Nanjing Introduction

Nanjing, capital city of Jiangsu Province, is located on the lower reaches of the Yangtze River, within the rich Yangtze River Delta area. It is surrounded by mountains on three sides, with the other side adjoining the mighty Yangtze. It is considered not only a gardening city, but also a historical, cultural and modern city. 

 
Awarded by the State Council of China as one of the historical and cultural cities, Nanjing has a long history of over 2,400 years. Early in prehistoric times, our ancestors lived here. It is also one of the four most famous ancient capital cities of China. The city had been the capital of ten dynasties in Chinese history.

 
In the city, natural landscapes-mountains, waters and trees, and cultural sights-city wall, palaces and temples create a harmonious picture. As a famous scenic tourist city, Nanjing has formed different scenic areas on the four sides. In the eastern suburb lies the Zhongshan Mountain Scenic Area, with famous attractions such as Dr Sun Yat-sen's Memorial Mausoleum and Ming Xiaoling Mausoleum; in the southern suburb lie the Yuhuatai Terrace, Zutang Mountain and Niushou Mountain Scenic Areas; in the western suburb lies the Shicheng Scenic Area with attractions of Stone City and Mochou Lake; in the western suburb lies the Yangtze Riverl Scenic Area with Yangtze River Bridge, Yanziji and Qixia Mountain; and inside the city can be seen the Qinhuai River, Confucius Temple, Zhonghua Gate and other sights.

 
Best Time to Visit

Known as one of the stove cities in China, Nanjing is very hot in the summer, with its highest temperature at 35 °C (95 °F) on average days. By contrast it is very cold in winter. And the rainy season comes from late June to mid July. So the best time to visit the city is spring and autumn. Spring is good for seeing flowers, while autumn is best for seeing laurel blossoms and red maples as well as for tasting aquatic products and fruit.

 
Dining

In Nanjing you can taste the Chinese Huaiyang Cuisine and various local snacks. Special foods here include sausage, xiangdu (stuffed pork cyst), salty duck, small rosy peanut and Yuhua tea. These foods can all be purchased in some big supermarkets. The street in front of Confucius Temple is also a good spot to try and buy these local foods.

 
Shopping

As the second largest commercial center after Shanghai in East China, Nanjing is also a paradise for shopping. The most prosperous shopping centers are distributed around the northern pedestrian Hunan Lu (common standard), the city center Xinjiekou (medium and high standard), the southern Taiping Nanlu and Confucius Temple (souvenirs) areas. Golden Eagle International Shopping Center, Jinling Department Store and Orient Department Store cater to upscale consumers. The local arts and crafts include Yunjin (cloud brocade), Yuhua Stone, gold foil products, velvets, teeth and wood sculptures.

 
Transportation

Nanjing City has convenient air, railway, highway and water transport means that connect it with other domestic and international cities.

By air: Nanjing Lukou International Airport is located southeast of the city, about 29 km (18 mi) away from the city center. The five-star, four-star and main three-star hotels in the city all have shuttle buses to the airport. Travelers in the city can get on the shuttle bus at Zhongshan Nanlu Bus Station. There are also shuttle buses to Shanghai Hongqiao and Pudong Airports at Zhongyanmen Bus Station and Jinling Hotel. (Nanjing Airport service tel.: 025-52480482)  

By train: there are three passenger railway stations in the city: Nanjing Railway Station, West Railway Station and South Railway Station. The West Station operates trains departing from Nanjing; Nanjing Station operates trains transferring at the city; and the South Station operates short-distance trains to Wuhu, Tongling and other places nearby.

By bus: there are now seven long-distance bus stations in the city: East Bus Station, Zhongyangmen, Zhonghuamen, Xiaguan, Hanzhongmen, Zhongshan Nanlu and North Bus Stations. Among them Nanjing Coach Station (Zhongyangmen) is the largest and busiest one. (Highway passenger service tel.: 025-58592355)

By water: Nanjing is the largest inland water port city along the Yangtze River. Nanjing Port is located near the West Railway Station, which has ships to other ports along the river. (Nanjing Port consultation tel.: 025-58805501)

In-city transport includes buses, taxies, subway and waterway.

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