Nanjing Travel Guide: Time Travel Through Six Dynasties

Nanjing, one of the four ancient capitals of China, was once the capital of the Six Dynasties and the Ming Dynasty, and is famous for its ‘mountains, waters, cities and forests’. With the verdure of Zijinshan Mountain and the glistening Xuanwu Lake, as well as the thickness of the Ming City Walls and the elegance of the Qinhuai River, foreign tourists can easily explore this ‘City of Oriental Museums’ with the new inbound travel facilitation ticket machines in 2025, which support payment in 6 languages + 29 currencies.

As one of the four ancient capitals of China, Nanjing is only one hour away from Shanghai by high-speed railway. Since its foundation in 571 B.C., Nanjing has experienced the rise and fall of ten dynasties, including the Eastern Wu, Eastern Jin, Southern, and Ming Dynasties, and has been known as the ‘Ancient Capital of Six Dynasties’ and the ‘Cultural Hub of the World’. The Stone Elephant Road of the Ming Xiaoling Mausoleum, the urn city of Zhonghua Gate, and the 392 steps of the Sun Yat-sen Mausoleum are each engraved with the code of Chinese civilisation, while the sound of paddles and lights on the banks of the Qinhuai River perpetuate the old dream of Jinling in the Dream of the Red Chamber.

Dr Sun Yat-sen's Mausoleum, 392 steps overlooking the panoramic view of Zijinshan Mountain, and the new Meiling Palace night light show in 2025 (every Friday/Saturday at 19:30).

-Address: No.7 Shixiang Road, Xuanwu District

-Transportation: Metro Line 2 Clover Park Station

-Tickets: Free｜Official website reservation 7 days in advance

Night Cruise on the Painted Boat (RMB 100), avoiding the shops on the main street, and searching for local snacks in the three camping alleys.
-Ticket： Use the ‘Inbound Ticket Machine’ at the scenic spot, support 6 languages + Visa/Mastercard payment.

✅Recommended visiting order:

1, History Pavilion: show the development of ancient civilisation in Jiangsu, focusing on visiting .

2、Digital Pavilion: Experience ancient civilisation by combining network visit and on-site experience.

3、Special Exhibition Hall: focusing on the introduction of domestic and foreign exhibitions and collections of treasures, treasures of the town hospital .

4、Art Museum：Classified according to the texture of the artworks, the collection of treasures is displayed all year round.

5、Republican Pavilion: the customs of the capital of the Republic of China.

6, Intangible Cultural Heritage Museum: national intangible cultural heritage list of projects.

Holders of permanent resident alien ID cards or foreign passports, after making a reservation on their own in the WeChat public accounts of the Nanjing Museum, please enter the museum on the day of the visit by presenting the original documents of the reservation and the voucher of the successful reservation at the man-made window of the History Museum to go through the relevant formalities.

-Opening hours: Tuesday - Sunday 9:00 - 17:00, ticket checking stops at 16:00, closed on Monday (except holidays)

Must See Star Animals: 

Koala Weigh-In Show: 9:00-9:30pm, Koala Pavilion Watch the keepers weighing the koalas in their arms.

White-faced monkeys ‘Dudu’: Gondwana exhibition net red, expression packet this dignity, lazy paralyzed tree trunk in the afternoon.

Red Panda Sky Corridor: The ‘glutinous rice ball’ feeding on the wooden frame in Gaoligong District, most active at 14:00.

-Ticket ： Ctrip international version (Trip.com) or Meituan (Meituan) APP support English interface to buy tickets.

Official English page: http://www.hongshanzoo.com (support Visa/Mastercard).

-Address: 168 Heyan Road, Xuanwu District, Nanjing (North Gate)
-Opening Hours: 8:30 AM - 4:30 PM daily (last entry at 4:00 PM).

Recommended food: add spicy oil + potpourri, recommend Xiao Pan Ji (珠江路 Zhujiang Road) or Duck De Bao (丰富路 Fengfu Road).

-Per capita: RMB 15-25.

Explosive sauce Warning: fried in rapeseed oil at Li Ji Halal Restaurant (打钉巷 Dading Lane), golden and crispy.
-Per capita: RMB 20/10 pieces.

History: Song Meiling's favourite health-enhancing porridge, available at Nanjing Dapaijiao (Fuzimiao shop).
-Per capita: 10 RMB.

• 老门东 Lao Mendong: Xiao Zheng Crispy BBQ Cake + Jiang Youji Pot Stickers.
• 明瓦廊 Mingwalang: Xiangji Pidu Noodle + Hongze Lake Fish Pot Stickers

High-speed railway: G train 1 hour direct (second class seat 144 RMB), Nanjing South Station metro directly to the scenic spot.
Self-driving: Shanghai-Nanjing Expressway 3 hours, Zhongshan Scenic Area car park 40 RMB/day.

Subway: 4 lines cover the main attractions and support Alipay code-sweeping into the station.
Shared Bike: Ride tandem Xuanwu Lake-Ming City Wall-Yihe Road, 2 hours of deep exploration

Save money on tickets: Buy the ‘Zhongshan Combination Ticket’ (100 RMB including Ming Xiaoling Mausoleum + Meiling Palace + Linggu Temple) and save 30% compared to buying alone.

Avoid the crowds: arrive before 8:30am at Zhongshan Mausoleum, and choose a weekday for the night tour of Fuzimiao Temple.

Language support: Scenic spots such as the Grand Retribution Temple and Niushoushan are equipped with multi-language self-service ticket machines, and you can scan the code to get an e-guide.

Hidden play: Linggu Temple summer night can watch fireflies forest, free but need to book in advance.

🏯✨Nanjing is where time bends—trace dynastic stones on ancient walls, sip duck blood soup by the Qinhuai River, and lose yourself in a book at Librairie Avant-Garde. Just 1 hour from Shanghai, let this city rewrite your China story.