Nanjing

Nanjing
Climate chart (explanation)
J F M A M J J A S O N D       50     7 0       54     10 2       80     15 6       82     21 12       84     27 17       193     29 21       227     32 25       159     32 25       73     28 20       56     23 14       52     17 8       35     10 2 Average max. and min. temperatures in °C Precipitation+Snow totals in mm Source:w:Nanjing#Climate and environment
Imperial conversion J F M A M J J A S O N D       2     45 32       2.1     50 36       3.1     59 43       3.2     71 53       3.3     80 63       7.6     85 71       8.9     90 77       6.2     89 77       2.9     82 69       2.2     73 58       2.1     62 46       1.4     50 35 Average max. and min. temperatures in °F Precipitation+Snow totals in inches

Nanjing is a renowned historical and cultural city, and it was the capital of several dynasties over the course of Chinese history. Its name means "southern capital" (Beijing is "northern capital"). It has many historical sites including the tomb of the first emperor of the Ming Dynasty that is a UNESCO World Heritage Site. It was the capital of the Republic of China under the Kuomintang from 1927 until their retreat to Taiwan in 1949.

Human activity in the Nanjing area dates back over a million years. During the late Eastern Han dynasty, Sun Quan proclaimed himself emperor and established the Eastern Wu. In 229 CE he relocated his capital to Jianye; this was the first time Nanjing became a capital.

During the Six Dynasties period, Jiankang (the later name for Jianye) served as the political, economic, and cultural center, making it the stage for the development of Six Dynasties’ institutions and granting Nanjing a distinct place among China's "Four Great Ancient Capitals." In the Tang dynasty, Jiankang's prominence was deliberately suppressed, but its geographical advantages allowed the region to revive and flourish again.

In 1368, Zhu Yuanzhang established the Ming dynasty and designated Yingtian (now Nanjing) as the capital. That same year, the Ming army captured Yuan Dadu (present-day Beijing), marking the first time Nanjing served as the capital of a unified dynasty, ushering in its second historical peak.

The Xinhai Revolution of 1911 overthrew the Qing dynasty's monarchy. On January 1, 1912, the Provisional Government of the Republic of China was established in Nanjing, with Sun Yat-sen assuming the position of Provisional President.

In July 1937, the Second Sino-Japanese War broke out. In November, Shanghai fell, prompting the Nationalist government, along with schools, factories, and other institutions, to relocate westward. In early December, Japanese forces attacked Nanjing, and on December 13, the city fell. What followed was a six-week-long massacre by the Japanese army, during which an estimated 100,000 to 300,000 civilians and prisoners of war were killed, a tragedy known as the "Nanjing Massacre."

On April 23, 1949, Nanjing was captured by the Chinese Communist Party. Following the founding of the People's Republic of China, Nanjing became a centrally administered municipality under the Central People's Government.

Nanjing's topography is part of the Ning-Zhen-Yang hilly region. The city's main urban area is surrounded by the Zhong Mountain Range on its east, south, and north sides, while the Yangtze River lies to the west.

Nanjing has a typical northern subtropical monsoon climate, with relatively weak maritime influences. The city's weather is shaped by alternating winter and summer monsoons, resulting in distinct seasonal changes and significant temperature differences between winter and summer.

The Qinhuai River and the Jinchuang River are the two major water systems within Nanjing.

• 1 Lukou International Airport (NKG  ^IATA) (35 km (22 mi) from the city center), ☏ , nkgairport@163.com. has connections to most Chinese cities and a few international flights from Japan, South Korea, South East Asia, Los Angeles, Finland and Germany. There is also an evening flight every day from Shanghai Pudong International Airport for international connections.  (updated Nov 2019)

There is a subway connection between the airport and Nanjing South Railway Station called the S1 line which takes half an hour and costs ¥6. Be prepared for a rather long walk between lines 1 and S1 at the South Station interchange. A taxi ride to the downtown area will take the same time but cost around ¥100.

There are two express-bus routes from the airport to downtown Nanjing - one terminates at the North Railway Station and one terminates at the South Railway Station and connect with the subway and local city buses. The services run at 30 minute intervals, it takes more than an hour to arrive at the North Railway Station. A one-way ticket costs ¥20 and can be purchased from the kiosk outside the arrivals hall.

