy you for hours. Captions are in English, Chinese and Japanese. Entrance queues can be long, so plan accordingly.
* Eleven exhibition halls display a mixture of poetry, bronzes and silk artefacts interspersed with cultural displays. Worth pondering over are a jade burial suit and an arched door from the Ming era Porcelain Pagoda. A great place to spend humid or rainy days.
* Spend a day exploring the headquarters of past emperors and the Nationalist government. The Palace includes the former offices of many top governmental officials, including Chiang Kai-shek and Sun Yat-sen, as well as the former residence of Sun Yat-sen. It is one the few places in mainland China where the flag of the Republic of China still flies. Informational placards around the palace are printed in four languages.
* A small museum focusing on a little-known historical event in the West (1843-68), the Taiping Rebellion. In addition to being one of the most sanguinary episodes in recorded history (some estimates put the loss of life higher than the dead from World War I), it was a crucial moment in China's relationship with the West, modernity, and its relationship to its own imperial history. The quasi-Christian, peasant-lead rebellion overran an area greater than France which it ruled, at one point threatening the Qing government in Beijing, from the old Ming capital of Nanjing. On exhibit are documents relating to Taiping history and the grinding reduction of their movement by enterprising Qing generals and their European auxiliaries, culminating in the siege of Nanjing. Next door are the beautiful Zhanyuan Gardens.
* This highly-regarded theater company in Nanjing will give you a chance to see Kunqu Opera, a traditional Chinese art form, firsthand. Expect the dialogue to be sung in ancient Chinese, but LED subtitling in English and contemporary Chinese characters is provided.
* This 6km bridge over the Yangtze has sculptures that are classics of Chinese sociallist art; with workers and farmers carrying tools, soldiers carrying weapons, and all of them holding books, most likely Quotations of Chairman Mao Zedong (better known as The Little Red Book). The bridge was built after Soviet advisors left China during the Sino-Soviet Split of the 1960s, and is therefore the first major, modern project built entirely by Chinese. A new town is currently being constructed on the other side, which may include a direct metro connection in the future.
*Jiming Temple is the most popular temple in Nanjing and it is located convenient to downtown. Near Xuanwu Lake, there are several bus stops nearby.
Tickets are ¥5, which includes 3 free incense with every ticket.
*Meihuashan Formerly known as Wu Wangfen here, after Wang Jingwei buried here, here renamed Meihuashan. area ticket, 70 yuan, including the Ming Tomb, Plum Blossom Hill, PlumValley Arts BUILDING Red, Purple Cloud Lake 5 attractions.
*Yuejianglou overall as "L" type, north wing, wing wings West, can watch the beautiful Yangtze river. The main building on the flanks of the horn, and four in three a total of seven floors, a total height of 51metres, a total construction area of 5,000 square metres, the wings each to Xie Shanding level decreasing, the roof be zigzag, ups and downs, and changeable, contour and beautiful; the roof covering yellow glazed tile, with green glazed tile edge, color Xianli; eaves brackets painted different, pillars, doors and windows red in the dark, obviously having an antique flavour.
*The tallest (450-metre, 89-story) building in the city and the seventh tallest building in the world. Hosts an expensive restaurant and a bar at 78th floor. Also there is a public observatory at the 72nd floor, entrance costs ¥80 (Nov 2012).
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Purple Mountain 紫金山
Some say that Nanjing is all about Tombs. Plan an entire day just exploring the mountain and surrounding areas. The park has a shuttle "train" you can ride and is included in the price of certain tickets. There is also a cable car going up the hill for ￥35 one-way and ￥60 round-trip, or you can walk. The area is home to the tombs of three very important emperors:
* Tomb of Zhu Yuanzhang, also known as Emperor Hongwu, the first emperor of the Ming Dynasty. Look out for the stone camels and elephants of the sacred way.
* Resting place of the leader of the 1911 revolution.
