Explore Nanjing

Nanjing is one of China’s most significant cities, and is recognized as one of the Four Great Ancient Capitals of China alongside Beijing, Xi’an and Luoyang. Due in part to its strategic location on the Yangtze River, Nanjing served as the capital of 10 Chinese dynasties and regimes spanning 1,800 years, including the Ming dynasty and the Republic of China.

Nanjing’s story begins as far back as 500,000 years ago, proven by the discovery of a prehistoric skull in a cave on the city’s outskirts in 1993. Ancient civilizations flourished in Nanjing throughout the prehistoric period, developing advanced agricultural tools, ceramics and jade carvings later recovered by archaeologists.


 Getting Around Nanjing 



BUS

Within Nanjing, five designated sightseeing bus lines (Y1, Y2, Y3, Y4, and Y5) are a convenient means of visiting the city’s top tourism attractions. Several tourist buses link visitors to Nanjing’s top landmarks and attractions. Bus Y1 departs Nanjing Train Station and cuts east across the city to Sun Yat-sen’s Mausoleum. Bus Y2 offers service from Yuhuatai Martyrs’ Cemetery in central Nanjing and runs halfway up Purple Mountain. Bus Y3 takes travelers to popular sites like Ming Xiaoling Tomb and Linggu Temple. General downtown lines are numbered 1 to 159, and downtown night lines start with the number 8.

RAIL - SUBWAY

There are six subway lines in service in Nanjing that make it easy to travel throughout the city and to and from major transportation hubs. Line 1, 2, 3, and 10 provide access to the top sites and attractions within the city. S1, the airport line, runs through the suburbs to NKG, and S8, an intercity line known as the Jiangning Line, runs along the northern bank of the Yangtze River. The trains in Nanjing are clean, quick and modern, and fares are very inexpensive.

TAXI

Finding a taxi in downtown Nanjing is generally easy, but take care to avoid rush hours, when traffic is thick and cabs are difficult to come by .Taxi lamps are lit red to indicate the car is available, and green when it is occupied or unavailable—opposite from what most US travelers might assume. Fares vary, but the flag-down rate is approximately US $1.4, plus a fuel surcharge of less than US $1. Not all taxi drivers in Nanjing speak English, so it is recommended to utilize hotel concierge services to arrange taxi and car services.


 Traditional Cuisine & Food in Nanjing 



With Nanjing’s long history, its cuisine has had plenty of time to develop; in fact, it’s an offshoot of Huaiyang cuisine, which is officially recognized as one of China’s Four Great Cuisines, alongside Cantonese, Shandong and Sichuan cooking traditions. With its plum location in the fertile Yangtze River Delta, Nanjing’s cuisine is bursting with regionally grown produce and seafood, and great importance is placed on seasonality, finely tuned flavors and an artistic, colorful presentation.

Duck Delicacies

If there’s one thing Nanjingers know how to prepare, it’s duck. Nanjing is said to have been the birthplace of Peking Duck (called “Jinling Duck” throughout Jiangsu Province), but there’s another dish that’s even closer to their hearts: Nanjing salted duck. This cold dish, usually served as a starter or snack, sees whole ducks simmered in brine, strung up to dry for several days and then sliced into juicy, tender chops. Travelers can even purchase vacuum-sealed bags of salted duck at supermarkets to bring home.

Yangtze River Delta Delights

Water is the lifeblood of Nanjing, from the Yangtze and Qinhuai rivers to the region’s plentiful lakes. As a result, many local dishes are graced with river fish, shrimp and crustaceans. The most famous residents of Gucheng Lake, located in the far south of Nanjing, are hairy crabs. These rich, buttery crustaceans are bred here and shipped throughout China. Most locals enjoy them steamed, cracked and dunked into a vinegar sauce. Hairy crabs (the name refers to the fine fur that fringes their claws) even have their own festival, which celebrates the harvest every autumn.

Don't Forget Dumplings

Steamed or fried, dumplings are one of China’s quintessential street foods, and Nanjing just happens to specialize in a few varieties of these bite-size pockets of flavor. The pan-fried beef dumplings are a source of local pride, and government culinary experts even declared the dish one of Nanjing’s “eight traditional Qinhuai treasures.” A golden, crispy wrapper holds a tender filling of minced beef, spring onion and diced ginger—a delightful contrast of tastes and textures.