If you're flying into Shanghai then it is best to catch a high-speed G train from Shanghai Hongqiao train station that takes 75 minutes and costs ¥139.50 (2nd class). There is a slower bus that runs four times a day from both Shanghai airports; it starts at Shanghai Pudong International Airport, makes a stop at Hongqiao Airport and then goes on to Nanjing Zhongyangmen. It costs ¥136 from Shanghai and the trip takes about five hours.

There are two main train stations, 2 Nanjing Station (sometimes referred to locally as Nanjing North, on the north shore of Xuanwu Lake and is also very close to the Zhongyangmen long-distance bus station) and 3 Nanjing South Station. Both are very large and look more like modern airports, serving many destinations with high-speed rail links. Both are designed to have arrivals come through the basement and departures from the second floor. Nanjing South is the main station for long-haul high-speed trains to Beijing, Shanghai, Xuzhou, Zhengzhou, Jinan, Tianjin, Wuhan, Hefei and other destinations. For nearby destinations like Yangzhou, Zhenjiang, Danyang, Changzhou, Wuxi, Suzhou, Kunshan, you may find Nanjing (North) Station is more convenient. A trip to Hefei takes around one hour, and Wuhan 3½-4 hours. A ride to Beijing usually take 4 hours on a G-series bullet train.

From Shanghai here are many daily departures to and from Shanghai Station and Shanghai Hongqiao Station, which is 75 minutes away by High Speed train (¥139.50 for 2nd class and ¥230 for 1st class) and depending on the route, trains stop at Wuxi and Suzhou. Beijing is about 4 hours away by high-speed train.

The slower "conventional" trains (which include overnight services to nearly everywhere in China) all use the older Nanjing Station.

Nanjing West Station, which you may see mentioned in older guidebooks, has been closed permanently. The former terminal station just west of the downtown area was built in 1908 and it will be converted into a railway museum. Nanjing East and Nanjing North, which your map may show, don't have any passenger service either.

Nanjing is well connected to Shanghai, Hangzhou and most destinations within Jiangsu, Anhui and northern Zhejiang provinces by bus as well as longer overnight sleeper services to Beijing (12 hours) and Guangzhou (24 hours). Most services depart from Zhongyangmen bus station, a large, clean modern terminal in the north of the city approximately 10 minutes walk to the west of the main train station. The station has English signage and announcements but the ticket clerks generally cannot understand English. Some services into Anhui province depart from Nanjing South (Zhonghuamen) station, which is adjacent to Zhonghuamen metro station. There are also bus stations serving nearby destinations at Hanzhongmen, Nanjing East (to the north of Purple Mountain) and Nanjing North (on the west side of the Yangtze River) although they are less useful to travellers.

There is a modern highway system between Shanghai and Nanjing, which can allow you to travel quite quickly from city to city. Beware of traffic in the morning and evening rush hours. If you're just one person, it may be much cheaper to travel by train, but if you're in a larger group, sharing a car service can be cheaper. Keep in mind that you need to be a very experienced driver to handle Chinese traffic, so you may be better served using trains and buses between the cities and taxis in the cities, unless you're really on for a challenge.

Nanjing is on the Yangtze river. Scheduled passenger liner service is available along the Yangtze river between Shanghai downstream and Wuhan in the Hubei province upstream, although, the river is mostly used for transport of goods.

There are also frequent ferry services across the river, in particular from Zhongshan Wharf (near Nanjing West Railway Station) to Pukou.

If you're staying more than a few days it's worth buying a Jinlingtong (also known as IC-tong). These are available from any subway station, most bus termini and from any branch of Huaxia Bank (look for an information window displaying the letters 'IC'). The card costs ¥75 and contains ¥25 refundable deposit and ¥50 credit, and can be topped up at the aforementioned locations. The card can be used on the subway, all city buses (but not all suburban buses), cross-river ferries, taxis (although drivers are reluctant to accept them and may tell you the scanner is broken) and in some Suguo convenience stores.