* From the Three Kingdoms period
A Purple Mountain pass might be worth buying if you plan on visiting 2 or 3 of the parks on the mountain. The Purple Mountain pass can be bought for ￥100 at the entrance to Sun Yat-sen's Memorial (and possibly at any of the other parks on the mountain) and provides you with entry to nine parks.
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Outside the city
A one time retreat for Emperor QianLong, the temple at the foot of maple forested hillside now draws hoards of less exulted visitors to clamber along the network of trails connecting fancifully named pavilions, ponds, tombs and natural stone features. The temple itself is not extensive, having only a pair of identical looking bell and drum towers in front of an austerely large hall, embedded with elegant lacquer-red window frames, containing a relatively contemporary, yet gracefully benevolent looking gigantic Buddha seated on a golden lotus. At the rear of the hall is a pair of intricately carved cabinets of a more impressively authentic vintage housing stone Buddha and Guanyin statues. The temple allegedly has an ancient bone relic purported to be from the historical Buddha, though it is kept well hidden. Further up the hill is a cluster of stone formations bifurcated by a steep canyon, believed to have been split in antiquity by mystical forces, that enables accent up a stair way to a pavilion and a high view over the valley. Higher up the hill are the crumbling remnants of group of buildings used by Qianlong’s army.
The best time to visit is during autumn when the maple trees are radiating orange or spring when the peach blossoms are loaded with pink and white flowers.
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Tangshan is a historical natural hot springs area in Nanjing and known as one of the popular places to enjoy great vistas of the mountain and it is surrounded by tranquil forests and lake. Regalia Resort & Spa offers private hot springs room coupled with spa treatments to follow. With easy access from Huning Highway that provides accessible public or private transportation, Tangshan is the perfect place to enjoy the relaxing pleasures offered by the natural hot springs.
* Between Xuanwu Hu and Purple Mountain is a hotel resort with an indoor waterpark and a nice wavepool (activated on the even hours), and a lazy river around the perimeter, a fantastic children's area, a high-dive and of course some great slides. This place seems to be closed, though (June 2011)
* One of Nanjing's lakes has three islands in the middle all linked by causeways, complete with an amusement park, a small zoo, and lots of great views of the city and Purple Mountain. Paddle boats can be rented. The picturesque nature of this lake is a nod to the high esteem held within China of Nanjing's beauty. Free
*For antique lovers, this place is a small market hosted next to the Confucius Palace. You can find all sorts of small and big objects there, some are antiques, whilst others are fake. If you want to buy something, be prepared to negotiate the price. It is fun to stroll around seeing both things to sell and sellers as the environment is quite charming.
*Big waterpark 50 minutes outside of Nanjing. can take a bus 10rmb from Nanjing long distance bus station near the central train station. Can take the metro to the end and take a taxi as well. should be about 80 rmb from nanjing railway station. Big waterpark. Slides, lazy river, massage pools, wave machine. They are extremely safe and clean about the place. Very strict on what you have on you when you use the slides. No watches, earrings, etc. etc. Has a beach area around the wave pool with nice clean sand. Great place to spend a day.
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All of the universities and various other schools hire language teachers. See [wiki=a0f3573bf5fcd180e70681a9d084c694]Teaching English[/wiki] for ideas on how to find a job teaching English overseas.
Locally, jobs - including frequent requests for native speakers of less widely taught languages such as Italian and German - are often advertised on the bulletin board at Skyways; see the "Eat" section for its location.
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Xinjiekou is Nanjing's fashion district, the cosmopolitan, fast-paced heart of the city bathed in neon. It's the closest thing Nanjing has to Shinjuku in Tokyo or Times Square in New York. All the major retail outlets are centred on this area, which despite its complexity is only a couple of square blocks in size. There are giant department stores including Wal-Mart, Watsons, Suning, and "Fashion Lady" -- a bewildering, subterranean complex of clothing boutiques and vendors that looks like a video game come to life. On the outskirts of Xinjiekou are some higher-end establishments selling everything from single-malt scotch to MINIs. The eight-floor Deji Plaza has a number of retailers such as Cartier, Louis Vuitton, Ermengildo Zegna, Coach, Guess, Versace, Vasque, Crocs, Toys R Us and so on. At DongFang Shopping Centre there's Gucci, Fendi, Celine and so on. While you might be able to get away with haggling at the Fashion Lady don't expect any in Deji Plaza.
