A Misty Rain Stroll in Jinling

2020, a year of hardship we should remember for a lifetime.

By June, with more than half a year without travel, the seemingly endless super-long plum rains layered on the lingering aftermath of the pandemic, we were desperate to go out and wander.

However, various circumstances led us to decide on a self-drive trip—not too far, just to Nanjing for a stroll to relax.

On the morning of June 15, 2020, we set out from Shanghai. Once on the Jiangsu section of the Shanghai-Nanjing Expressway, rain poured down in torrents. But no matter how heavy the rain, it couldn't shake our determination to have some fun :)

In the afternoon, we finally arrived at our destination: Nanjing Zifeng Tower.

For this trip, we booked the hotel here in advance on Ctrip. Transportation is extremely convenient—right downstairs is Gulou Metro Station.

The unique shape of Zifeng Tower had already left an impression on my mind from a previous visit to Nanjing. Last time we stayed in Xinjiekou, and the hotel service and facilities paled in comparison to this one.

After parking the car, we hoisted our backpacks and officially began our Nanjing exploration.

From Gulou Metro Station downstairs, we took Line 4 towards Xianlinhu, just one stop to Jiming Temple Station.

Once out of the metro, our phone navigation started acting up, leading us in circles around the ancient architecture.

In the end, we had to ask passersby. Occasionally, a delivery guy proves more reliable than phone navigation—just turn around and there's the ancient Jiming Temple :)

Due to the pandemic, the temple was only partially open, allowing worshippers to offer incense, and a strict one-way route was enforced.

Offering incense, praying to Buddha, mentally filling in scenes from "The Ming Dynasty Glory" and visiting the ancient buildings...

Despite the rain, there were quite a few worshippers, mostly women. They say Jiming Temple is especially efficacious for love and marriage blessings, haha...

Jiming Temple in the rain had a unique charm. Since the open area was small, we soon exited. A left turn led directly to the Ming City Wall scenic area.

The Ming City Wall—look closely at the bricks, this should be a defining feature.

It's no wonder that a wall built over 600 years ago still stands so proudly.

The body of water in the photo is Xuanwu Lake. Soon we'll be entering the misty, drizzly Xuanwu Lake.

The plane trees of Xuanwu Lake—every time I come, I look and look again, utterly enchanted.

The lotus flowers about to bloom, so fresh and untainted.

The cosmos flowers, full and vibrant, as if reminiscing about the bygone spring, or savoring the beauty of youthful days.

Xuanwu Lake was originally the training ground for the Ming navy, vast in scope. Walking slowly along the main path, all the way to the "Boy Worships Guanyin" spot,

we caught sight of Xuanwu Gate.

The Xuanwu Gate where Li Shimin staged his coup is in Xi'an, definitely not this Xuanwu Gate in Nanjing. Yet every time I come here, I hear someone telling their companion the story of Emperor Taizong, and curiously the pattern is always the same: the storyteller is male (from greasy middle-aged uncles to young heartthrobs), and the audience is entirely female (from teenage girls to square-dancing aunties). Haha, hilarious...

Today, Nanjing had sporadic heavy rain, plus we'd driven half the day, so we were a bit tired. Time to head back to the hotel to rest. When we emerged from Gulou Metro Station, the rain had stopped. I quickly took out my camera and phone to capture the exterior of the tower.

For dinner, we didn't want to go far. Right next door in the Zifeng Plaza, there's Nanjing Dapaidang, a restaurant absolutely worth trying in Nanjing. That's where we decided to eat—it's so down-to-earth.

As for the food, we didn't take photos. We've always held respect for food; every grain of rice and every congee is hard-earned, not to be trifled with. Right?

June 16, 2020. Originally, we planned to have Nanjing-style small wontons for breakfast—they're frequently recommended on our local TV. But due to pandemic concerns, we gave up that idea. We'll try them next time.