Taxis are a great way to get around and most trips will cost less than ¥25. The cab driver should start the meter as soon as you are picked up (all meters start at ¥9 + ¥2 service fee); if the cab driver doesn't start using the meter and if you don't say anything they may assume you don't know any better and overcharge you. Ask for a printed receipt detailing the cab number, kilometers traveled, times, and money exchanged from the driver upon exiting the cab. Don't expect to get a cab during both the morning and afternoon rush hours; demand is high and the drivers make their shift changes around these times. Tipping is not expected in cabs in China, so the price on the meter is the price you should pay along with a two yuan gas tax fee (There is an additional receipt for this fee.). Unlike cabbies in Beijing or Shanghai (who frequently shuttle foreigners around and may be accustomed to gratuity under the table) tipping in Nanjing is an alien concept. You are likely to befuddle but please a driver by insisting that they accept additional 'free' money. As with anywhere else in China, you are very unlikely to get a driver who speaks any English, so unless you speak Mandarin, remember to get your hotel's business card, and get hotel staff to write down your destination names in Chinese to show your taxi driver before you set off.

The Nanjing Metro is a clean, cheap, safe and fast way of getting around. The system has 5 urban and 5 suburban lines, with more under construction. It covers most of the central city, and links two railway station and the airport. The lines are as follows:

• Line 1 runs from Maigaoqiao in the north to the China Pharmaceutical University (CPU) in the south, via Nanjing Railway Station and Nanjing South Railway Station. There are 3 interchanges: to Line 2 at Xinjiekou stations in the city centre, to Line 10 at Andemen Station, and to Line S1 at Nanjing South Railway Station. Services between run every 3 minutes.
• Line 2 runs from the Olympic New Town area in the west and follows Hanzhong Lu and Zhongshan Donglu to the east, terminating nearby the Purple Mountain scenic area. Trains run every 6 to 8 minutes. There are interchanges to Line 1 at Xinjiekou stations in the city centre, and to Line 10 at Yuantong station.
• Line 3, that runs parallel to line 1 more or less north–south, runs from Linchang to Mozhou Lu via North Railway Station/Fuzimiao/South Railway Station. There are interchanges with line 1 at Nanjing Railway Station, Nanjing South Railway Station and with line 2 at Daxinggong.
• Line 4, runs east–west.
• Line 10 runs from Andemen, via the Olympic New Town area around the Olympic Sports Centre, crossing the Yangtze River to the west, terminating the Yushanlu station in Pukou area. There are interchanges to Line 2 at Yuantong stationt, and to Line 1 at Andemen stations.
• Line S1 is also called airport line, runs from the Nanjing South Railway Station to Nanjing Lukou International Airport. Trains run every 10 minutes. There are interchanges to Line 1 at Nanjing South Railway Station.
• Line S3 runs from the city center to the west.
• Line S7 runs in the south suburbs.From downtown Nanjing to Lishui District.
• Line S8 runs from Taishanxincun to Jinniuhu, is an urban metro in Jiangbei area (the area north of Yangzte River).
• Line S9 runs in the south suburbs.

Trains run from approx. 05:00-23:00. Single-journey tokens cost ¥2-9 depending on distance and can be purchased from vending machines in the station. Stored-value tickets are also available (see above) and give a 5% discount.

As in most Chinese cities, you need to scan any luggage/bag in an X-ray machine before entering the metro.

Buses are handy for getting around - particularly places that are inaccessible by subway, although Nanjing's bus system feels a little aged compared to Hangzhou and Shanghai and has no English information. Google Maps displays bus services for Nanjing and some tourist maps such as those sold around the train station will have bus routes. However, as metro construction advances, bus lines are constantly re-organized to fit changed demands, so that any printed information you receive may be outdated.

Buses running within the city proper will carry a route number displayed on a red placard below the front windscreen next to the entrance door. Low-numbered routes (1-100) follow major thoroughfares and link major shopping, residential and transportation hubs. 3-figure route numbers follow indirect routes and run around quieter residential streets and are less handy for travellers, but can be an interesting way of seeing Nanjing's ordinary working-class neighbourhoods. Routes displaying the Chinese character 游 (you, "travel") are primarily aimed at tourists and link all the major tourist sights. Routes numbered '8XX' e.g. 801, 806, 813 etc. are night buses which run approximately twice an hour 23:00-05:00 when the regular service ends. Buses heading to surrounding suburban towns depart from hubs on the edge of downtown such as Nanjing Train Station (North/East), Changjiang Daqiao (Yangtze River No.1 Bridge - going north-west), Hanzhongmen (West) and Zhonghuamen (South/East). These services display the name of the suburb/town that they serve in Chinese characters and have no route number.

