Nanjing
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Nanjing (南京 Nánjīng), historically also Nanking, is situated in the lower reaches of the Yangtze River and is the central city of the lower Yangtze Basin. It is a renowned historical and cultural city.
Nanjing means "southern capital", Beijing "northern capital". Nanjing was the capital of several dynasties and has various relics including Ming tombs that are on the UNESCO World Heritage List. It was the capital of the Republic of China from their 1911 revolution until the defeat by the communists in 1949.
It is the capital city of Jiangsu Province in the People's Republic of China.
[edit] Get in
[edit] By plane
There are no flights from Nanjing airport to Shanghai; the train is better. However, there are flights to most other major cities in China, including Hong Kong, and some international flights.
The airport is best reached either by taxi or airport bus. The airport is in Lukou and taking a taxi from downtown will cost ￥100 or more (there's a ￥20 toll about 3km from the airport). Drive time is around 30 minutes. There are very nice coaches which will take you to about four different locations in Nanjing; fare is ￥25.
[edit] By train
There are numerous daily departures to Shanghai, a little over two hours away. Also, non-stop trains started business in late 2007, taking only around 80min for the trip, but are slightly more expensive, and only Soft Seat. Soft seat at ￥79 is not that much more expensive than hard seat at ￥49 and offers you much better equipment, comparable with a business class flight. The train cars are great as well, and much more spacious than those of an airplane. Generally, the Chinese train system might appear a bit "weird" for european passengers, but it's comfortable and just as reliable, highly recomended for most trips over a bus trip.
There are also frequent trains to Suzhou, an hour and a half away.
[edit] By road
There is a modern highway system between Shanghai and Nanjing, which will allow you to travel quite quickly from city to city. Keep in mind of traffic in morning and evening. If you're just one person, it's much cheaper to travel by train, if you're larger group, car gets cheaper. But keep in mind that you need to be a very experienced driver to participate in Chinese traffic, better use trains/buses between the cities and taxis in the cities, unless you're really on for a challenge.
There is a bus four times a day from Shanghai Pudong Airport to Nanjing Zhongyangmen (and back). From there, take the metro or a taxi to your destination. It costs ￥136 from Shanghai and ￥136 or ￥152 from Nanjing. It takes about five hours, during the night only four.
If you are interested in driving yourself, see also Driving in China.
[edit] By boat
Nanjing is situated on the Yangtse river. Scheduled passager liner service is available along the Yantse river between Shanghai down stream and Wuhan (Hubei province) upstream, although, the river is mostly used for transport of goods, not for persons. Better to use the railway.
[edit] Get around
Taxis start at ￥ 9 and there are many buses available too, generally at ￥ 2. If you are staying a while, you can get a card that pays for buses and subway, just swipe it past the machine. This gets you 20 % off on buses and 30% off on subway.
There is also a subway from the train station in the North end, along Zhongshan Lu through the center, to the South train station and then West into the suburbs. A second line going East-West along Zhongshan Dong Lu and Hanzhong Lu is under construction. It will most probably be opened for public on 1th of October 2009.
Most of the streets have a gated section for bicyclists, so riders are relatively safe from passing vehicles.
[edit][add listing] See
- Purple Mountain (紫金山) (From Nanjing take bus 9 or Y1). is East of the lake, Northeast of city center. It contains the tomb of the first Ming Dynasty emperor and his consorts, the mausoleum of Dr. Sun Yat-sen (leader of the 1911 revolution), the tomb of Sun Quan from the Three Kingdoms period and other impressive stuff. You could spend a day or more just exploring this. Admission varies but is around ￥100. The park has a shuttle "train" you can ride and is included in the price of certain tickets.
There is also a cable car going up the hill, and if you have the right shoes, feel free to walk down from the hill. Prices are fairly acceptable, for one-ride ￥25, for up-and-down ￥45. edit
- Presidential Palace. is a great way to spend a day exploring the headquarters of past emperors and later, the Nationalist government. The Palace includes the offices of many top governemental officials, including Chang Kai-shek and Sun Yat-sen, as well as the residence of Sun Yat-sen. It is one the few places in mainland China where the flag of the Repulic of China still flies. The informational placards are printed in four languages. 40RMB. edit
- Nanjing Museum (right on the main street of Nanjing). offers you a lot of different culture scenes, including the sailing of Zheng He (the eunuch admiral of the Ming Dynasty who explored at least to Africa, perhaps further) and real-silk-making. It's a great place to spend either a hot or rainy day. edit
- Monument to the 1937 Nanjing Massacre. which memorializes the hundreds of thousands of Chinese who died at the hands of Japanese troops in Nanjing. The memorial features an excavated mass burial site, while a newly opened, mostly-underground, multimedia museum explains the entire history of the event in both English and Chinese. A harrowing, but definetly worthwhile place to visit. edit
- One of the bridges over the Yangtze has sculptures that are a classic of socialist art. Workers and farmers have tools; military have weapons. They all have books, presumably of Mao's Thought. The bridge was built after the clinch between the Soviet Union and China in the early 60's. The Soviet Advisors told Mao that it wouldn't be possible, but the Chinese built it anyway. This was the first major project built entirely by Chinese, without foreign help. Very interesting monument, and on the other side there are completely new towns in the making (Finished around spring 2006) including direct subway-connection.
