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Nanjing Attractions

Xinjiang Meat on a Stick on Hubei Lu

"Rou chuan", or "meat on a stick" for those that have spent less than a week in China, is surely one of the most popular street snacks in China.  Migrants from Xinjiang province serve this quick meaty treat in cities across the country.
 
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"Rou chuan", or "meat on a stick" for those that have spent less than a week in China, is surely one of the most popular street snacks in China.  Migrants from Xinjiang province serve this quick meaty treat in cities across the country.
 
 
What makes this rou chuan better than the rest is that you get more meat, less grizzle and grease, and it’s quite spicy too.  
 
One rou chuan (one stick) costs 1 yuan, which is actually 2 or 3 times the price of the average rou chuan in Nanjing.
 
 
How to Get There
 
Follow instructions to get to Lion’s Bridge (狮子桥).  This section of Hubei Road (湖北路) stretches between the south entrance to Lion’s Bridge and Hunan Road (湖南路).
 
Second Location
 
There is a 2nd location in Mingwa Alley(明瓦廊).

Underwater World

Underwater World features an array of aquariums and live performances by dolphins and sea lions.  The highlight is a pedestrian walkway that tunnels through a large aquarium that includes sharks, rays, fish and one very big turtle.  For a 200  yuan fee, visitors ca...
Underwater World features an array of aquariums and live performances by dolphins and sea lions.  The highlight is a pedestrian walkway that tunnels through a large aquarium that includes sharks, rays, fish and one very big turtle.  For a 200  yuan fee, visitors can actually dive into the aquarium.
 
In 2007 they started a new exhibit called "Polar World".  This includes a polar bear, arctic foxes, penguins and at least one sickly looking reindeer.
 
Some signs are only in Chinese but others include English or "Chinglish".  Chinese cafeteria food is available for 15 yuan per person.

Take bus 9, Y1 (游1), 20 or Y3 (游3).

Underwater World is on the south side of Purple Mountain within walking distance of Ming Maosoleum (Ming Xiaoling).

Hongshan Forest Zoo

As expected, the Hongshan Forest Zoo’s are so poor that most Western visitors will likely choose to avoid this place.  While every last cage isn’t inhumanely small, some cages are so small that animals frantically pace back and forth.  The zoo is located on a large pl...
As expected, the Hongshan Forest Zoo’s are so poor that most Western visitors will likely choose to avoid this place.  While every last cage isn’t inhumanely small, some cages are so small that animals frantically pace back and forth.  The zoo is located on a large plot of land, so in theory it should be possible for the zoo administration to expand the living spaces of the animals.
 
Besides the subar animal living conditions, the signs are rarely in English.  Strangely, the only signs that are written in fluent English are written only in English and say “Do not feed or tease animals”. Perhaps these signs are an attempt to make English-speaking visitors think the zoo actually puts effort into restricting uneducated patrons from throwing fruit and bottles at or to the animals. The signs are actually the 2nd most entertaining part of this zoo. “Please cherish life” next to the tiger cage takes the cake.
 
Hongshan Zoo Pagoda
 
 
Hongshan Zoo Pagoda
 
 
Views from Hongshan Pagoda                               
 
 
How to get there:
East Entrance – Located on Hongshan Road (红山路).  Buses No. 22, 24, 40, 66 and 74.
North Entrance – Located on Heyan Road (和燕路).  Subway or Buses No. 8, 30, 35, 54, 64, 72, 77 & 308.  The most popular way to get to the zoo is to take the Subway to the Hongshan Zoo Station.  After exiting the Subway station walk about one block southwest down Heyan Road.

Nanjing Museum

 

Located at the southern foot of Purple Mountain (Zijin Shan, 紫金山), Nanjing Museum is a highly-regarded, comprehensive collection of history and art. The museum was established in 1933 as the National Central Museu...

 

Located at the southern foot of Purple Mountain (Zijin Shan, 紫金山), Nanjing Museum is a highly-regarded, comprehensive collection of history and art. The museum was established in 1933 as the National Central Museum, on the suggestion of Mr. Cai, Yuanpei. Mr. Cai, Yuanpei was a famous scholar at that time, and was once the president of Peking University

The museum covers an area of 13 hectares and consists of two main buildings, one of which is for history, and the other for art.  The museum features exhibits displaying bronze ware, porcelain ware, jade, embroidery, pottery, lacquer ware, folklore, modern art, and calligraphy & painting.

 

The Nanjing Museum boasts a collection of more than 420,000 pieces, including 2,000 rare and valuable ones. The valuable calligraphy and painting works date back to the Song and Yuan dynasties.  The bronze wares represent both the Western Zhou dynasty period (11th century-711 BC) and Spring and Autumn Period (770-476 BC).  All of these are treasures are well worth study and appreciation.

