Hotels in Nanjing, China

A little about Nanjing...

Nanjing is the capital of China's Jiangsu Province, and a city with a prominent place in Chinese history and culture. Nanjing (literally: 'Southern capital') served as the capital of China during several historical periods, including as the former capital city of Republic of China, and is listed as one of the Four Great Ancient Capitals of China. Nanjing is also one of the fifteen sub-provincial cities in the People's Republic of China's administrative structure, enjoying jurisdictional and economic autonomy only slightly less than that of a province.

Located in the lower Yangtze River drainage basin and Yangtze River Delta economic zone, Nanjing has always been one of China's most important cities. Apart from having been the capital of China for six dynasties and of the Republic of China, Nanjing has also served as a national hub of education, research, transportation and tourism throughout history. With an urban population of over five million, it is also the second largest commercial center in the East China region, after Shanghai.

Transportation: Nanjing is the transportation hub in eastern China and the downstream Yangtze River area. Different means of transportation constitute a three-dimensional transport system that includes land, water and air. As in most other Chinese cities, public transportation is the dominant mode of travel of the majority of the citizens. Therefore see also Transport in Nanjing.

The city also boasts an efficient network of public transportation, which mainly consists of bus, taxi and metro systems. The bus network, which is currently run by four companies (Nanjing Gongjiao, Zhongbei, Argos and Xincheng), provides more than 170 routes covering all parts of the city and suburban areas.

Festivals: Many traditional festivals and customs were observed in the old times, which included climbing the City Wall on January 16, bathing in Qing Xi on March 3, hill hiking on September 9 and others (the dates are in Chinese lunar calendar). Almost none of them, however, are still celebrated by modern Nanjingese.

Instead, Nanjing, as a popular tourist destination, hosts a series of government-organised events throughout the year. The annual International Plum Blossom Festival held in Plum Hill, the largest plum collection in China, attracts thousands of tourists both domestically and internationally. Other events include Nanjing Baima Peach Blossom and Kite Festival, Jiangxin Zhou Fruit Festival and Linggu Temple Sweet Osmanthus Festival.

Museums: Nanjing has some of the oldest and finest museums in China. Nanjing Museum, formerly known as National Central Museum under KMT rule, is the first modern museum and remains as one of the leading museums in China. Other museums include the China Modern History Museum in the Presidential Palace, the Nanjing Massacre Memorial Hall, the City Museum of Nanjing, the Taiping Kingdom History Museum, the Nanjing Customs Museum, the Nanjing City Wall Cultural Museum, and a small museum and tomb honoring the 15th century seafaring admiral Zheng He.

Night Life: Traditionally Nanjing's nightlife was mostly centered around Fu Zi Miao area along the Qinhuai River, where night markets, restaurants and pubs thrived. Boating at night in the river was a main attraction of the city. The area was also famous for the concentration of upper-class prostitutes, many of them patronized by high-ranking government officials and wealthy businessmen. Prostitution was banned after the CCP took over Nanjing.

In recent years, several commercial streets have been developed, hence the nightlife has become more diverse: there are shopping malls opening late in the Xinjiekou CBD and Hunan Road. The well-established "Nanjing 1912" district hosts a wide variety of pastime facilities ranging from traditional restaurants and western pubs to dance clubs.

Tourism: As a popular tourist destination, Nanjing is often cited as having a unique charm: with a vast number of cultural sites and pleasant natural surroundings perfectly blending together, the ancient city enchants millions of tourists with a memorable experience.

Buildings and monuments - Ancient period
Bei Ji Ge
Zhonghua City Gate Soldiers Hidding Cache
Chaotian Palace (museum and Kunqu opera house)
Fuzi Miao (Temple of Confucius) and Qinhuai River
Gu Lou
Jiangnan Gongyuan
Jiming Temple
Jinghai Temple
Linggu Temple
Ming Dynasty Palace Site
Ming Xiaoling Mausoleum and its surrounding complex
Nanjing Ming City Wall and Zhonghua Gate
Qixia Temple
South Tang Mausoleums
Stone City
The Porcelain Pagoda of Nanjing
Yuejiang Lou
Xu Yuan
Zhan Yuan

Other places of interests:
Tangshan Hot Spring
Jiangxin Islet
Yangshan Tomb Stone
Yangtze River Crossing Nanjing, tallest electricity pylons built of concrete.

Education: Nanjing has been the educational center in southern China for more than 1700 years. Currently, it boasts of some of the most prominent educational institutions in the region, which are listed as follows:

National
Nanjing University
Southeast University
Hohai University
Nanjing Agricultural University
China Pharmaceutical University
Nanjing University of Science & Technology
Nanjing University of Aeronautics and Astronautics

Public:
Nanjing University of Technology, Nanjing Normal University, Nanjing University of Finance & Economics, Nanjing University of Posts and Telecommunications, and Nanjing Audit University.