*Hunan Road is a slightly more low-key version of Xinjiekou running between Xuanwu Lake and Zhongshanbei Lu - it has most of the same stores including the Phoenix International Bookstore which has a whole floor of English-language books. There is also a small pedestrianised street called Shiziqiao (狮子桥-Lion's Bridge) running south from Hunan Road which is lined with pretty much every variety of restaurant imaginable, including the usual KFC and McD's, several cheap jiaozi and noodle places, some more upmarket Chinese places and a handufl of international restaurants incluing a Thai and Indian.
*The area around the Confucius Temple in the south of the city has a lot of shopping, especially clothing and tourist items. It is a maze of tiny individual shops, and fun to explore even if you are not buying. If you are interesting in buying, [wiki=0e3fa2725caab8c606cbf86c05fee23c]haggling[/wiki] over prices is the name of the game here. If you are skilled in the art of bargaining you can easily get an asking price of ￥380 reduced to ￥80 without breaking a sweat. The streets outside the temple area provide more shopping opportunities, as does the underground mall. The entrance to this mall is sandwiched between two shops but the neon lights provide a clue. This is a Nanjing shopping experience you will want to return to again and again. Opposite Confucius Temple there's Aqua City Shopping Centre with retailers like H&M, Uniqlo, Zara, Mango and so on. While you are there, take a stroll through the temple, and over the historic bridge which offers great photo opportunities. If it's a cup of tea that interests you check out the little gold-roofed floating tea houses on the canal.
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Local specialties include xiaolongbao (小笼包), thin skinned dumplings filled with soup and meat, that are served steaming hot in baskets and tangbao (汤包), which are similar, but much larger and filled with crab meat and soup. The soup in these is drank with a straw. Restaurants serving these can be found all over Nanjing usually in small hole in the wall restaurants or dining halls (餐厅) for cheap. You'll usually be able to find them served along side yaxue fensi duck blood noodles (鸭血粉丝) another local specialty.
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Budget
Nanjing has dozens of small noodle (miantiao) and pot sticker (jiaozi) shops on many of its streets. Qingdao Lu, a secondary street running northbound before the intersection of Shanghai Lu and Guangzhou Lu has a few excellent miantiao shops, including a Hui restaurant (Hui are a Chinese ethnic group that practices Islam), which serves only mutton and beef. Here, a massive bowl of hot soup and noodles will only cost about ¥15. The area closer to Nanjing University has plenty of good, cheap food, including a series of jiaozi vendors. At most Jiaozi shops you order and pay at the cashier desk by the entrance and you'll be given a ticket which you must take to the serving window.
*If it's late-night munchies you're after, just head down any small backstreet and follow your nose and you're sure to find a small BBQ shop. These smokey little restaurants offer spicy meat kebabs (usually beef or lamb) along with BBQ'd vegetables, bread, fish and even sticky-rice balls and also serve beer at about Y3 per bottle.
*If you're after genuine hand-made dumplings, there's an excellent dumpling restaurant (with an English menu) just off Ninghai Rd - dumplings come in a variety of fillings in sets of 6 priced between Y5 and Y10, although you must order at least 2 sets.
*If you can't read chinese and you're a bit picky on what you eat, there's an excellent restaurant called A Simple Diet, located just off Hunan Road (next to McDonalds). Here they have taken the Japanese innovation of recreating the menu items in plastic so that you can simply point and order. You'll be given a card upon entry - when you order, hand it to the staff who will stamp your card. When you leave, take your card to the cashier's desk to pay.