Estimated Duration of a Trip: 5 hours for a thorough visit

 

Take bus 5, 9, or 27.
Be sure not to confuse Nanjing Museum with Nanjing City Museum which is in Chaotian Palace.

Slow Life Café - Mexican

Slow Life Café is another place in Nanjing that serves Chinese-American-Mexican food. That is, they serve the Chinese interpretation of Tex-Mex cuisine. Nevertheless, it’s not bad as long as you keep an open mind. It is only 10 yuan for a large Qingdao and three dece...
Slow Life Café is another place in Nanjing that serves Chinese-American-Mexican food. That is, they serve the Chinese interpretation of Tex-Mex cuisine. Nevertheless, it’s not bad as long as you keep an open mind. It is only 10 yuan for a large Qingdao and three decent sized tacos cost 30 yuan.
 
Slow Life sits several meters above street level on a raised sidewalk. Several comfortable outdoor tables are suitable for a cheap evening meal or a drink with friends.
 
How to Get There:

Slow Life Café is within walking distance of Nanjing University and several other foreign-favourites nearby such as Blue Sky and Skyways. It is quite small and the sign is not the most outstanding, but look up to the elevated sidewalk on Shanghai Road and you should be able to spot it.

Castle Bar

Castle Bar is lively on weekends and can become packed during special events. However, during weekdays staff members often outnumber customers.
 
On a typical Friday or Saturday night Castle Bar sees a mix of Chinese bar-goers, foreign students and middl...
Castle Bar is lively on weekends and can become packed during special events. However, during weekdays staff members often outnumber customers.
 
On a typical Friday or Saturday night Castle Bar sees a mix of Chinese bar-goers, foreign students and middle-aged expats. Most come for a cheap place to drink and dance with a group of friends.  A free VIP card grants access to ten yuan bottles of Qingdao and other drink specials. The pool table is always free but don’t expect perfectly straight cues.
 
How to get there:  Castle Bar is right next to the Gulou Subway Station, adjacent to a McDonalds and almost within view of The Drum Tower (Gulou, 鼓楼).  It is on the east side of Central Road (also known as Zhongyang Lu).

Nanjing Articles

Xu Yuan Garden

The Xu Yuan Garden was the garden of the Han Prince's Residence in the early years of the Ming dynasty. It was called Xu Yuan because the name of the Han Prince had a word "xu".

Confucius Temple& the Qinhuai River Scenic Area

        Confucius , born in 551B.C and died in 479B.C, is the founder of the Confucius School in China. He is the great educator and great thinker, having famed the world over. His name is Kong Qiu, but he styled himself Zhong Ni....

        Confucius , born in 551B.C and died in 479B.C, is the founder of the Confucius School in China. He is the great educator and great thinker, having famed the world over. His name is Kong Qiu, but he styled himself Zhong Ni. As he was worshippedby the emperors of the past dynasties, he had won the title of "Super Saint Confucius", and his temple had become the shrine second only to the royal palace.

         The Confucius Temple ( or Fuzi Temple), located at the Qinhuai River Scenic Area, is a well-known tourist resort of the ancient capital Nanjing.During the period of the Ming and Qing Dynasties, this area was at it zenith of prosperity.The riverside houses and pavilions with carved beams and painted rafters were built row upn row. The song and dance halls were facing each other across the river with pleasure boats shuttling back and forth in-between. At night the river was brightly lit up and there weresongs and music until dawn.

Top Nanjing Tours

$40 Per Day

Nanjing nightlife tours - Bar crawling

In recent years Nanjing’s nightlife scene has undoubtedly changed for the better.  The 1912 bar district is a common place to start a tour of Nanjing’s nightlife as it features Nanjing’s largest concentration of bars and clubs.  Besides 1912, bars, pubs, clubs, karaokes, restaurants and not-so-mentionable locales are dispersed across the city, especially near Xinjiekou and close to the student population.

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In recent years Nanjing’s nightlife scene has undoubtedly changed for the better.  The 1912 bar district is a common place to start a tour of Nanjing’s nightlife as it features Nanjing’s largest concentration of bars and clubs.  Besides 1912, bars, pubs, clubs, karaokes, restaurants and not-so-mentionable locales are dispersed across the city, especially near Xinjiekou and close to the student population.

Nail Jazz Bar is a light bar with good Jazz muisc, live sometimes, they have over 50 kinds of imported beer from all over the World, the Draft beer Hoegaarden is with special roam and taste, for lady, here have over 100 cocktail to choose, lovely and enjoyable.  The price here is quite as other bars, short cocktail for 28 Yuan, long drink cocktail for 38 Yuan. Hoegaarden draft beer, 38 for 0.3L and 68 for 0.5L.