The hotel's king bed was very comfortable; their bedding is truly top-notch. Being able to sleep in until naturally awake depends a lot on the bedding, but even more on the person, right?

The rain had eased up quite a bit today. Around noon, we sauntered out to play.

Again, Metro Line 4, one stop to Jiming Temple Station, then transfer to Line 3, two stops to Daxinggong Station. A turn around the corner and there's the Presidential Palace.

Who wrote those three big characters? It was a 66-year mystery, and only recently confirmed as the work of Zhou Zhongyue. But now, how many passersby enter to play every day, and how many actually care about this question?

I waited a long time for a moment without people to quickly snap a photo. I wonder if those endless streams of people posing with this plaque even know what "Tian Xia Wei Gong" (The World Belongs to All) means. I'm afraid they can't even be bothered to Baidu it—just snapping photos for their WeChat Moments to declare "I was here"...

This shot is quite interesting.

The Senzilou (Forest Character Building)—you can see it in many films and TV shows.

The garden of the Presidential Palace still has some charm to explore.

A quiet waterside pavilion.

This lion has a bit of sass...

Turn right out the door, and it's the 1912 Block.

We grabbed a small snack, then continued strolling, the rain still falling, but not too heavily. Next stop, Da Bao'en Temple.

From Daxinggong Metro Station, take Line 2 one stop to Xinjiekou, then transfer to Line 1, three stops to Zhonghua Gate Station. As soon as we stepped out, we could see the glass pagoda of Da Bao'en Temple. This metro exit was the dirtiest, most chaotic street I've seen in Nanjing. Too lazy to find a bus stop, we walked toward that glass pagoda. It wasn't far—just 10 minutes to Da Bao'en Temple Ruins Park.

This park was newly built, hence called Ruins Park. There are very few original remnants inside. For example, the pagoda was once an extremely exquisite and spectacular glazed pagoda, unfortunately destroyed during the Taiping Rebellion infighting and burned down, leaving only a glazed archway door frame for later generations to imagine its full glory.

And a very few small components.

Modern people can't restore it to its original state. Now, a steel-structured glass pagoda has been erected on the original site as a memorial.

Nevertheless, the design and construction of this scenic area show some thought and standard. From a modern aesthetic perspective, quite a few spots are worth a photo check-in.

In any case, the Da Bao'en Temple Ruins are worth a visit. Once you come, you'll truly appreciate how important it is to let rural children read as much as possible. Just a thought.

Originally, we planned to see the glass pagoda's night light show, but sadly, after exiting Da Bao'en Temple, there were no commercial facilities nearby for dining or coffee. We couldn't wait, so we mentally pictured the light show and headed to Laomendong for food instead.

The tourist shuttle bus at the scenic area entrance was likely suspended due to the pandemic; scanning the QR code didn't work. But it didn't matter—right next to it was a bus stop, and the public bus could also take you to Laomendong, just two stops, very convenient. The bus route went through the city wall beside Zhonghua Gate, which was quite interesting.

This memorial arch is perfect for a "been there" photo. The whole area seems to have been developed and renovated while preserving the old street blocks. Many cities were once keen on such projects. Some buildings are still worth seeing, and many girls wearing Hanfu do photo shoots here—I bet the results aren't bad.

Such houses are mostly used as boutique hotels (minsu). Under the impact of the pandemic, most are closed to guests.

This carved lintel and window should be old, but they don't look like original pieces :)

A few are still operating sporadically,

but most shops were not open. Our plan to find food here had to change. The beauty of independent travel became apparent: with fewer people, it's easier to be flexible. So we left Laomendong and walked along Madao Street, making our way to the recommended Bottle Kitchen in Xinanli by a local friend. The riverside scenery along the way was quite nice.

Bottle Kitchen, and the last time I visited Nanjing I specifically went to Xiao Chu Niang, both recommended by local friends. The dishes and flavors were very good, especially the fair prices.