[edit][add listing] Do
If you are staying in Nanjing for any time and want to visit a number of scenic parks then it is worth buying a Purple Mountain pass for ￥100 and/or a city pass for ￥120. The Purple Mountain pass can be bought at the entrance to Sun Yat Sen's Memorial (and possibly at any of the other parks on the mountain) and provides you with free entry to nine parks on the mountain. If you are going to visit more than 2 or 3 of the parks on the mountain you will save money with the pass. The city pass can be bought at the entrance to any of the big parks in the city, such as the zoo or Yuhuatai Memorial Park and provides you with free entry to 21 different locations. You need to provide a passport photo for each pass. The passes are valid for a calendar year.
[edit] Learn
Nanjing University of Science and Technology
Nanjing University of Aeronautics and Astronautics
Nanjing University of Finance and Economics
Nanjing University of Posts and Telecommunications
[edit] Work
All of the universities and various other schools hire language teachers. See Teaching English for the usual places to look for such jobs.
Locally, jobs — including frequent requests for native speakers of less widely taught languages such as Italian and German — are often advertised on the bulletin board at Skyways; see "Eat" section for location.
[edit][add listing] Buy
The area around the Confucius Temple in the South of the city has a lot of shopping, especially clothing and tourist items. It is a maze of tiny individual shops, fun to explore even if you are not buying. Haggling over prices is the name of the game here. If you are skilled in the art of bargaining you can easily get an asking price of ￥380 reduced to 80 without breaking a sweat. The streets outside the Temple area provide more shopping opportunities, as does the underground mall. The entrance to this mall is sandwiched between two shops but the neon lights provide a clue. This is a shopping experience you will want to return to again and again.
While you are there take a stoll through the temple, and over the historic bridge which offers great photo opportunities. If it's a cup of tea that interests you check out the little gold roofed floating tea houses on the canal.
[edit][add listing] Eat
[edit] Budget
Nanjing has dozens of small noodle and jiaozi shops on the streets.
Especially recommended for Germans or generally people liking good bread and sandwich is the German Bread Store next to Nanjing Normal University. It is just behind the construction site in front of the main entrance of the university (and the McDonalds). You can get a large sandwich (enough for lunch) and a drink for 20 Yuan, and also various original german bread. Not cheap, but great if you're missing some original taste. Just be prepared to meet some other guys speaking various european languages. Most probably the only place in Nanjing were foreigners are a majority at all times.
[edit] Mid-range
Gold & Silver is a great find for foreigners looking for yummy chinese food. It is located across from Nanjing University Xi Yuen foreign students dormitory. The manager is a very friendly guy who has worked with foreigners for over 20 years. The walls are covered with pictures of international visitors throughout the years. Stay away from the fried foods, but the soups and other dishes are pretty good. It may seem a bit pricey compared with other local small places but it is well worth it. Dishes range from 10–30 yuan.
Skyways Bakery, owned by a German/Belgian couple, has two locations — one on Hankou Xi Lu between Shanghai Lu and Ninghai Lu, phone 86634834 and the other at 10 Taipingmen Lu, phone 84812002. Their sandwiches, at ￥ 20 including a drink, are good quality and quite large. They also have good salads and coffee at reasonable prices.
Bebbis [1] is a fondue restaurant in Interlaken, Switzerland. They now have a branch in Nanjing: Bebbis Restaurant, Orient Departement Store / Floor-1 Phone: 847 301 21 / Fax: 847 302 24
Kung a Korean restaurant owned and managed by a Korean, it is situated in Mu Xu Yuan Da Jie, right next to the main gate of the Mei Hua Shan Zhuang compound. If you want to go there, just tell the taxi driver "Mei Hua Shan Zhuang" and when you get out at the front gate, walk about 20 meters to the left. The restaurant is very popular among Nanjing's Korean community, serving a wide variety of traditional Korean dishes such as Bulgogi, Kimchi (in all its colorful variations), etc. You should expect to pay about 150 yuan for a good selection of dishes, so it is advisable to go eat together with four or five friends so you can split the bill.