Behind the Wall - A cozy atmosphere, decent food, live music and cheap margaritas make Behind the Wall a popular hang-out, especially with the foreign student population. Inside, Behind the Wall’s three rooms are linked by over-sized arched doorways, and provide seating for groups of two to ten. Mexican, Latin and Greek cuisine is served. The drink menu is varied and not too expensive by Nanjing standards - margaritas are served for only 15 Yuan from Sunday to Thursday.

Castle Bar - Castle Bar is lively on weekends and can become packed during special events. However, during weekdays staff members often outnumber customers. A good place if you like dancing.

Secco Restaurant and Bar - Great German restaurant and bar in Nanjing, they have a good rang and selection of cocktail made by a German, he is also the manager there, really strict to every cocktail he made, always bring you the best taste.

Finnegans Wake - A traditional Irish bar in Nanjing,offering Kilkenny, Guinness and strongbow cider on draught.

 

Please contact me for daily tour fees, i charge by per tour, not per person.

Location(s)
China
Jiangsu Province
Nanjing
Duration
3 to 5 days
$50 Per Day

Nanjing Hiking tour with local tour guide Sam

It`s springtime, it`s hiking time!

This tailor-made tour is for people who like nature, history, and hiking!

Ming Tomb (Admission: FreeCNY) - Nanjing became the capital of China when Zhu Yuanzhang founded the Ming Dynasty in 1368.  During his reign, Zhu Yuanzhang built the great city walls of Nanjing, the imperial palace, and his future tomb - the Ming Tomb in Nanjing.  The Ming Tomb is a certified UNESCO World Heritage Site and is a must-see for travellers to Nanjing.

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It`s springtime, it`s hiking time!

This tailor-made tour is for people who like nature, history, and hiking!

Ming Tomb (Admission: FreeCNY) - Nanjing became the capital of China when Zhu Yuanzhang founded the Ming Dynasty in 1368.  During his reign, Zhu Yuanzhang built the great city walls of Nanjing, the imperial palace, and his future tomb - the Ming Tomb in Nanjing.  The Ming Tomb is a certified UNESCO World Heritage Site and is a must-see for travellers to Nanjing.

Xuanwu Lake (Admission: Free) - Close to the city center and featuring 368 hectares of water and 104 hectares of land, Xuanwu Lake Park is a favorite getaway for locals.  Well before the sunrise and even after sunset, the park is bustling with visitors. Some come to walk, jog, or fly kites, others to practice Tai Chi, and many more just want to enjoy the scenery.

Nanjing Food Court -  my favorite local Nanjing restaurant, Nanjing people like to go there with family. It`s a resultant with a lot of Nanjing local food and ancient style of decoration, at night they will have Kunqu playing, coolest restaurant ever.

City Wall (Admission: 45CNY) - Nanjing City Wall, constructed during the Yuan and Ming Dynasties between 1365 and 1386, originally stretched over 30km which made it the longest city wall in the world.  Now, with about two thirds of the wall still intact it still remains the longest city wall in China. We could walk on the city wall and feel the history of Nanjing.

*Please contact me for daily tour fees, i charge by per tour, not per person.

Location(s)
China
Jiangsu Province
Nanjing
Duration
1 day
$80 Per Day

Relaxing Hot Spring Tour at Tangshan Area

Nanjing Tangshan is famous for the hot spring, hot spring is good for your skin and health, and relaxing your body and get rid of the press.

Maybe you don't like all the tourist attractions in the downtown, here would be one of another option.

This tour will be only visit 2 attractions and the rest will be spend the whole time in the hot spring. Or, if you prefer, you can only go for the spring.

Tour plan would be:

Hotel pick up -----> Yangshan Stele -----> Tangshan Ancient Ape Man Caves -----> Hot Spring -----> Send back to hotel.

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Nanjing Tangshan is famous for the hot spring, hot spring is good for your skin and health, and relaxing your body and get rid of the press.

Maybe you don't like all the tourist attractions in the downtown, here would be one of another option.

This tour will be only visit 2 attractions and the rest will be spend the whole time in the hot spring. Or, if you prefer, you can only go for the spring.

Tour plan would be:

Hotel pick up -----> Yangshan Stele -----> Tangshan Ancient Ape Man Caves -----> Hot Spring -----> Send back to hotel.

 

Since Tangshan is a little town outside of Nanjing city and it`s quite far away, i would suggest to use a private car to drive there directly.

Location(s)
China
Jiangsu Province
Nanjing
Duration
1 day
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