Hello, Nanjing: My June Family Road Trip

📍 Nanjing · 👁 2 reads · ❤️ 72 likes

2020 slowed down in a way no one could have foreseen. Amid the long days, life suddenly felt hollow. I used to think staying at home was bliss, but this time I learned that aimlessness and idleness actually make you anxious.

This Father's Day we took our first trip over 1,000 km. Not wanting to go too far, we settled on Nanjing. For one, there hadn't been any recent outbreaks here; for another, it was easy to get to. We just flew directly from Chongqing, hassle-free. And most importantly: Nanjing had long been on my travel wish list.

To avoid too much contact with others during our five days in Nanjing, we did a road trip the whole time. I'd booked the car days in advance from eHi Car Rental. We'd also rented from them for Mother's Day and Children's Day getaways, so Father's Day fit the "Three Festivals Celebration" third-festival discount—40% off the rental. A real bargain. All five days we wore masks in crowded places, and had alcohol wipes in the luggage to sanitize whenever needed.

Landing at Nanjing Lukou Airport, we headed straight to the eHi rental counter in the parking lot, super convenient. After a quick inspection and pickup, we couldn't wait to start our journey. That's the great thing about having a car: you can haul your luggage and set off right away, no need to drop bags at the hotel first.

Our very first stop on Day 1 was a museum. When Little Treasure was even younger, I never took him to museums, assuming he wouldn't be interested. This was his first time, and to my surprise, the little guy loved it.

The Six Dynasties Museum is very close to the Presidential Palace, so we went there first. Compared to the Jiangsu Provincial Museum and the Nanjing Municipal Museum, this place felt much smaller.

But then, Nanjing is the ancient capital of the Six Dynasties. It must hold a wealth of ancient culture inside.

The museum was designed by I. M. Pei and his son. Though I know nothing about architectural theory, you could feel the grandeur of the building. The scenes are uniquely set, with bamboo, stones, and shifting light and shadow that truly reveal the time-worn elegance and grace of the "Six Dynasties capital."

The artifacts are all from the Six Dynasties period, each exquisite and reflecting the aesthetics of the time. According to the guide, the vast majority were excavated right here in Nanjing.

When I first introduced it to my husband, I kept mistakenly calling it Laodongmen. If you want to understand Nanjing's history, you must head to the southern part of the city. And if you want to see the history of the southern district, a visit to Laomendong is essential. Here you can witness the passage of time and the life of Nanjing's "natives."

By a courtyard heavy with years, various flowers were blooming; lean in and the fragrance washes over you.

Nowadays, Laomendong has been taken over by all sorts of artsy shops and inns. Even so, it's still quieter than the Confucius Temple area.

Little Treasure was fascinated by all the flowers in bloom and demanded we hold him up so he could sniff them.

This is still a relatively off-the-beaten-path gallery. We came in the afternoon. The gallery isn't big, and the staircase inside is still wooden.

I didn't know much about the art on display, but as a photo enthusiast, I found it a fabulous spot for all kinds of pictures—truly photogenic.

It's not easy to find. It's so tiny that even a moderately sized restaurant would be more noticeable, so I recommend navigating there by GPS.

I looked up some info online. This is China's very first art gallery, historically significant beyond words.

While in Nanjing, you simply have to stop by Librairie Avant-Garde. It's like visiting Starfield Library in Korea or the Traffic Teahouse in Chongqing—they've become symbols of the city.

The bookstore wasn't crowded, but the selection of books was massive. You can find practically any kind of book here. Had Little Treasure been willing to stay put, I would've loved to sit and read for an hour or two.

There were lots of postcards, too, with all sorts of stories and phrases scrawled on them—really intriguing. Unlike graffiti at scenic spots, these felt more lifelike, more concrete, more soulful.

Librairie Avant-Garde has multiple locations, but I'd especially recommend the Wutai Mountain flagship store. It's huge; originally an underground parking garage, it was transformed into a bookstore and even features a massive cross—definitely the store's great landmark.

Nanjing is a deeply historic place, and if you want to explore its Republican-era history, you must visit Yihe Road. There are many Republican-era mansions here, over 200 they say. Though it's just one road, it's actually dubbed a "Living Museum of Republican History."

Taking photos here makes you feel like you're inside a Republican-era TV drama. At night it becomes extraordinarily quiet. Under the misty streetlamps, with sparse pedestrians—perhaps it's all in my mind, but even the traffic lights seemed less bright.

This is an absolute must on any first visit to Nanjing. Since Little Treasure didn't mind the Six Dynasties Museum, we promptly made plans for the Nanjing Museum, and he was excited about everything there. It's one of China's three great museums, with an enormous collection.

The artifacts inside are simply exquisite—truly high-level works. From my years of museum-hopping, I saw that by the Ming and Qing dynasties, many objects had become incredibly refined, rivaling modern craftsmanship in delicacy (speaking only of refinement, not value).

The most fascinating part of the Nanjing Museum is a Republican-era street. I couldn't believe they'd built a whole street inside a museum! The banks, post offices, and stations are all in Republican-era style. Walking through makes you feel like the lead in a period drama, stepping into another person's life.

After leaving the museum, we visited the Memorial Hall of the Victims in the Nanjing Massacre. At first my son couldn't even read the full name, but we guided him to memorize it several times, and now he can recite it. Maybe it's a bit obsessive, but I absolutely can't stand when people abbreviate it to the "Nanjing Massacre Memorial." This was the one place we didn't take a single photo.

At the Presidential Palace, several people offered to take our picture, but they actually charge for it, and it's not cheap. I wouldn't recommend it.

The weather was cool there, with so many plane trees.

The Presidential Palace is close to the Ming Xiaoling Mausoleum, and you can head straight to Gate 1.

We'd only allowed one day for the Zhongshan Mountain National Park, but never expected it to be so huge; even two days didn't feel like enough to cover it all.

The scenic area is mainly divided into three parts: the Ming Xiaoling Mausoleum, Meiling Palace, and the Sun Yat-sen Mausoleum.

The photo above is Meiling Palace, so beautiful. That building is simply exquisite.

Gate 1 leads to Ming Xiaoling. The first thing you see upon entering is the Stone Elephant Spirit Way. Stone animals line both sides, looking exceptionally grand and majestic. I have to admire the builders of Ming Xiaoling—they laid bricks from the Six Dynasties beneath the statues to prevent them from sinking.

Each set of stone animals has a plaque with information; be sure to photograph them, otherwise later you'll remember nothing but the pictures.

After exploring the Zhongshan Mountain area, our Nanjing road trip came to an end.