[edit] Splurge
OMAX Restaurant offers a great steak, tender and cooked to perfection for ￥ 68, as well as other "western style" meals, and Chinese dishes. The owner/hostess speaks fairly good English and there is often a piano player. 5th Floor Bangkok Yatai Plaza, a block from WalMart in the Xinjiekou District
Skyways Bakery has lots of relatively expensive baked goods. The apple pies, tarts, and cheesecake are all excellent. They also have cinnamon rolls, croissants, muffins and cookies.
[edit][add listing] Drink
Night life here in Nanjing is very much alive!
Nanjing's 1912 is comparable to Shanghai's Xintiandi. It is roughly a city block of two and three-storey buildings, with paved courtyards between. Almost all are restaurants, bars or nightclubs, with a few spas and upmarket clothing shops to vary the mix. Many of the buildings look like they might have been around since 1912; the newer ones are in matching style. The location is great; just West of the Presidential Palace, right downtown. There is underground parking for cars and extensive outdoor parking for bikes and motorcycles on the North side of the complex. Restaurants include:
- two Japanese places
- a Thai restaurant
- at least one Korean place
- a large classy Cantonese place that, surprisingly, does not have dim sum.
- at least a dozen other upmarket Chinese places
- KFC, Pizza Hut, Starbucks and "Bebbis"
There is a web site [2]; as of August 2007, it was only in Chinese.
The area around Shanghai Lu, which runs between Nanjing University and Nanjing Normal University, has quite a few expats — mainly foreign students or English teachers from the two universities — and some places that cater to them. On Shanghai Lu near Guangzhou is "Blue Sky", an Aussie-owned bar with good music and a free pool table. Moving North from there, the Behind-the-wall Cafe with reasonable Mexican food and good music is just off Shanghai Lu and one location of Jack's, for good Italian food, is on the last corner before Beijing Lu.
[edit][add listing] Sleep
[edit] Budget
- I am Hostel, No 52 Zhongyang Road (52号客栈), located at the crossroads of zhongyang road and fu hou gang road, ☎ 025-57712623 (iamhostel@yahoo.com). Clean, cozy hostel, with friendly atmosphere. Air-con, free Internet (Wi-Fi in common room), guest kitchen, laundry services, luggage storage. Extremely central location, close to Nanjing university and Southeast University : from the train station, take bus No. 1/ 28/ 33 to Gulou, cross the street, then turn left(north), walk 4 minutes; or take metro, line 1, alight at Xuanwumen, come out from exit No.4, turn left (south), then go ahead along the Zhongyang road, walk 5 minutes; from the airport, take the airport shuttle bus to Zhonghuamen, then take metro, line 1, alight at Gulou, come out from exit No. 4B, then go ahead along the Zhongyang road, walk 5 minutes. '''Dorm beds ¥35'''. edit
- Jasmine International Youth Hostel, No 7 Hequnxincun, Shanghai Road, ☎ 025-83300517 (jasminehostel@gmail.com). Clean place, very friendly staff and guests with decent levels of English, only really Chinese here at the moment and most seem to come just because they like the hostel as opposed to the city. Free Wi-Fi on the ground floor and in the entertainment room. Centrally located, close to Nanjing university and Grand Hotel. ¥35 for a bed in 6 bed dorm. edit
- Nanjing Danfeng International Hotel (丹凤国际青年旅館), 59-1 Yushi Street, North Floor 6 (三十路鱼市街站旁的华诚超市六楼), ☎ 025-83226770. Easily the best budget option in Nanjing. Private rooms are spotlessly clean, and excellent size for the money. Although their listing on numerous websites says it is "wireless", each room is equipped with wired Internet connections (you can borrow an Ethernet cable from the reception desk). Those without can share the communal computer for free. Don't share a private room with anyone you don't want to see naked, as the bathroom/toilet is housed inside a strange transparent glass enclosure. Small dorm rooms (3 people/room) from about ¥50, larger single & double rooms from about ¥160. edit
[edit] Mid-range
[edit] Splurge
- Hilton: Went bankrupt a year before, now reopened, still in the city but a little bit farther away from the center. Good if you want to make business in the east of the town.
- Sheraton Nanjing Kingley Towers, right in the middle of the town, offering you all the service you're used to have in a 5***** hotel, if you've a good guide you should get the rooms for around ￥ 400–￥ 500 per night, including breakfast.
[edit] Contact
[edit] Stay safe
Nanjing is not as dangerous as Shanghai and not as safe as Hangzhou. Take care of your belongings, since there are quite a lot of pickpockets, but little violent crime.
[edit] Cope
[edit] Get out
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