*You can find inexpensive, Western-style sandwiches at the popular American sub shop Subway, which has four stores in Nanjing; two in the Carrefour stores, one in the Golden Wheel shopping mall, and one in the popular Da Yang department store. The Walmart (wa-er-ma) in Xinjiekou has an extensive grocery and live foods market on the basement level. McDonalds has a number of restaruants in the city, if you're interested in their ¥7 menu (the Chinese equivalent of the Dollar Menu).
*If you want to self-cater of just stock up on snacks/drinks then Nanjing has plenty of supermarkets and convenience stores. The main supermarkets in the central area are Times Extra (on Zhongyang Lu close to Xinmofan Lu subway station), Lotus (near Zhongyangmen Bus Station), Walmart (on the 2nd floor of Wanda Plaza Mall in Xinjiekou) and Carrefour (on Zhongshan Dong Lu). There are also many Suguo CVS convenience stores which are similar to 7-Eleven and stock drinks, snacks, instant noodles and cigarettes. Most Suguo stores accept payment using the IC transport card.
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Mid-range
4 other branches in the city, a must-try popular among locals too. The chain serves a large variety of excellent local xiao chi (literally 'small eats' which are more substantial than you may think, think tapas style sharing) at very reasonable prices (most dishes below 50 yuan) with interior decor resembling olden day hawker booths and excellent service from the costume-clad man assigning you your table to the waitress recommending you dishes
* Western-style restaurant and coffee bar owned by French expats, with homemade pizzas, burgers, salads and French dishes for reasonable prices. It's a good place to have a few drinks and food in a friendly and relaxed atmosphere.
* Small, low-key but classy restaurant in an alley off of Shanghai Lu that has an interesting variety of good western style food including burgers with crispy bacon, ribs, some Italian dishes, and Sunday brunch including many home favorites. Prices are very reasonable for the service, quality, and atmosphere. It also includes a very friendly dog who keeps patrons company. Exact location is [url=http://goo.gl/maps/u7S8y]here[/url]. Confirmed still in existence June 14, 2015
* French restaurant with a French Chef and a cosy atmosphere, providing traditional and family homemade french dishes.
* Offers Cantonese and Huaiyang cuisine. The main point of getting to this place is its rotating section on the 55th floor with absolutely stunning views over the city.
* Gold and Silver is located on Jinyin Jie. It has reopened. It is located right across from the Nanjing University International Student Dormitories right off of Shanghai Lu.
* Owned by a German/Belgian couple, whose sandwiches are of good quality and quite large and include a drink. They also have good salads and coffee at reasonable prices. Check out the bulletin board for employment opportunities in the city.
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* If you're missing some taste from home, or just looking for good bread and sandwiches, try this cafe next to Nanjing Normal University. They serve sandwiches, drinks and various styles of German bread.
* A fondue restaurant originally established in Interlaken in Switzerland, has now opened a second restaurant in Nanjing.
* A Korean-owned restaurant, very popular among Nanjing's Korean community. Kung serves a wide variety of traditional Korean dishes such as bulgogi and kimchi (in all its colourful variations). Order a selection of dishes and split them over four or five friends.
* (Could someone else confirm the closing of 24hr Coffee Tea.)
This comfortable, yet unassuming, place has excellent coffee and tea as well as reasonable lunch options. The little Bento box deals are terrific, and come with a cup of soup and fruit. The servers are very attentive and the food typically comes out very fast. Be warned that the menu is all Chinese characters (no pinyin) and the servers do not speak English, so brush up on your Mandarin. Wi-Fi is available if you have either a China Mobile or China Unicom account. The two locations are located right across from each other on either side of the Shanghai Lu.
* Expat bar that is particularly popular with Australians with a pool table and jukebox. A sort of eclectic menu that offers pub fare like burgers or Indian food like vindaloo. The service can be slow, so don't try to grab a quick lunch here. If you're fancy ale or stout, Chinese beer is invariably light, they serve heavy imported beers.
