A former capital ringed by a Ming wall and a wooded mountain of tombs, an hour by fast train from Shanghai.
A former capital ringed by a Ming wall and a wooded mountain of tombs, an hour by fast train from Shanghai.
Built between 1366 and 1393, about 25 km of the wall still stands, and several stretches are open to walk on. Zhonghua Gate, the great southern gate with its barbican (¥50), stays open into the evening; the northern stretch by Xuanwu Lake (¥30) is open 8:30–17:00.
The tomb of the founder of the Republic of China, finished in 1929 on the slope of Purple Mountain and reached by 392 stone steps. Entry is free but needs a timed booking; Metro Line 2 to Muxuyuan, then the scenic-area shuttle.
The tomb of the Hongwu Emperor, founder of the Ming dynasty, on the same mountain and part of a UNESCO World Heritage Site. Its Sacred Way is lined with 12 pairs of stone animals. Paid entry; no booking needed.
A museum at Jiangdongmen, by a mass grave site, that records the massacre after Japanese troops captured the city in December 1937, including excavated remains. Entry is free with a real-name booking; Metro Line 2 to Yunjinlu.
A rebuilt temple and old-style streets on the Qinhuai River, free to walk, by Fuzimiao station on Metro Line 3. After dark the riverfront is lit, and painted boats make a loop of about 40 minutes from the pier in front of the temple until about 22:00.
Duck cured in salt and spices and served cold, the city's signature dish.
Glass noodles, cubes of duck blood, tofu puffs and offal in a savory duck broth.
Thin-skinned buns filled with pork and hot soup; bite a small hole and sip first.
Pan-fried beef dumplings, crisp on the bottom and juicy inside.
Nanjing was China’s capital under the early Ming emperors and again in the Republican era, and both periods left big monuments. The Ming city wall still circles much of the old center, and Purple Mountain, on the eastern edge of town, holds the tombs of Sun Yat-sen and the first Ming emperor among its woods. The city is also home to the national memorial to the victims of the 1937 massacre, a sober visit that deserves an unhurried morning.
It suits visitors who liked the walls and tombs of Xi’an and want more of the same on the east coast. It sits on the main high-speed line between Shanghai and Beijing, so it slots easily into a trip between the two, or pairs with Suzhou and Hangzhou.
Take a morning train from Shanghai Hongqiao to Nanjing South; our high-speed train guide covers booking with a passport. Spend the first afternoon on Purple Mountain: the Sun Yat-sen Mausoleum on a slot you booked ahead, then the Sacred Way at Ming Xiaoling. In the evening, walk the lanes around the Confucius Temple and take a boat on the Qinhuai River.
On the second day, give the morning to the Memorial Hall; arrive at opening time and allow about three hours. In the afternoon, walk a stretch of the city wall, either at Zhonghua Gate or on the northern stretch above Xuanwu Lake. Set up Alipay before you arrive for metro rides and the booking mini programs; the paying in China guide explains how.
Checked on 29 October 2026. Opening times and ticket rules change; confirm on the official site before you go.
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