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Nanjing, an unassuming city of great history and learning
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Nanjing, literally the “southern capital,” doesn’t seem to be on the travel list of many foreign visitors. The city is one of the four great ancient capitals of China, though it trails Beijing and Xi’an in popularity. Who wouldn’t want to see the Forbidden City and the Great Wall in Beijing, as well as the Terracotta Warriors in the Mausoleum of the First Qin Emperor (259-210 BC), who unified China and ruled from Xi’an two millennia ago?
It is true that Nanjing doesn’t have such world-famous attractions to visit. The only UNESCO World Heritage Site in the capital city of Jiangsu Province is the Ming Xiaoling, the mausoleum of Zhu Yuanzhang — the founding emperor of the Ming Dynasty (1368-1644). But most of the imperial tombs of the Ming and Qing (1644-1911) dynasties are near Beijing as Zhu Di, son of Zhu Yuanzhang and also known as the Yongle Emperor, moved the capital to Beijing, literally the “northern capital,” in 1421.
Nanjing, however, is a city dear to most Chinese people. It is one of the best places to enjoy the spring and fall foliage, especially Purple Mountain. Cao Xueqin, author of “A Dream of Red Mansions,” one of the greatest Chinese classical novels, was born in Nanjing. The novel’s central characters, the Twelve Beauties of Jinling, were all from Nanjing. Jinling is Nanjing’s old name.
The Nanjing Museum, one of China’s oldest, has a sizeable collection of Ming and Qing royal porcelain.
No building within the Forbidden City of Nanjing, the imperial palace of the early Ming Dynasty, survives today. While it has become a relics park, its might and opulence can still be felt today because it provided the blueprint for the Forbidden City in Beijing.
In general, Nanjing is a city of great history and learning. Six centuries ago, it was the largest city in China and, probably, in the entire world. One way to feel the city’s grandeur is to visit the city walls of the Ming and Qing dynasties, which are on the UNESCO World Heritage Site’s tentative list.
After getting off the train at Nanjing Railway Station, take Metro Line 3 for two stops to Jiming Temple. Head north toward Xuanwu Lake for the walls. Entry costs 20 yuan (US$2.80).
As you climb up the stairs, watch out for the slope next to them, on which horses used to be pulled up. As you walk on the walls, pay attention to the individual bricks. Many of them have Chinese characters on them. The characters record both the origin of the brick and the identity of the maker. What a great way to hold people accountable!
Head toward the Gulou (Drum Tower) District after that. On the way, you’ll pass by Jiming Temple, a fabled place for viewing cherry blossoms in the spring, and the Nanjing Paleontological Museum, both of which are worth a visit.
There are two reasons to make the trip to the Gulou area: good food and good books. Nanjing University and its vicinity promise us both.
You may have your own favorite small eateries, but my favorite is the recently opened Golden Lane Bakery at 10 Qingdao Road. It boasts both elegant and tasty dishes, like scones made from a recipe that the late Queen Elizabeth II of Britain gave to former US President Dwight Eisenhower and bagel à la Hangzhou, which is made with Hangzhou’s famous osmanthus flowers and Dragon Well tea leaves.
The owner, surnamed Wu, is in his early 30s and was born in Shanghai. He went to school in Hangzhou, Prague, Seattle and Dresden, and speaks six languages. He chose the English name Golden Lane for his outlet because it’s easier to remember, but its logo carries the Czech equivalent Zlatá Ulicka. Golden Lane, of course, refers to the famous Prague attraction in Prague Castle.
Wu didn’t waste any time telling me what to do after I tried his Americano. He suggested I head down the road to Scholar Bookstore at 101 Qingdao Road. Don’t let the unassuming storefront fool you. The two-story bookstore is well-stocked with not only books of all kinds (I almost bought an English guide to the monuments of Albania) but also a wide range of memorabilia, from the Republic of China-era publications (Nanjing was the capital at that time) to old postcards and stamps from all over the world. I did get some old German stamps that were made to honor the composer Felix Mendelssohn.
If you want to buy new books instead, you can always go to Librairie Avant-Garde at 173 Guangzhou Road, touted as one of the most beautiful bookstores in China. It is worth visiting for its design alone — it used to be an underground parking lot.
Round up your day with a visit to the latest addition to Nanjing’s excellent suite of museums, the Nanjing City Wall Museum, which is next to the city’s grand southern gate — the Gate of China.
The museum provides detailed information about not only the design of the walls through the centuries but also intricate city planning. You will discover that in the Ming Dynasty, there were in fact three sets of city walls: one for the palace, one for the city, and one for the capital to protect the city.
You will also discover that the city, which is unusually irregular in shape among Chinese capitals, was planned with astrological considerations. Most interestingly, you will discover how the characters on wall bricks shed light on Ming Dynasty society — there is now concrete evidence of women brick-makers, despite the lack of evidence in official historical records.
If you go
Trains leave from both Shanghai Railway Station and Shanghai Hongqiao Railway Station multiple times a day and take roughly an hour and 40 minutes.
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