Fares are a flat ¥2 on numbered services except for some routes which run older non-airconditioned buses which charge ¥1 - no change is given so have some coins ready. For suburban routes, fares are charged by distance and a conductor collects the fares. There's a discount of 20% for IC card users. Many bus stops are some distance apart (often 3-4 blocks) so keep an eye out for your stop and an ear out for the stop's name on the PA announcements (which are only in Chinese). If the bus is quiet then press the buzzer next to the door to signal to the driver that you want to alight.

Nanjing has a two-line tram system, opened since 2014. One line operates in the southwest of the city. The second one is in Qilin Town, on the east side of Nanjing. It doesn't use a continuous overhead wire for power supply, but rather the vehicles carry batteries/capacitors, which are recharged at the stops.

Nanjing is fairly cycle-friendly with segregated bike lanes on most busy roads - however there are a lot of bikes on the road so care should be taken. Generally, the pace is quite slow, and some of the hills in the central-west part of the city can be tiring to climb (but fun and a little scary to descend). It's possible to cycle around and up the east and west slopes of the Purple Mountain. The bike/pedestrian paths around Jiangxin Island and along the south bank of Yangtze River are popular places for cyclists.

Bikes can be rented from most youth hostels - but ensure that the tires are pumped up and the brakes work before setting off. Short distances can be covered using the shared bikes which can be found everywhere on streetsides, mostly the blue Hello bikes and the yellow "Meituan" bikes.

The cheap bikes sold in department stores and supermarkets are very poor quality and shouldn't be relied upon. For higher-quality, higher-performance bikes: Giant, Trek and Specialized all have stores in Nanjing. Remember to carry a strong lock - bike theft is common.

• 1 Gingko Lake Pleasure Park (银杏湖乐园, 银杏湖游乐园 Gingko Lake Amusement Park, 银杏湖休闲度假景区 Gingko Lake Holiday Resort), 520 Yinxing Hu Avenue, Jiangning District (江宁区银杏湖大道520号) (take bus no. 870 from outside Jiyindadao metro station on Line S1. Get off at Guanyin Hall (观音殿); you can also get a free shuttle bus from the Zhengfangzhonglu metro station on Line S1; on weekdays, these shuttle buses depart only at 09:00 and 10:00; however, more frequent services are available on weekends and public holidays; there is also a free shuttle bus departing from Sasseur Outlets near the Mozhoudonglu metro station on Line 3; it departs at 10:00 only on weekdays but more frequently on weekends and public holidays), ☏ , toll-free: . amusement park: 09:30-17:00 (09:00-17:30 on public holidays), golf course: 05:30-17:00. Includes an amusement park, a golf course, a nature park, a shopping area and a hotel. ¥260 (adults), ¥170 (students), ¥125 (persons over 60 and children between 1.2 and 1.5 metres in height). Children under 1.2 metres in height can get in for free. (updated Nov 2019)
• 2 Royal Tangshan Hotel - Hot Spring & Spa (汤山御庭臻品酒店), 8 Quanyun Road, Tangshan Subdistrict, Jiangning District (江宁区汤山街道泉韵路8号) (express buses to Tangshan depart from Nanjing South Railway Station. The bus route includes a stop at the Nanjing Tangshan Easpring Resort, which is about 1.5 km by road from this resort), ☏ , toll-free: (domestic), fax: +86 25 8713 1188, sales-nanjing@regalia.com.cn. Tangshan is a historical natural hot springs area in Nanjing and known as one of the popular places to enjoy great vistas of the mountain and it is surrounded by tranquil forests and lake. Royal Tangshan Hotel offers private hot springs room coupled with spa treatments to follow. With easy access from Huning Highway that provides accessible public or private transportation, Tangshan is the perfect place to enjoy the relaxing pleasures offered by the natural hot springs. 