* The menu includes burgers, sandwiches, salads, pastas and more.
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* Salads, pasta, sandwiches, fresh juices.
* Western food, coffee, cake, salad, pasta, cake.
*There is an extensive food court underneath Xinjiekou off of Fashion Lady shopping mall with lots and lots of options. Included is a Dairy Queen.
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Splurge
Newly opened all-you-can-eat Brazilian steakhouse (churrasco) from the well established Latin Grillhouse chain. Live Brazilian band in the evenings. The buffet is a bit more tailored towards chinese taste then the other Latin restaurants, but still a great option for good western food at a reasonable price. Don't miss the excellent caipirinhas for only ¥22.
* Offers a good steak, for ¥68, and other "western-style" meals as well as Chinese dishes. The owner and hostess speak fairly good English and there is often a piano player.
* Lots of relatively expensive baked goods. The apple pies, tarts and cheesecake are all excellent. They also have cinnamon rolls, croissants, muffins, and a selection of ice cream. The place also offers customizable, fresh made sandwiches.
* Barely passable Italian food, but decent enough if you have been in China a few years. Some staff have good English and many of the customers are expats. Pasta or pizza is around ¥40-60, while steaks start around ¥70.
* Japanese "teppanyaki" restaurant in the Nanjing 1912 district. Excellent food, and a decent option if you have a lot of extra yuan burning a hole in your pocket. This chain of teppanyaki places has consistently good food prepared right before you, and it's eat till you drop. May also have an all-you-can-eat Haagen Dazs ice cream option for extra. If you're feeling brave, try the snake pancakes! ¥180
* Self-consciously contemporary restaurant/lounge with a fairly extensive selection of western brunch fare: waffles, omelets, french toast, paninis. They also have a good selection of coffee, tea and rather decadent desserts. The food is good, particularly in the presentation, although the service is not alway. If you just want to have a sundae or french toast and don't mind having to hunt down a server, this is a great place. Wireless access here if you have a China Mobile or China Unicom account. At least ¥50 per person for tea and a pastry, but you should probably plan on ¥80, with a full breakfast or lunch even more.
* The tallest bar, lounge and restaurant in Jiangsu Province, Prime offers a spectacular view of Nanjing in a western setting with superior service and gourmet international cuisine. The Cigar lounge features a live music stage (western jazz musicians play irregularly) and a fully-stocked bar with a large selection of wines, beer and over 100 specialty cocktails.
*This French owned restaurant offers authentic fine French cuisine and carries an extensive wine list of French wines by the glass. It is located in an exceptional environment as the restaurant is housed in an old Chinese garden house with an entrance on the Park and also comprises an outside terrace. For wine lovers, good food lovers and people searching for a moment of peace and green in the hectic city : do not miss it ! ¥100-200/ pers
*If you have some time to explore, check out a few other options in Nanjing, including the two restaurants in the upscale shopping area of Deji Plaza on the 7th floor as well as a cafe on the 3rd floor. All three are good stopping points after a hard day's shopping at Louis Vuitton, or just before hitting the arcade or cinema. Near the New Cafe on Qingdao Lu is a small German cafe inconspicuously tucked away. Very good coffee in a cozy Bavarian/Thuringian environment. Expect to pay at least ¥25 for a good cup of coffee (which is the same as anywhere in Nanjing). Also worth checking out is a restaurant on the outskirts of Confucious Temple that offers a 14 course dinner; it might best be described as Chinese tapas. This is a very good way to sample dishes that you might not want to purchase entree-sized portions of anywhere, such as coagulated duck's blood soup. A fun way for more finicky groups to experience real Chinese food.
