Nanjing | A Four-Day Travelogue: My Journey Through Time

📍 Nanjing · 👁 1 reads · ❤️ 102 likes

We originally planned to visit Nanjing in August, but the pandemic put a halt to our plans. Fortunately, by September, we were able to start our Nanjing trip. After talking it over with a friend, we decided to make it a self-drive road trip in Nanjing.

First, we flew to Nanjing. Before departure, we booked a car through the EHi Car Rental mini program. Once we landed at Lukou Airport, we just picked it up and went. Throughout our stay in Nanjing, we relied entirely on the rental car. Renting is incredibly cheap right now—using the new user welcome pack, the first day’s rental fee was reduced by 100 yuan.

The whole trip lasted four days. On day one, we went to the Confucius Temple and Qinhuai River Scenic Area.

Day two took us to Nanjing Museum, Laomendong, and Dabao'en Temple.

Day three we tackled the Zhongshan Scenic Area (explored five spots, absolutely exhausting).

Day four we visited the Xianfeng Bookstore and Xinjiekou. Then we headed home.

We left Guangzhou in the afternoon and flew to Nanjing. I was already looking forward to the trip while on the plane. After landing, we made a beeline for the EHi outlet in the parking lot to pick up the car—super convenient. Then we drove straight to the hotel, mainly because we were both worn out and wanted to rest a bit.

Right next to our hotel was a highly rated restaurant called Jiming Soup Dumplings, specializing in all kinds of baozi. The food was great, and the place had a really nice, tasteful vibe.

The dumpling skins were incredibly thin, and the fillings generous. We ordered a portion of chrysanthemum leaf soup dumplings—couldn’t exactly taste the chrysanthemum, but they were light and refreshing. We also got chicken broth soup dumplings, which genuinely had that chicken flavor.

When we left the restaurant, we stumbled upon Shuiximen Roast Duck and spontaneously bought a whole duck. It was simply amazing—no exaggeration, the best roast duck I’ve ever had. The skin wasn’t the super crispy kind, and there was very little fat underneath. It was delicious and not greasy at all. There was even a hint of smoky fragrance. Just wonderful.

In the evening, we headed to the Confucius Temple and Qinhuai River area, where we soaked in the stunning night views. Nanjing’s scenery is breathtaking. It was drizzling when we went, and the Confucius Temple under the rain looked delicate and beautiful.

After wandering around the Confucius Temple and Qinhuai River, we left and spent a lovely night back at the hotel with our roast duck. One regret: I meant to buy some souvenirs at the Confucius Temple but completely forgot.

Early the next morning, we went to Nanjing Museum. Before coming, a friend had told me it was well worth a visit.

Once inside, I realized it’s a huge museum, with the Republic of China Hall, Art Hall, Digital Hall, Special Exhibition Hall, and more—each packed with cultural artifacts. Overall, the collection here isn’t just broad in scope but also deep in significance.

The museum itself is a pleasure to look at—the lighting, layout, and architectural design are all superb. Inside, you’ll find everything from ancient fossils to Republic-era displays, poetry, calligraphy, paintings, and loads of bronze ware. Honestly, you could spend a whole day here without getting bored.

I especially loved the fossils—they seem to bring ancient civilizations to life. We took tons of photos, and looking back at them still makes me miss those moments of learning.

After the museum, we went to Laomendong. It’s another iconic spot, filled with snack shops, so you can grab a bite when hunger strikes.

I didn’t expect to see a Deyunshe theater here, but sadly no cross-talk performances were on. In September, the area still looked gorgeous. Some gorgeous girls were posing for photos, and some even hired professional travel photographers. Everyone seemed to have life figured out.

We went to a Japanese restaurant. As everyone knows, Japanese food can be pricey, but this place had a 68-yuan lunch set. After a quick chat, we decided to give it a try—and it was pretty good. For 68 yuan, it was genuinely good value.

Take a look at the décor and plating—truly exquisite. I posted a few photos on my social media, and my friends couldn’t believe it was a 68-yuan set. After lunch, we headed to Dabao'en Temple. On the way, we passed the Zhonghua Gate Wengcheng, an ancient city wall. We didn’t go close, just snapped a quick photo from a distance.

The most beautiful part of Dabao'en Temple is the indoor scenery—absolutely stunning. Since it was drizzling that day, plenty of people were visiting, especially since the main attractions are indoors. Look at this place: it’s brimming with artistic atmosphere. I thought we’d be done in half an hour, but we ended up exploring for over two hours.

Leaving Dabao'en Temple, we returned to the city center. For dinner, we planned to go to Nanjing Impressions, but the queue was massive. So we grabbed street food instead. Who would have thought every restaurant I knew of had a line? We ended up buying more duck—this time spiced braised duck, also delicious. I told my bestie, in Nanjing, you don’t even need restaurants; street food alone can cover all three meals.

That evening, we watched TV, nibbled duck, and chatted. Life felt truly blissful.

The Zhongshan Scenic Area is essentially a cluster of sights. Our first stop was Dr. Sun Yat-sen’s Mausoleum, the most popular spot. So we arrived at the ticket gate around 7:40 a.m.

There weren’t many people queuing, and we went in shortly after. Once inside, I was impressed again by how immense the mausoleum is.

Traveling around the past few years, I’ve noticed many places have similar memorials—Sun Yat-sen Memorial Halls, Sun Yat-sen Memorial Chapels, and the like. It seems any place a famous person stayed becomes an attraction. But I prefer sites like the mausoleum, as if this is where the journey truly ends.

The Music Stage area was especially scenic. The moment we entered, we saw the ground covered in pigeons, utterly unafraid of people. Some visitors even brought feed specifically for them. If you can’t jet off to England to de-stress by feeding pigeons like Tony Leung, this is a pretty great alternative.

After that, we set off for the Linggu Scenic Area. The sign said it was only about a kilometer, so we decided to walk. But the actual distance felt like more than two kilometers—so exhausting! I’m not sure if there’s a shuttle bus between the Music Stage and Linggu, but if there is, I’d strongly recommend it.

We explored many more places in the following days—I’ll share more soon.

Travel diary contents

1. Transportation:

2. Itinerary:

3. My Nanjing Diaries

4. Getting Up Close with Nanjing Duck

5. Nanjing Museum – My Favorite Museum

6. Must-Visit in Nanjing – Zhongshan Scenic Area

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