• 3 Jiangsu Centre for the Performing Arts (JCPA) (江苏大剧院), 181 Mengdu Avenue, Jianye District (建邺区梦都大街181号) (about 1 km northwest of Olympic Stadium Station on Metro Line 10; bus no. 166 terminates at a bus stop near the east gate), ☏ , . 09:00-20:00.  (updated Jul 2019)
• 4 Jiangsu Province Kunqu Theatre (江苏省昆剧院), No. 2 Chaotian Palace, Qinhuai District (秦淮区朝天宫2号) (about 840 m west of Zhangfuyuan Station on Metro Line 1 and about 920 m south of Shanghai Road Station on Metro Line 2; bus routes 43, 302 and 306), ☏ . This highly-regarded theater company in Nanjing will give you a chance to see Kunqu Opera, a traditional Chinese art form, firsthand. Expect the dialogue to be sung in ancient Chinese, but LED subtitling in English and contemporary Chinese characters is provided.  

Local specialties include xiaolongbao (小笼包), thin skinned dumplings filled with soup and meat, that are served steaming hot in baskets and tangbao (汤包), which are similar, but much larger and filled with crab meat and soup. The soup in these is drank with a straw. Another local specialty is salted duck (盐水鸭 yán shuǐ yā), which is a whole duck that is pickled, boiled and then served cold. Restaurants serving these can be found all over Nanjing usually in small hole in the wall restaurants or dining halls (餐厅) for cheap. You'll usually be able to find them served alongside yaxue fensi duck blood noodles (鸭血粉丝) another local specialty.

• Nanjing has dozens of small noodle (miantiao), wonton (hundun), and pot sticker (jiaozi) shops on many of its streets. Qingdao Lu, a secondary street running northbound before the intersection of Shanghai Lu and Guangzhou Lu has a few excellent miantiao shops, including a Hui restaurant (Hui are a Chinese ethnic group that practices Islam), which serves only mutton and beef. Here, a massive bowl of hot soup and noodles will only cost you about ¥8. The area closer to Nanjing University has plenty of good, cheap eats, including a series of jiaozi vendors. At most Jiaozi shops you order and pay at the cashier desk by the entrance and you'll be given a ticket which you must take to the serving window. There are so many of these shops that it's not worth mentioning specific ones; just walk around and go into anywhere that looks good.
• If it's late-night munchies you're after, just head down any small backstreet and follow your nose and you're sure to find a small BBQ joint. These smokey little restaurants offer spicy meat kebabs (usually beef or lamb) along with BBQ'd vegetables, bread, fish and even sticky-rice balls and also serve beer starting at about ¥4 per bottle. Look for 真火烧烤 on baidu maps for a cheap and authentic Chinese BBQ experience, or 丽哲韩式烧烤 in the alley across from the gas station near the east gate of Nanjing Normal University for a more upscale Korean version.
• Street food is safe, cheap, and tasty. Just walk around the streets after 22:00 and you'll inevitably find some barbecue, wonton, fried noodles, or fried rice. In the Nanjing University Gulou Campus area, three great spots are on the intersection of Ninghai Road and Hankou Xi Road (宁海路和汉口西路) near the east gate of Nanjing Normal University, at the south gate of Nanjing University on Guangzhou Road (南京大学鼓楼校区广州路校门), and on Hankou road (汉口路) between the two gates of Nanjing University. Anywhere with more than 4-5 carts should have some tables to sit at and some bottled beer.
• If you can't read Chinese and you're a bit picky on what you eat, there's an excellent restaurant called A Simple Diet, located just off Hunan Road (next to McDonald's). Here they have taken the Japanese innovation of recreating the menu items in plastic so that you can simply point and order. You'll be given a card upon entry - when you order, hand it to the staff who will stamp your card. When you leave, take your card to the cashier's desk to pay.
• You can find inexpensive, Western-style sandwiches at the popular American sub shop Subway, which has four stores in Nanjing; two in the Carrefour stores, one in the Golden Wheel shopping mall, and one in the popular Da Yang department store. The Walmart (wa-er-ma) in Xinjiekou has an extensive grocery and live foods market on the basement level. McDonald's has a number of restaurants in the city, if you're interested in their ¥7 menu (the Chinese equivalent of the Dollar Menu).
• If you want to self-cater of just stock up on snacks/drinks then Nanjing has plenty of supermarkets and convenience stores. The main supermarkets in the central area are Times Extra (on Zhongyang Lu close to Xinmofan Lu subway station), Lotus (near Zhongyangmen Bus Station), Walmart (on the 2nd floor of Wanda Plaza Mall in Xinjiekou) and Carrefour (on Zhongshan Dong Lu). There are also many Suguo CVS convenience stores which are similar to 7-Eleven and stock drinks, snacks, instant noodles and cigarettes. Most Suguo stores accept payment using the IC transport card. There's a high end BHG supermarket on the basement (food court) level of Aqua City mall.

