Roaming 'Jinling', Dreaming of 'Nanxun'
People say that as soon as autumn arrives, Nanjing turns into the beautiful 'Jinling'. What kind of feng shui treasure is this ancient capital of six dynasties? My curiosity for history and culture, and my longing for delicious food and beautiful scenery, sparked my desire to set off. It was golden autumn, and my solo backpacking journey began once more.
On the evening of October 30th, I boarded a train from Tangshan to Nanjing. Whenever I travel, I try to take an evening train, so I don't miss work during the day and can start exploring right after arriving the next morning. My days off were especially precious this year because the pandemic had taken away my annual leave. I had actually visited Nanjing back in 2014 with a tour group, hopping between several places in a few days, so my memory of Nanjing was limited to Fuzimiao and Qinhuai River—nothing more. Since then, I've never joined a group tour again and have embraced solo backpacking. I arrived in Nanjing at 10 a.m. on October 31st and checked into 'Free Fall Youth Hostel' near Fuzimiao, right by Exit 1 of Fuzimiao metro station. The Nanjing metro is super convenient—its slogan goes 'Tour Nanjing by Metro.' I dropped off my backpack and set out to properly explore the city.
Just across the road from the hostel is Fuzimiao. During the day it wasn't too crowded, so I breezed through, planning to return for the night view later. First, I went hunting for some tasty treats. I stumbled upon a street and spotted a popular snack called 'Little Fish Pot Stickers'—though the actual thing looked nothing like the pot stickers I know. Nearby there was a tiny shop selling duck blood vermicelli soup. How could I visit Nanjing without trying duck blood vermicelli? Paired with the pot stickers, it was perfect. Chatting with the owner, I found out this was a decades-old establishment; locals often dropped by to buy duck. The vermicelli was truly delicious—back home I usually avoid it because it's too fishy, but here there was no such problem. The 'Little Fish Pot Stickers' had no fish in them; I have no idea how they got that name.
With a full belly, I was ready to stroll around. I'd planned to visit the Memorial Hall of the Victims in Nanjing Massacre, but the noodle shop owner suggested going in the morning since the afternoons can feel a bit gloomy. Honestly, I wasn't that keen on it anyway—it's such a heavy place—and this trip was mainly about exploring ancient sites, so I skipped it. I hopped on a shared bike and wandered the streets. Nanjing's plane trees are incredibly old, lining almost every street. Their leaves had already turned yellow, adding to the 'Jinling' charm. It was still early, and my research turned up the lovely 'Jiangning Love Tunnel.' It was a bit far—metro then a bus, and rather remote: a disused railway track where you have to walk quite a way to see the scenery you find in online photos. Occasionally I met a few other visitors, but spring would definitely be more beautiful; by now, many leaves had fallen. Still, walking on the tracks for the first time felt like a scene from a movie.
That evening, I strolled around Fuzimiao and Qinhuai River. Likely because it was Saturday, the crowds were huge. The 'Nanjing Impressions' restaurant I wanted to try had a long queue, so after a while I headed back to the hostel to rest. In my dorm, I met a fascinating girl born in 1993, from Anhui. She had studied Chinese language and literature in Ningbo, worked as a journalist at a Ningbo newspaper after graduation, and had now moved to Nanjing for an education training job. She was incredibly articulate, funny—almost like a stand-up comedian—and full of personality. I really enjoyed chatting with her. Every night, coming back and talking with her was the highlight; she made the beautiful Nanjing nights even more memorable.
November 1st: Today I explored the Zhongshan Scenic Area, which includes Sun Yat-sen Mausoleum, Music Terrace, Ming Xiaoling Mausoleum, Meiling Palace, and Linggu Temple. In the morning, I had duck blood wontons and steamed buns at 'Huiwei' downstairs from the hostel—delicious, wallet-friendly, and highly recommended. There are many such chain restaurants in Nanjing. After breakfast, I took the metro to Sun Yat-sen Mausoleum first. From the metro station, it's still a walk to the entrance. You can take a sightseeing shuttle bus for the whole Zhongshan area, but I chose to cycle. The scenery along the way was spectacular—truly a feng shui treasure—refreshing and uplifting. But as I got further, the uphill roads made cycling impossible, so I walked. Sun Yat-sen Mausoleum is the only free attraction; you can reserve in advance via their WeChat mini-program or scan a QR code at the entrance, then just swipe your ID card to enter. At such historically rich places, you really must get a guided tour, or you'll just be looking at emptiness.
