Nanjing Travel Guide: Your Complete Guide to China's Ancient Capital of Six Dynasties

Nanjing: A City That Always Leaves a Deep Impression

Nanjing is a city that always leaves a deep impression on me.
I visited Nanjing once as a tourist, and more recently, my train to Luoyang passed through it. Each time, the city etched new memories in my mind.

Located on the northern edge of the Yangtze River’s middle and lower plains, where it meets the North China Plain, Nanjing enjoys broad and fertile land. It has long been a crossroads of north–south transportation. The Yangtze River winds through the city like a mighty dragon, dividing it into two parts—the north bank grand and solid, the south bank graceful and serene.

From the train platform, I could faintly see the outline of Purple Mountain in the morning mist, as if an ancient emperor still slumbered there, guarding this six-dynasty capital.

First Visit: February 2014

The first time I visited Nanjing was in February 2014—eleven years ago now—but the memories remain vivid. There is a wealth of history waiting to be uncovered here.

Our first stop was Xinjiekou, often called the “living room of the city.” Beneath its bustling modern façade lies a deep sense of history. Zhongshan Road and Hanzhong Road radiate outward, lined with century-old shops standing beside glittering malls. We had lunch at Xinjiekou—a bowl of braised chicken rice. It was simple but delicious.

Our second stop was the Sun Yat-sen Mausoleum, a must-visit for every traveler to Nanjing. The scenic area around Mount Zhongshan is home to two towering historical figures.

The first is Dr. Sun Yat-sen, regarded as the father of the Republic of China, who devoted his life to national rejuvenation—his ideals still influence people across the strait today.

The second is Zhu Yuanzhang, the founding emperor of the Ming Dynasty. His mausoleum, Ming Xiaoling, is grand and solemn. The stone guardians along the path have stood weathered yet dignified for more than six centuries.

Dr. Sun Yat-sen founded modern China, while Zhu Yuanzhang built its ancient empire. Their two mausoleums—one modern, one ancient—stand under the same mountain, facing each other across six hundred years of history.

Our third stop was the Presidential Palace. Its gate towers rise imposingly, and the words “Presidential Palace” gleam solemnly in the sunlight. The site is teeming with visitors and layered with centuries of history—once the office of Qing viceroys, then the palace of the Taiping Heavenly Kingdom, and later the seat of the Republic of China. Every inch of ground here bears traces of political transformation.

Next, we visited the Nanjing Massacre Memorial Hall. The atmosphere there is suffocatingly solemn. The gray-black buildings glimmer coldly under the winter light. Photos, texts, and relics tell a silent story of the 1937 tragedy. Walking into the “Pit of Ten Thousand Corpses,” confronted by skeletal remains, one feels time frozen at the deepest wound in the nation’s memory.

Our fifth stop was Confucius Temple (Fuzimiao). The Qinhuai River glows at night, its reflections shimmering as they have for centuries. The Confucius Temple stands majestic, surrounded by carved steles and a profound cultural legacy. As night fell, we strolled through the old streets, breathing in the aroma of duck blood vermicelli soup. The shouts of hawkers and the laughter of tourists intertwined—a living blend of history’s sorrow and the city’s warmth.

Although eleven years have passed, my impression of Nanjing remains profound.

Passing Through Again: October 2025

In October 2025, while traveling to Luoyang, my train passed through Nanjing again. What struck me most this time was that, on the entire journey from Hangzhou to Zhengzhou, the train only went through a tunnel in Nanjing.

For someone like me, who has long lived in the mountainous west, this felt extraordinary. In Yunnan, Guizhou, and Sichuan, railways mostly run through bridges and tunnels, weaving through rugged mountains. In contrast, Nanjing lies in a transition zone between the eastern plains and rolling hills.

The railway runs over open land—after that single tunnel, a vast, level landscape unfolds for hundreds of kilometers. This stark geographical contrast deepened my impression of Nanjing.

Afterward, I learned that China’s three central plains are the Northeast Plain, the North China Plain, and the Middle and Lower Yangtze Plain. Two of them converge near Nanjing.

It becomes clear why Zhu Yuanzhang chose Nanjing as his capital—it lies beside both mountains and water, at the meeting of plains. While flat lands favor farming rather than defense, Nanjing benefits from both strategic and economic advantages, shielded by the Yangtze River and Purple Mountain.

Without that train journey to Zhengzhou, I might not have realized this so vividly. It reminded me that knowledge comes alive through experience—the more we see, the deeper our understanding becomes.

Modern Nanjing

Today, Nanjing is modern and dynamic, yet modernity has not erased its history. The old and the new coexist beautifully.

Nanjing is one of the most recommended cities to visit in the Yangtze River Delta. If you are traveling in Shanghai, consider including Suzhou and Nanjing in your trip, as they are conveniently linked by high-speed rail.

For more detailed itineraries and local insights, stay tuned for our in-depth travel guide.

Finally, I wish everyone a joyful and memorable journey in Nanjing.