Top Things to do in Nanjing

Must See Sights

Nanjing Massacre Memorial Hall

This is the museum that commemorates the Nanjing Massacre. This free museum honors the hundreds of thousands that were killed during the Nanjing Massacre by the Japanese during WWII. This is one place that every tourist goes, so expect long lines. If you are traveling with small children, you might want to give this site a pass, because there are two partially excavated mass graves that visitors see. Information about the site is in Chinese, English and Japanese.

Ruins of the Ming Dynasty Imperial Palace

If you’ve been to the Forbidden City in Beijing, you may feel a bit of déjà vu in the ruins of the Ming Dynasty Imperial Palace. While Beijing is the north capitol, Nanjing was considered the south capitol of China, and this palace was what the more famous Forbidden City was modeled after. Built in 1366, this site is a must-see in Nanjing. While the ruins are damaged it is still interesting to see some of the older history of the city.

Confucius Temple

If you are expecting a serious temple, you are going to be disappointed. The Confucius Temple is more of a tourist attraction than a temple (although there is a small temple, it really isn’t very remarkable). The thing that makes this a must-see is the market where you can buy anything and everything tourist-related. Don’t forget to bargain for anything you buy here, because if you don’t you could be paying double or triple the price something is worth. More details please click here.

Qin Huai River

Nanjing’s most important river is the Qin Huai. This river, which is a branch of the Yellow River, is also a tourist destination. Take a boat ride down the river or just take a stroll along the banks. If you’ve been in Nanjing for a while, you’ll notice that a lot of the tourist attractions in the city are located near the river, including the Confucius Temple. More details please click here.

Purple Mountain

The Purple Mountain is a collection of three tombs that are important to Nanjing. The tombs will take a whole day to explore, including climbing the mountains they are located in. The tombs are: the tomb of Sun Quan, Dr. Sun Yat-sen Mausoleum and Ming Xiaoling Mausoleum. Travelers who don’t want to climb the mountain can take a cable car to the top and those who want to see the area in detail should consider buying a ticket on the special Purple Mountain transportation so they can save their legs a bit.

What and Where to Eat

Tourists shouldn’t be allowed to leave Nanjing until they eat the local specialty – soup dumplings. These are larger dumplings that are filled with meat, vegetables and soup. Break the skin and suck out the soup and then eat the dumpling that is left. There are restaurants serving this dish on almost every street.

To find one that has good soup dumplings, look for the one that is busy with lots of locals. Tourists who are feeling brave should try the duck blood noodles with their dumplings.
Gongyuan Street on the north bank of the Qin Huai River is one of the most famous restaurant areas in the city. The locals call this place Fuzimiao Street. This street is one of the most famous streets in all of China, so taking a stroll down it before (or after) a good meal is a must. More details about Nanjing food, please click here.

What to See

At night, the best place to go is the 1912 District, which is where all of the best bars and clubs are located. Tangshan Regalia Hot Spring and Spa is located outside of the city in the mountains and is a good way to unwind for a day.

What and Where to Buy

Nanjing is another city that has great shopping, and if you are looking for something to bring home to friends and families try some of these traditional arts that are typically associated with the city. One of the biggest places to find souvenirs is the Confucius Temple market. Another big shopping street (that also has some good restaurants to eat at) is Hunan Street. This street is more than a half mile long and is closed to traffic, making it more peaceful to window shop.

Nanjing Paper Cuttings

You can buy paper cuttings all over China, but some of the best come from Nanjing. In some shops, you’ll be able to see artists cutting out the pictures by hand. If the price is too low, you probably should assume that it is done by a machine. These paper cuttings are popular for weddings, Spring Festival and other holidays.

Rain Flower Tea

This is a special tea that comes from Jiangsu Province and is supposed to be good for your eyes, liver and spleen. The tea is unique because the leaves are fuzzy.

Nanjing Cloud Brocade

Through history, this is an art form that could only be purchased by the rich. Now, anyone can purchase this silk material that is embroidered with clouds, flowers and other designs.

Rain Flower Pebbles

If you don’t want to spend a lot of money, buy some rain flower pebbles which are pebbles from the Yellow River that change colors when they are put into water. You can buy the stones individually and put them in a fish tank or buy them already made into jewelry.

What to Do

If you want to get out of the city for a day, head to QiXia Temple, about an hour by bus away from the city. This area, away from the bustle of the city is hilly and full of nature and temples. Because it is out of the city, you’ll be able to enjoy the solitude of the area.