Right outside Sun Yat-sen Mausoleum is the Music Terrace, where musical performances and speeches were held in memory of Dr. Sun Yat-sen. From here, tickets are required; I recommend the combo ticket for all four sites for 100 yuan. There are lots of pigeons in the Music Terrace, quite picturesque. I walked on, following the navigation to Meiling Palace, once the residence of Song Meiling. The plane trees on both sides were gorgeous, and Meiling Palace looked even more enchanting beneath the yellow leaves.
From Meiling Palace, I continued on foot to Ming Xiaoling Mausoleum, the joint burial site of Emperor Zhu Yuanzhang and Empress Ma. Exploring these places with a guide makes all the difference—it's actually how I, a science student, fell in love with history. Learning history while seeing it is far more interesting than dry textbooks, so I won't go into details here; you'll understand when you come to Nanjing yourself.
I have to say, the Zhongshan Scenic Area is truly vast. I started from the metro around 9:30 a.m., and by the time I exited Ming Xiaoling, it was already 4 p.m. I decided to skip Linggu Temple since my legs were giving out. Still, I'd recommend walking to soak it all in. From Ming Xiaoling, I went to the Presidential Palace, took a photo at the entrance, then circled around to 1912 Republic Street. Right there, another 'Nanjing Impressions' had no queue, so I had dinner. The value and taste were decent, and the small portions let me try multiple dishes—though I ended up way too full. To walk it off, I headed to Xuanwu Lake. The night lake was incredibly quiet; the city wall lights reflected on the water created a gorgeous scene. Sitting on a bench by the lake, with the daytime crowds and noise all gone, I—a lover of quiet—felt perfectly content.
That seemed to help my digestion, so I made my way to Laomendong for more food. Similar to Fuzimiao, it's an old street but less crowded and not too far away. I cycled back to the hostel.
November 2nd: An important morning—I went to offer incense at Jiming Temple (it's said to be very effective for seeking love!). The ticket was 10 yuan and came with three sticks of incense. Following the signs, I climbed step by step, praying all the way to the top, then lit the incense to complete the ritual. Sincerity moves heaven—may good things happen in the future. Beyond Jiming Temple lies the Ming city wall, and not far from there, Xuanwu Lake. Since I passed by, I saw what Xuanwu Lake looks like in daylight; it was prettier and more peaceful at night.
I cycled to the metro to head to Qixia Mountain. That's when the most memorable moment of my Nanjing trip happened: a traffic officer stopped me on the road, gave me a lecture, and fined me 20 yuan. My first traffic fine ever, and it was in Nanjing, for cycling the wrong way. A little embarrassing and felt like I'd let down my hometown folks, but definitely a unique experience (don't try this at home!). After that little drama, I continued to Qixia Mountain. It's famous for its maple leaves, but I was too early; the leaves were still mostly green, with only a few red ones scattered about. If you want to see the red maples, come at the end of November. Since I was already there, I decided to treat it as a hike. It’s a mountain once visited by Emperor Qianlong, so it must have its charms—though it’s quite big and needs some stamina. Down at the foot, there’s the well-known Qixia Temple, worth a look.
