Six dynasties made Nanjing their capital, and the city wears its history lightly: a 650-year-old city wall you can still walk on, lakes inside the ramparts, and a food scene famous across China.
The Essentials
- Ming city wall at Xuanwu Lake: walk or cycle the 600-year ramparts above the lake — sunrise and plum blossom season are magical.
- Sun Yat-sen Mausoleum: 392 granite steps up Purple Mountain through monumental forest. Pair with Ming Xiaoling’s Sacred Way of stone animals.
- Confucius Temple & Qinhuai River: the lantern-lit night cruise is the classic Nanjing experience.
- Nanjing Massacre Memorial: sobering, essential history, beautifully presented.
- Presidential Palace: 600 years of Chinese power politics in one compound.
Eat: Nanjing-Style
Duck blood and vermicelli soup is the signature bowl; salted duck the classic takeaway. Try tangbao (soup dumplings) and pan-fried beef dumplings at the old lanes near the Presidential Palace; Laomendong street for snacks under restored Ming facades.
Two-Day Plan
Day 1: Purple Mountain (mausoleum + Ming Xiaoling), city wall sunset, Qinhuai night cruise. Day 2: Presidential Palace, memorial, Xuanwu Lake, Laomendong evening.
Getting There
One hour by bullet train from Shanghai on the Beijing–Shanghai line. Spring’s plum blossom festival and autumn’s Ming-wall gingkos are the scenic peaks.
Plan With Us
Nanjing anchors our Yangtze Delta routes — pair with Shanghai, Suzhou and Yangzhou. The AI trip planner prices it instantly; book private car charter for Purple Mountain days.