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Night life in Nanjing is very much alive, and you can find the epicentre in Nanjing's 1912 District, which is comparable to Shanghai's [wiki=540a1fc1559bbff2376b9cd88312f103]Xintiandi District[/wiki]. It is roughly a city block of two and three-story buildings, with paved courtyards between. Almost all are restaurants, bars or nightclubs, with a few spas and upmarket clothing shops in the mix. Many of the buildings look like they might have been around since 1912, and the newer ones match the style of the older ones. The location is great; right downtown just west of the Presidential Palace. There is underground parking for cars and extensive outdoor parking for bikes and motorcycles on the north side of the complex.
The area around Shanghai Lu, which runs between Nanjing University and Nanjing Normal University, has quite a few expats - mainly foreign students or English teachers from the two universities - and some places that cater to them. On Shanghai Lu near Guangzhou is "Blue Sky", an Aussie-owned bar with good music and a free pool table. Moving north from there is the Behind-the-Wall Cafe with reasonable Mexican food and drink. You can find good music just off Shanghai Lu, and one location for good Italian food and drink (Jack's), is on the last corner before Beijing Lu.
"Ellen's" on the intersection of Shanghai Lu and Guangzhou Lu is a popular student spot. It is a western-style restaurant during the day and transitions into a bar around 8pm every night. It fills up every night with expats and foreign students, as well as plenty of young locals. Most are drawn because of the atmosphere, music, and nightly drink specials (a popular one is "Free Beer Hour" between 8 and 9pm on Thursdays, in which you can drink unlimited Tsingtao free of charge). The drinks are plentiful. A whisky and Coke "bucket" is ¥25, and for many people contains enough alcohol to last the night. Make sure to get there early for a table, write your name on the wall, and say hi to Xingxing.
The Castle Bar on Zhongyang Lu (close to the Gulou intersection and right next to McDonalds) is Nanjing's most popular student/expat dive and is most crowded (and smokey) on Friday and Saturday nights. Entry is free and drinks are cheap (Y15 for a bud, Y10 for a tequila) and has live music on Saturday nights.
Other popular expat drinking spots include Jimmy's (on Shingu Road, behind the Sheraton) and has burgers, pizzas and Mexican food as well as a good choice of imported beers (mostly Belgian) for about ¥20-30 a bottle, also has hookah pipes with various flavoured tobaccos (but no illegal substances, although they also stock Rizla Superking rolling papers... they're hard to come by in China).
Finnegans Wake Irish Bar is an authentic Irish bar on the Cinnalane development just north of Sanshan Street subway station, just off Zhongshan South Road (walk down the pedestrianised street next to the underground car park entrance - the bar is on the left). The bar has excellent food (meals are in the ¥100 range) which use ingredients sourced from Ireland and there is a good choice of drinks including Kilkenny and Guiness (¥70 a pint). Good news if your tab gets too high - they take VISA cards!
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*Word Bar is an small artisan bar that serves good foreign and local drinks at reasonable prices. The walls hang paintings of local artists and photos of writers and artists of old. Often holds movie nights on Sunday evenings and parties on Friday and Saturday night - a place to relax and chat for the creative soul.
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Nanjing offers a wide variety of accommodations ranging from cheap hostels to five star hotels. Find short term rentals on [url=https://www.airbnb.com/s/Nanjing--China?af=452944&c=wiki]Airbnb[/url]
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Budget
Clean place, very friendly staff and guests with decent levels of English; you might find only Chinese patrons here and most seem to come just because they like the hostel as opposed to the city. Free Wi-Fi on the ground floor and in the entertainment room. Bar and small menu if you want a quick bite without venturing outside. Bathrooms are all shared and towels are available for purchase. Centrally located, (
* Private rooms are spotlessly clean and excellent size for the money. Although their listing on numerous websites says it is "wireless", each room is equipped with wired Internet connections (you can borrow an Ethernet cable from the reception desk). Those without can share the communal computer for free. Don't share a private room with anyone you don't want to see naked, as the bathroom/toilet is housed inside a strange transparent glass enclosure.