By the time I left Qixia Mountain, it was afternoon again. Next, I planned to take in the grandeur of the Nanjing Yangtze River Bridge, then cross the river to experience the 'Backshadow' scene described by Zhu Ziqing at Pukou Railway Station. I even brought an orange to recreate the scene in my mind. My plan sounded perfect, but reality had other ideas. By the time the bus reached the bridge it was getting late; I decided not to get off and just enjoy the Yangtze's power from the bus—only to get stuck in traffic, inching along. As dusk fell, I didn't want to give up on my plan, so I kept going. But by the time I got off, it was completely dark. Following the map, I still had to walk a bit, and to make it more thrilling, the streetlights were dim and hardly anyone was around. With sheer determination, I turned on my phone's flashlight and pressed forward. Finally, in a pitch-black square under construction, I spotted 'Nanjing North Station,' with 'Pukou Wharf' opposite. I couldn't quite relive Zhu Ziqing's 'Backshadow,' but it was definitely an adrenaline rush. Time to get out of there.
To calm my nerves, I visited the 'Sanjiang College Internet-famous Night Market' to find 'Auntie Guo's Mooncakes.' The market was buzzing, but Auntie Guo’s queue was ridiculously long; I gave up after a glance. Plenty of other tasty things, though—I do love a down-to-earth night market. Full and content, I went back to the hostel and chatted with 'Little Monster' (my fun roommate). Actually, the hostel had activities every evening in the common area, but I felt a bit too old for them.
November 3rd: I decided to slow down and take it easy. My WeChat step count had already broken records over the past two days. In the morning, I headed to Niushou Mountain, a somewhat modern Buddhist sanctuary, resplendent and magnificent. The biggest takeaway was meeting a delightful young lady from Dalian, also traveling alone. We hit it off instantly and explored together. I really wished we'd met earlier to have more adventures. After we parted ways due to different plans, we added each other on WeChat. Her name, it turned out, was 'Tang Shi'—literally 'poem'—and she was as poetic as her name.
I spontaneously decided to visit the Nanjing Museum. (There's also the Nanjing Museum of the Imperial Palace; the first costs 25 yuan, the second is free. The content differs, and I didn't visit the second, but the first was well worth it, with many historical artifacts on display telling the story of Nanjing’s evolution.) That evening, I followed the young lady’s recommendation and tried 'Old Man Hermès Fried Rice' and 'Crab Roe Noodles,' right next to each other near Xinjiekou. Finally, I dropped by the internet-famous spot 'Librairie Avant-Garde'—it was a bit late, so it was quiet, feeling like a proper bookstore. It was lovely.
November 4th: With only two days of leave left, I felt that in a big city like Nanjing, you just can't slow down because there's always somewhere to go. So I decided to escape the city for the last two days and hole up in an ancient town. After some searching, Nanxun seemed like a great choice: close to Nanjing, easy to reach, and just right for two days. Off I went. An hour by bullet train from Nanjing to Huzhou Station, then an hour on a direct bus from the station to Nanxun. From the bus stop, I took a tiny three-wheeler to the water town—Nanxun has no taxis.
Tickets to the ancient town cost 95 yuan. If you don't want to visit the gated attractions, you can enter after 5 p.m. for free. I highly recommend the 'Spirited Away Coffee Hostel,' right on the town's main street. It was spotlessly clean, and the owner was my age. She had left her busy career in Shanghai to raise her child, choosing to run this inn so she could spend time with family. She was really kind. Nanxun is truly a place that lets you slow down, not overly commercialized. You can just sit by the river and unknowingly spend a whole afternoon. By 9 p.m., the streets were almost empty. As the owner put it, 'Perfect for retirement.'
November 5th: I woke up naturally in the morning. Even at nine, it was still quiet outside—as if everyone was still asleep. But when I opened the window, the street was already bustling with people, and the boatmen on the river had long started their day. Yet everything remained peaceful and unhurried. I strolled around again in the morning, then had lunch at 'Xun Cuisine Restaurant'—I recommend the 'Taihu Lake White Fish' and 'Steamed Stinky Tofu.' After chatting with the owner at noon, two days had slipped by without me noticing.
Having been to Xitang, Zhouzhuang, and Wuzhen, I prefer Nanxun's unadulterated charm, undisturbed—like a waterside idyll from a dream. These two days were pure relaxation, just like the cat in the bookstore in the photo. My six-day holiday was over; I headed home, back to reality, and looked forward to the next departure.
