Nanjing Travelogue Part 3: The Spring Breeze Once More Greens the Southern Shore

Jiming Temple is located on the eastern foothills of Jiming Mountain in Xuanwu District, Nanjing. Also known as the Ancient Jiming Temple, it was first built in the first year of the Yongkang era of the Western Jin Dynasty (300 AD), giving it a history of over 1,700 years. It is one of the oldest Buddhist temples and royal monasteries in Nanjing, with an enduring and thriving incense culture. Historically, it has been renowned as the 'First Temple of the Southern Dynasties' and the foremost among the '480 Temples of the Southern Dynasties.' During the Southern Dynasties period, it was comparable in fame to Qixia Temple and Dingshan Temple, serving as the Buddhist center of China at that time. In 1992, the crew of the TV drama 'The Legend of the White Snake' came to Jiming Temple in Nanjing to use the Medicine Buddha Pagoda for filming scenes related to Leifeng Pagoda, as the original pagoda in Hangzhou had collapsed and its replacement was not yet built.

From Jiming Temple to Heping Gate, this stretch of gorgeous cherry blossom avenue beautifully contrasts with the antique charm of Jiming Temple, adding an extraordinary flavor.

Xuanwu Lake is diamond-shaped, divided into three main sections by five islets (Huanzhou, Yingzhou, Lingzhou, Liangzhou, and Cuizhou): the North Lake (Northeast Lake and Northwest Lake), Southeast Lake, and Southwest Lake. The North Lake is relatively shallow, the Southwest Lake is the deepest, and the Southeast Lake is intermediate. The lake is interconnected by causeways, bridges, and paths.

3. Jiuhua Mountain Park

Jiuhua Mountain Park borders the Ming City Wall to the north and is adjacent to Xuanwu Lake. Within the park are the Xuanzang Temple and the Sanzang Pagoda; beneath the lotus pedestal inside the pagoda enshrines the parietal bone relic of Master Xuanzang. The mountain is named after the 'Jiuhua' (Nine Glories) in the name of the Xiaojiuhua Temple built on its southern slope. At the summit stands the Sanzang Pagoda, a five-tiered square structure, with the relic of Master Xuanzang's skull bone placed under the lotus throne.

4. Nanjing City Wall

The Ming Dynasty City Wall of Nanjing is the largest, longest, and best-preserved original ancient city wall in the world.

Yuhuatai (Rain Flower Terrace) is a memorial site for the New Democratic Revolution, featuring a commemorative cemetery. It is a uniquely distinctive memorial scenic area in China, built on natural woodlands, centered on red tourism, and integrating natural scenery with cultural landscapes.

The Confucius Temple (Fuzi Miao) Qinhuai Scenic Belt is located in the central Qinhuai District of Nanjing. Centered on the ancient architectural complex of the Confucius Temple, with the ten-li inner Qinhuai River as its axis and the Ming City Wall as its link, it connects numerous nationally protected cultural relics and historic sites. Covering an area of 4.69 square kilometers, it stretches from Dongshuiguan in the east to Xishuiguan (today's Shuiximen) in the west, and comprises the Confucius Temple–Bailuzhou Scenic Area, Laomendong–Laomenxi Scenic Area, Da Bao'en Temple–Jinling Arsenal Scenic Area, and the Chaotian Palace–Pingshi Street Scenic Area.

Laomendong (Old Gate East) lies east of Zhonghua Gate in Qinhuai District, Nanjing. As it is located to the east of the capital's south gate (Zhonghua Gate), it is called 'Mendong' (East of the Gate), opposite Laomenxi (West of the Gate). It is an important part of the Confucius Temple Qinhuai Scenic Belt. Mendong is a concentration of traditional Nanjing dwellings, historically a bustling commercial hub south of the Yangtze River, a gathering place for merchants, intellectuals, and aristocratic families.

Along both sides of Yihe Road, lush plane trees (French sycamores) were planted; these were procured from the outskirts of Paris by Professor Chang Jiahui of then-Southeast University on official assignment. During the Republican era, Yihe Road was bustling and prosperous, with a constant flow of people. The verdant canopy of trees lined the road, complemented by nearly a hundred distinctive Western-style buildings, each with its own unique character.

2. Librairie Avant-Garde (Xianfeng Bookstore)

Founded in Nanjing in 1996, Librairie Avant-Garde is a well-known privately-run academic bookstore in China. Since its establishment, it has pioneered a cultural and creative brand bookstore model that revolves around themes such as 'academics, cultural salons, coffee, art gallery, film, music, creativity, lifestyle, and fashion.' It has built an open public platform for discussion and sharing. The bookstore's reading space, rich in architectural elements, religious sentiment, and humanistic care, attracts countless domestic and international readers, making it an important cultural landmark in Nanjing.

Librairie Avant-Garde is a renowned cultural symbol of Nanjing and the largest humanities and social sciences specialty bookstore in Jiangsu. It is a crystallization of the collective will of Nanjing's people, forging not only a pioneering humanistic brand but also the spiritual and ideological character of the city. Voted by Nanjing citizens as one of the twelve cultural icons, it is acclaimed as 'China's Most Beautiful Bookstore' and was awarded the 'Most Beautiful Bookstore of the Year 2009' in China. Students from nearby Nanjing University affectionately call it the 'Second Library of Nanjing University.'

The Wutaishan branch is the flagship store. Converted from an underground parking garage, the flagship store boasts a unique atmosphere. Inside, there's a dedicated second-hand books section, a creative products gallery, a Librairie Avant-Garde art café, a salon event area, and twelve additional branches spread across Jiangsu, Zhejiang, and Anhui provinces.

Travelogue Contents: 1. Jiming Temple & Xuanwu Lake 2. Yuhuatai 3. Fuzi Miao 4. Librairie Avant-Garde

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