*Located in a central part of town, there are plenty of shops, bars, and restaurants in the area. The rooms in this 15-floor building are dorm style: 2-3 share a room, while a common bathroom (squat toilets) and small kitchen is shared by the entire floor. Beginning with floor 11 the rooms got their own small bathrooms with toilet and shower. A kitchen-like facility though is available one the floor.
*This budget chain hotel has locations all over Nanjing. Chinese breakfast is included, but even picky Westerners will find something to eat. Free wi-fi and free lobby computer; washing machine and dryer let you clean travel-worn clothes - detergent may or may not be provided. Double rooms (and a few triples) with private bathrooms. Reserve online for discounted rate.
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Mid-range
Claimed 4-star with views of Purple Mountain.
* Near Nanjing Railway Station.
* The Nanjing Vogue Motel (Nanjing Taibei Wogelianguan) has over 40 independent suites, each equipped with its own garage, king bed and milk bath.
*Nanjing's Yi Lai Celebrity City Hotel (Nanjing Chengshi Mingren Jiudian) is conveniently located 40 kilometers from Nanjing Airport, 6 kilometers from the railway station and near local attractions such as Gulou Square, Hunan Pedestrian Street and Shiziqiao Food Street.
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Splurge
Located at Xinjiekou, the bustling commercial center of Nanjing, Central Hotel is an elegantly-decorated and fully-equipped luxury business hotel.
*Nanjing Grand Hotel is a 5-star luxury hotel for international business and leisure customers. It is located in the city's busy downtown area, right next to the Provincial Sports Center and adjacent to two renowned universities and the biggest hospital of the Jiangsu Province of which Nanjing is the capital.
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Good news! Nanjing is now officially the safest city in China - this was the honour of Hangzhou until a recent rise in hotel robberies put Hangzhou in the headlines. This doesn't mean there is no risks. Pickpocketing is a problem in Fuzimiao as well as on crowded buses, the subway and around the main transport hubs. Because Nanjing has a relatively small number of foreigners for a city its size, the common scams seen in Shanghai and Beijing are almost non-existent, however you may still see the occasional dodgy salesman selling counterfeit goods in Fuzimiao.
Be careful if taking the bus to the airport from Zhonghuamen bus station as many touts claim to be the official bus service, however there is a strong risk of being overcharged or driven to a location several kilometres from the actual airport. The official bus departs from Gate 7 and tickets should be paid for at the gate. Bus Tickets are ¥20 as of March 2010. The fee remains the same in July 2012. Also be careful of fake taxis operating from the bus stations and occasionally the railway station - always use the official taxi stand and ignore any taxi touts.
Although traffic is slightly calmer than most Chinese cities it can still be much more manic than most Western countries. Take the usual precautions when crossing the road and also remember that right turns on a red light are sometimes legal in China (however in Nanjing most of the time there should be a dedicated right turn signals for right turn lanes) so people driving across the crosswalk while the 'walk' sign is showing aren't actually breaking the law. Also be careful of motorbikes and bicycles driving on the pavement.
Many older Nanjingese may have a resentment towards the Japanese because of the events during World War II. If you are Japanese, don't let this put you off visiting as the locals will still be very welcoming, however it's recommended not to appear too conspicuously Japanese and keep any opinions to yourself. Younger Nanjingese are more open and will often be more than happy to discuss the war.
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[url=http://www.jsnj.org/doc-view-4.html]Nanjing Railway Station Train Timetable[/url]
[wiki=fc4c542d8d6f30a07b022a2c1319df40]de:Nanjing[/wiki]
[wiki=1f84e30fe7dfad8bf6316cea80344f31]it:Nanjing[/wiki]
[wiki=7527ae44e5536fc559560c555a53ee27]ja:南京[/wiki]
[wiki=591764c5399a73d56641d46c7dbc2adf]nl:Nanjing[/wiki]
[wiki=bd152104a7bba020015a40cbc7eb527a]pl:Nankin[/wiki]
[[WikiPedia:Nanjing]]
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