Xinanli is near Confucius Temple, so we changed our plans again. After dinner, we decided to wander around Confucius Temple. Since the rain had stopped in the afternoon, it was a perfect post-meal walk (we really were a bit overstuffed) :).

At night, Confucius Temple was still bustling.

The night scenes were nice, and the lighting at the Xuegong (Confucian school) was well done, looking quite comfortable.

Strolling along, we soon reached the Confucius Temple Metro Station. Take Line 3 for four stops to Jiming Temple Station, then transfer to Line 4 for one stop, and we were smoothly back at the hotel.

Once a city's metro forms a network, it is definitely the best choice for getting around the city center. We should indeed be grateful for this era; the construction and development over these years have truly improved people's lives in many tangible ways.

June 17, 2020. Finally, it cleared to partly cloudy, but the temperature also rose sharply. Today was the last day of our casual Nanjing ramble. Our plan was to venture into the Zhongshan Scenic Area, then hit the Shanghai-Nanjing Expressway to head home.

As always, we woke up naturally. After breakfast, we checked out and retrieved the car—the underground parking was free for hotel guests. We set off for Zhongshan Scenic Area. The navigation again got confused. After refusing a route that looked like it might involve a traffic violation, we were tossed back and forth by the navigation, taking quite some time before we finally got on the correct path.

We set the navigation destination to the Zhongshan Scenic Area Visitor Center, which itself has a large parking lot. When buying tickets and asking for information, the young lady at the small window was very impatient and irritable, with a fiery attitude. Didn't she sleep well?? After asking about how to book Dr. Sun Yat-sen's Mausoleum and how to enter the scenic area, we still understood nothing.

Oh well, let's go. We decided to drive straight to Meiling Palace. Meiling Palace doesn't have its own parking lot, so we asked the security uncle at the gate. He said to turn left and walk 50 meters to a paid parking lot, very convenient. The uncle's directions were clear and his attitude enthusiastic—props to him.

This building is beautiful, with the charm of Chinese architecture combined with the Western-style elegance of a manor, a masterpiece of the Republic of China era that befits its distinguished owner.

The plane trees—they must have been a favorite of the lady of the house. I once saw a source saying so, not sure if true, but they do carry a certain flavor.

An exquisite ceiling :)

Whose vintage car is that in front? Maybe just a prop.

I didn't photograph the indoor exhibition, feeling as if I were sneakily peeping into someone's family life. Snapping away would be even more impolite, haha...

The most astonishing thing was the underfloor heating in the banquet hall—simply divine, a real luxury!

Coming out of Meiling Palace, we turned left and walked a short way along the footpath to the Square City of Ming Xiaoling Mausoleum.

Inside the Square City, there is a huge stele erected by the Yongle Emperor for his father, the Hongwu Emperor Zhu Yuanzhang. Worth a look.

The stele is so grand; does that ease the son's psychological burden?

Further in is the famous Sacred Way (Stone Statue Road).

The Sacred Way is most beautiful in autumn; we'll come back for an autumn trip next time.

And look at this archway, also very beautiful.

Ming Xiaoling covers quite a large area, and walking through it was a bit tiring, plus the sun was blazing. On the return journey, we decisively hopped on an electric sightseeing cart at the Royal River Bridge, returning to Square City to get our car.

Originally, we also planned to visit the Music Terrace and Linggu Temple, but unfortunately, it was getting late and we were a bit weary, so we skipped them and headed straight out of the scenic area toward the Shanghai-Nanjing Expressway.

This Nanjing trip was on a whim, with casual wandering and relaxation as its theme. This season brings much rain, and the natural scenery wasn't particularly special.

The best seasons for Nanjing are spring and autumn: "spring Niushou, autumn Qixia," as the saying goes, captures it perfectly.

I hope the pandemic ends soon. Come autumn, I'll return to see the red leaves of Qixia and the ginkgo trees along the Sacred Way.