• 1 Soul Mate, Nan Xiu Cun 15-1 (near Shanghai road), ☏ . Western-style restaurant and coffee bar owned by French expats, with homemade pizzas, burgers, salads and French dishes for reasonable prices. It's a good place to have a few drinks and food in a friendly and relaxed atmosphere. 
• Da Pai Dang (南京大牌档) (鼓楼区中央路1号紫峰购物广场F5, 秦淮区建康路3号水平方F6, and many locations other around Nanjing. Search for it on Baidu Maps). A chain restaurant with an old-style Chinese atmosphere and menu with English. They serve a lot of old-style Nanjing specialties such as Jinling Roast Duck, lotus root, and Lions Head Meatballs. This restaurant is a chain that can be found in cities around China and beyond, but it still provides a comfortable and authentic introduction to Nanjing cuisine -- especially for foreign tourists. Average cost per person would be ¥50-80. (updated Apr 2022)
• 2 Les 5 Sens (乐尚法国餐厅), 52-1 Hankou Lu (near Shanghai road), ☏ , info@les5sens.net. 11:30 to 22:00. French restaurant with a French chef and a cosy atmosphere, providing traditional and family homemade French dishes. ¥38-119. 
• 3 Old Place (老地方), 金银街 (on Jinyin Jie, across from the Nanjing University International Student Dormitories off of Shanghai Lu). Has reasonably priced Chinese food with English translations, most fun in a group of 4 or more. Try the pineapple pork! ¥10–30. (updated Aug 2018)
• Skyways Bakery (also known as the German Bakery). Owned by a German/Belgian couple. Their sandwiches are of good quality and quite large and include a drink. They also have good salads and coffee at reasonable prices. Check out the bulletin board for employment opportunities in the city. 
  • 4 Skyways Bakery location 1, Shanghai Lu (just south of Bejing Xi Lu), ☏ . Mostly baked goods, cakes, and chocolates. A few tables outside on the sidewalk, perfect for a relaxed day. About ¥45 for a pastry and coffee. 
• German Bread Store. If you're missing some taste from home, or just looking for good bread and sandwiches, try this cafe next to Nanjing Normal University. They serve sandwiches, drinks, and various styles of original German bread. You'll probably find foreign visitors here are all hours, with lots of customers speaking various European languages. ¥20. 
• There is an extensive food court underneath Xinjiekou off of Fashion Lady shopping mall with lots and lots of options. Included is a Dairy Queen.

• Skyways Bakery. Lots of relatively expensive baked goods. The apple pies, tarts, and cheesecake are all excellent. They also have cinnamon rolls, croissants, muffins and cookies. Nice, though small, selection of ice cream too. 
• Jack's. Barely passable Italian food, but decent enough if you have been in China a few years. Some staff have good English and many of the customers are expats. Pasta or pizza is around ¥40-60, while good steaks start around ¥70. 
• 5 New Cafe (Sculpting in Time), Corner of Qingdao and Hankou Lu (next to Nanjing University). Self-consciously contemporary restaurant/lounge with a fairly extensive selection of western brunch fare: waffles, omelets, French toast, paninis. They also have a good selection of coffee, tea, and rather decadent desserts. The food here - sort of continental American with the inevitable anomalies - is good, particularly in the presentation; however, beware of the service. If you just want to have a sundae or French toast and don't mind having to hunt down a server, this is a great place. Wireless access here if you have a China Mobile or China Unicom account. At least ¥50 per person for tea and a pastry, but you should probably plan on ¥80, with a full breakfast or lunch even more. 
• 6 Prime, Intercontinental Hotel (Zifeng Tower) 78th floor, 1 Zhong Yang Road, Gulou District, 210008. 17:00-22:00. The tallest bar, lounge and restaurant in Jiangsu Province, Prime offers a spectacular view of Nanjing in a western setting with superior service and gourmet international cuisine. The Cigar lounge features a live music stage (western jazz musicians play irregularly) and a fully-stocked bar with a large selection of wines, beer, and over 100 specialty cocktails. 
• If you have some time to explore, check out a few other options in Nanjing, including the two restaurants in the upscale shopping area of Deji Plaza on the 7th floor as well as a cafe on the 3rd floor. All three are good stopping points after a hard day's shopping at Louis Vuitton, or just before hitting the arcade or cinema. Near the New Cafe on Qingdao Lu is a small German cafe inconspicuously tucked away. Very good coffee in a cozy Bavarian/Thuringian environment. Expect to pay at least ¥25 for a good cup of coffee (which is the same as anywhere in Nanjing). Also worth checking out is a restaurant on the outskirts of Confucius Temple that offers a 14 course dinner; it might best be described as Chinese tapas. This is a very good way to sample dishes that you might not want to purchase entree-sized portions of anywhere: coagulated duck's blood soup, tofu, and so on. A fun way for more finicky groups to experience real Chinese food.

