Nanjing
Ming walls, plane-tree avenues and six dynasties of history
Nanjing has been the capital of ten dynasties, and the weight of that history is still visible everywhere. The Ming city wall is the longest surviving city wall anywhere — twenty-five kilometers of it, and you can walk along the top. Purple Mountain holds the Sun Yat-sen Mausoleum, the Ming Xiaoling tomb with its 600-meter sacred way of stone animals, and the Linggu Temple.
In the center are the Confucius Temple quarter on the Qinhuai river, the Nanjing Museum with its Han jade burial suit, and the plane-tree avenues of the old republican capital.
It sits ninety minutes from Shanghai by high-speed train, which makes it an easy two-day addition to almost any eastern itinerary.
Places to see in Nanjing
The highlights we build into almost every Nanjing itinerary. Your own list can be longer, shorter, or somewhere else entirely.
Ming City Wall
The longest surviving city wall in the world, 25 kilometers, walkable on top.
Sun Yat-sen Mausoleum
Three hundred and ninety-two steps up Purple Mountain to the founder's tomb.
Ming Xiaoling Mausoleum
The first Ming emperor's tomb, with a sacred way of stone elephants and camels.
Nanjing Museum
One of China's largest collections, including a Han jade burial suit.
Confucius Temple and Qinhuai River
Lantern-lit boat rides through the old examination quarter.
Xuanwu Lake
Five islands, willow banks and the city wall, in the middle of Nanjing.
Zhonghua Gate
The largest surviving city gate, with its maze of vaulted chambers.
Presidential Palace
The republic-era seat, now a museum of modern China.
Nanjing Massacre Memorial
The sobering memorial to the 1937 victims.
Jiangxinzhou
The river island park, with a riverside greenway.
More places in China
Tell us what you want to see in Nanjing
We do not publish fixed packages or prices, because almost nothing about a good trip to China is fixed. Send us your dates and interests and a specialist will design an itinerary around them — with a clear, itemized quotation.
- Your own English-speaking guide and private vehicle
- Hotels chosen for location, not for commission
- Tickets and permits booked on your behalf, including timed entries
- Free revisions until the trip is right
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