Nanjing Impressions | Savoring Cuisine in a Historic Capital

Jiankang, Jinling, the Eight Beauties of Qinhuai – these are the impressions of Nanjing from history class. Salted duck, chicken soup dumplings, plum blossom cake, Nanjing Impressions, black rice balls, and Yidiandian—these are my impressions of Nanjing now.

During the Spring Festival, bored at home, I watched some old TV series. When I saw Romance in the Rain, I remembered the train station where Yiping and Shuhuan parted and reunited – it's actually Pukou Railway Station in Nanjing. I thought then that I'd visit someday, so this time we came back to Nanjing.

Day 1: Bao'en Temple – Presidential Palace – Hongyang Hotel

Day 2: Pukou Railway Station – Pukou Ferry Terminal – Zhongshan Ferry Terminal

| Jiming Soup Dumplings

Average cost 20 yuan per person

The first thing we did upon arriving in Nanjing was find a Jiming Soup Dumplings restaurant to fill our stomachs.

It has many branches in Nanjing and is a household name for soup dumplings, widely considered the best in the city.

The shop has an antique charm, giving the feeling of stepping into an old tea house. Their signature chicken broth soup dumplings are a must-order: rich in broth, yet not greasy, and wonderfully flavorful.

| Bao'en Temple Heritage Park

Entrance ticket: 80 yuan/person; ticket + Hanfu experience: 148 yuan/person

Metro: Line 1, Zhonghuamen Station; Line 3, Yuhuamen Station

The poetic line 'Four hundred eighty temples of the Southern Dynasties, how many towers and terraces in mist and rain?' refers to the Great Bao'en Temple, built over 19 years by the Yongle Emperor, Zhu Di, of the Ming Dynasty.

Bao'en Temple was the largest and most prestigious Buddhist temple in Chinese history, revered as the foremost among all temples. It was destroyed during the Taiping Rebellion; what we see now are the foundation ruins.

The Bao'en Temple Heritage Park is located outside Zhonghua Gate in Nanjing, covering an area of about 200 mu. Inside, the exhibits are exquisite, and you can also rent Hanfu traditional clothing.

Entrance ticket: 33 yuan/person

Metro: Lines 2 and 3, Daxinggong Station

The Presidential Palace is the largest and best-preserved architectural complex from modern Chinese history.

Remember to bring your ID card. You can pick up a visitor map at the entrance. The visit takes about 2–3 hours.

| Miao no Nabe Japanese Hot Pot (ranked No.1 Japanese cuisine in Nanjing)

Address: No. 10, Changjiang Huayuan, Hanjia Alley (near the Presidential Palace)

Metro: Line 1, Zhujiang Road; Line 3, Fuqiao

Average cost: 83 yuan

Recommended specialties: deep-fried hot spring mashed potato, flame-seared bubble sushi, charcoal-grilled eel, pudding, teppanyaki beef tongue, sukiyaki, and more.

Nothing disappoints; you can basically order anything you like according to your taste.

| Nanjing Hongyang Hotel

Detailed address: Building C3, Hongyang Plaza, No. 48, Daqiao North Road, Pukou District

Average spending: 399 yuan

Nearby attractions: Pukou Ferry Terminal, Pukou Railway Station, Hongyang Future World,

Nearby commercial areas: Hongyang Plaza, Tianrun Plaza

Huiwei Duck Blood Vermicelli Soup

Jiangbei No. 1 Grilled Fish

Transport tip: Take Line 3 to Tianruncheng Station (1.6 km), or transfer at Taifeng Road to the S8 line and get off at Taishan Xincun Station (1.1 km).

Train stations/airport:

Nanjing Railway Station: 12.2 km

Nanjing South Station: 27.5 km

Lukou International Airport: 56.4 km

Nanjing Hongyang Hotel is situated in the largest and most popular commercial hub in Pukou's north Bund area – Hongyang Plaza.

The hotel faces the Yangtze River Bridge to the south and backs onto the High-tech Economic Development Zone to the north, close to Liuzhou East Road/Tianruncheng metro stations. Nearby universities include the Pukou campus of Nanjing Agricultural University and Chengxian College of Southeast University. Within a hundred meters, you'll find a large supermarket (Walmart), Hongyang Future World, and a shopping and dining plaza, among other leisure venues.

The hotel enjoys convenient transport links and a prime commercial location, plus it's very close to Pukou Railway Station, which we planned to visit the next day.

The rooms are spacious and well-equipped, perfect for our one-night stay. There's ample natural light from the full-length floor-to-ceiling windows.

The hotel also offers dining options.

| Daxi Huntun

Address: Inside Putie Yicun, No. 4 Xinma Road, Taishan Street

This place makes wontons cooked over a wood fire, and the flavor is outstanding. Many locals come specifically for it, a taste you won't find in the city center.

| Yingjun Tongziji

Address: Inside Putie Yicun, No. 4 Xinma Road, Taishan Street

Yingjun Tongziji is right next to Daxi Huntun. You can buy half a serving to share, and many people line up for it. Take-away is also popular.

| Pukou Railway Station

It is one of China's nine distinctive train stations.

In Romance in the Rain, the station where Yiping and Shuhuan parted ways was not in Shanghai, but Pukou Railway Station in Nanjing.

Pukou Railway Station is the only remaining station in China that preserves the architectural style of the Republic of China period. The waiting hall, platforms, canopied corridors, ticket office, and more have been systematically preserved.

Apart from Romance in the Rain, many other films and dramas set in the Republican era have been shot here. It is also the platform where Zhu Ziqing's father bought oranges, as described in his famous essay.

| Pukou Ferry Terminal

(to Zhongshan Ferry Terminal)

Adjacent to the railway station is Pukou Ferry Terminal, which, like the station, retains its historical character.

Since we stayed in Pukou, we arrived early. If you're coming from Xuanwu or Qinhuai districts, you can take a ferry from Zhongshan Ferry Terminal. The one-way fare from Pukou to Zhongshan is 2 yuan, round trip 4 yuan.

| Ogawa Cuisine

No. 26, Xifang Alley, Xinjiekou

Average cost: 68 yuan/person

Back in the city center, with plenty of time before our return train, we thought of grabbing something to eat and happened upon this Japanese restaurant.

This restaurant is exquisite, packed with Japanese-themed decor, and the ingredients were fresh and delicious.