• 1 Xinjiekou. Nanjing's fashion district, the cosmopolitan, fast-paced heart of the city bathed in neon. It's the closest thing Nanjing has to Tokyo or Times Square. All the major retail is centered on this area, which despite its complexity is only a couple of square blocks in size. There are giant department stores including Wal-Mart, Watsons, Suning, and "Fashion Lady"—a bewildering, subterranean complex of clothing boutiques and vendors that looks like a video game come to life. On the outskirts of Xinjiekou are some higher-end establishments selling everything from single-malt scotch to MINIs. The eight-floor Deji Plaza has a number of retailers such as Cartier, Louis Vuitton, Ermengildo Zegna, Coach, Guess, Versace, Vasque, Crocs, Toys R Us and so on. At DongFang Shopping Centre there's Gucci, Fendi, Celine and so on. While you might be able to get away with haggling at the Fashion Lady don't expect any in Deji Plaza. 
• 2 Hunan Road. A slightly more low-key version of Xinjiekou, running between Xuanwu Lake and Zhongshanbei Lu. It has most of the same stores including the Phoenix International Bookstore which has a whole floor of English-language books. There is also a small pedestrianised street running south from Hunan Road which is lined with pretty much every variety of restaurant imaginable, including the usual KFC and McD's, several cheap jiaozi and noodle places, some more upmarket Chinese places and a handful of international restaurants including a Thai and Indian restaurant.. 

• 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, and fun to explore even if you are not buying. If you are interesting in buying, bargaining 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 Nanjing shopping experience you will want to return to again and again. Opposite Confucius Temple there's Aqua City Shopping Centre with retailers like H&M, Uniqlo, Zara, Mango and so on. While you are there, take a stroll 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. 
• 3 Chaotiangong (朝天宫). Daily 11:00-17:00. For antique lovers, this place is a small market hosted next to the Confucius Palace. You can find all sorts of small and big objects there, some are real antiques, others are fake. If you want to buy something, be prepared to negotiate the price! This place is fun to stroll around seeing both things to sell and sellers as the environment is quite charming. 

Many accommodation providers, especially those in the sub-¥180/night category, do not accept foreigners. The yellow-exteriored 7 Day Inn chain, for example, will not accept foreigners in Nanjing even though this hotel chain is a good option in the ¥160/night range in most other Chinese cities.

• 1 Jasmine International Youth Hostel, No 7 Hequnxincun, Shanghai Road, ☏ , jasminehostel@gmail.com. Clean place, very friendly staff and guests with decent levels of English; you might find only Chinese patrons here 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. Bar and small menu if you want a quick bite without venturing outside. Bathrooms are all shared, however, and towels are available for purchase. Centrally located, (less than 5 km to most sites in all directions) close to Nanjing University and Grand Hotel. ¥45 for a bed in 6 bed dorm + ¥100 deposit returned upon check-out. 
• 2 Nanjing Fuzimiao International Youth Hostel (南京夫子庙国际青年旅社), 68 Pingjiangfu Rd, Qinhuai District (秦淮区平江府路68号). A very good location right next to the most popular tourist street in Nanjing and is in the middle of the city. Very quaint; has a lot of nooks and crannies plus a bar area overlooking the river with a piano. A bed in a 8-person dorm room goes for ¥50. (updated Apr 2022)
• 3 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), ☏ . 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. 

• 4 International Conference Hotel Nanjing (南京国际会议大酒店), 2 Sifangcheng Zhongshanling, ☏ , fax: +86 25 8443 9255, tprsvns@hubs1.net. Claimed 4-star with views of Purple Mountain. ~¥498. 
• 5 White Palace Hotel (南京白宫大酒店 (Baigong Dajiudian)), 1 Longpan Road (Longpan Lu) Xuanwu, ☏ . Near Nanjing Railway Station. 

• 6 Holiday Inn @Aqua City (水游城, Shuǐ yóu chéng), No.1 Jiangkang Road at Zhonghua Road (corner of Jiangkang road and Zhonghua Road, near Sanshanjie subway station on line 1), ☏ . Great quality Holiday Inn hotel adjacent to Aqua City shopping center. Very convenient access to restaurants, shopping, and free water fountain entertainment for the kids. Walking distance to Fu Zi Miao (confucious temple). approx ¥600-700. 
• 7 Kayumanis Nanjing Private Villa & Spa, No.12 Hot Spring Road, Tangshan Town, ☏ , experience@kayumanis.com. 21 contemporary villas with private pool and hot-spring jacuzzi, fully-equipped gourmet kitchen and 24-hours butler service. 
• 8 Grand Metropark Hotel Nanjing, 319 East Zhong San Road, ☏ , sales.njgm@metroparkhotels.com. Check-in: 14:00, check-out: 12:00. The former site of the Hilton has 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. Great if your main reason for visiting Nanjing is seeing the Purple Mountain and Xuanwu Lake (both are reasonably walkable from here) or seeing the Nanjing Museum which is literally on the other side of the parking lot. 
• 9 Sheraton Nanjing Kingsley Towers, 169 Hanzhong Road, ☏ . Check-in: 14:00, check-out: 12:00. Right in the middle of the town and offering you all the service you're used to have in a 5-star hotel. If you've a good guide you should get the rooms for around ¥400-500 per night, including breakfast. ~¥750. 
• 10 Jinling Hotel (金陵饭店 Jin Ling Fangdian), Xinjiekou Square, ☏ , fax: +86 25 8470 4141, nj.jinling@jinlinghotel.com. The first modern high-rise hotel in Nanjing, and sort of an anchor for Xinjiekou. Good, central location for exploring the Xinjiekou; the Confucius Temple is an easy walk from here as well. 

There have been many instances where foreign guys accompanied by Chinese girls in bar areas have been harassed or even stabbed and killed in fights^{[dead link]}. You are generally safe if you avoid conflict, even if this means swallowing your pride and walking away from someone insulting you or your girlfriend. There is little to gain by escalating a conflict instead of running away, especially in China where police will commonly side with Chinese citizens. Most crime happens late at night with at least one person under the influence of alcohol, and armed robbery is unheard of. However, unsecured possessions may be stolen at night such as unlocked mopeds.

Pickpocketing is a problem in Fuzimiao as well as on crowded buses, the subway and around the main transport hubs. Because Nanjing has a relatively small number of foreigners for a city its size, the common scams seen in Shanghai and Beijing are almost non-existent, however you may still see the occasional dodgy salesman selling counterfeit goods in Fuzimiao.

Be careful if taking the bus to the airport from Zhonghuamen bus station as many touts claim to be the official bus service, however there is a strong risk of being overcharged or driven to a location several kilometres from the actual airport. The official bus departs from Gate 7 and tickets should be paid for at the gate. Bus tickets are ¥20 as of July 2012. Also be careful of fake taxis operating from the bus stations and occasionally the railway station - always use the official taxi stand and ignore any taxi touts.

Although traffic is slightly calmer than most Chinese cities it can still be much more manic than most Western countries - take the usual precautions when crossing the road and also remember that right turns on a red light are sometimes legal in China (however in Nanjing most of the case there should be a dedicated right turn signal for right turn lane) so people driving across the crosswalk while the 'walk' sign is showing aren't actually breaking the law. Also be careful of motorbikes and bicycles driving on the pavement.

Many Nanjingese may have a resentment towards the Japanese because of the events during World War II. If you are Japanese, don't let this put you off visiting as the locals will still be very welcoming, however it's recommended not to appear too conspicuously Japanese (such as wearing a kimono in public) and keep any opinions to yourself. The Nanjing Massacre killed and displaced such a large number of Nanjingnese that most of the people living there now are descended from those that arrived within the last few decades to repopulate the area. Younger Nanjingese are more open and will often be more than happy to discuss the war.