China's Historical And Cultural Jewel, Nanjing Walking Tour | Ancient City Wall | 南京 | 鸡鸣寺 | 老城墙

Nanjing means "southern capital" (versus Beijing meaning "northern capital".) It is a renowned historical and cultural city and was the capital of several dynasties over the course of Chinese history. In ancient China, Nanjing served as the capital of Wu, Eastern Jin and Southern Dynasties (Song, Qi, Liang, Chen) for a total of over 500 years. 6000 years' history left Nanjing plenty of historical heritages and made it one of the Four Ancient Capitals of China together with Beijing, Luoyang and Xi'an. Buddhism began to spread across Nanjing in China long ago and a number of Buddhist temples are well preserved in this historical city. Nanjing is endowed with rich natural resources and boasts a pleasant climate that enables an abundance of plants to thrive. Situated in the lower reaches of Yangtze River near Shanghai, Nanjing enjoys a golden waterway with China's longest river flowing through it. Jiming Temple – a graceful ancient temple The Jiming temple (temple of cock's crow in Chinese) is a very renowned Buddhist temple in Nanjing, a place of harmony and serenity. It was built along a hillock in the Ming Dynasty in 1387. The merging of the incense smell together with the calm and relaxing ambient and the bright yellow-orange color create a nice atmosphere. After making your way up to the top, there is an eight floor Pagoda, with fascinating Buddha statues and breathtaking view over the Xuanwu Lake, Purple Mountain, city wall, city center and the Yangtze River. Confucius Temple – China town in Nanjing Built as the site to worship the great Chinese thinker Confucius, the shrine known as Fuzi Miao in Chinese, has been the most bustling local cultural and commercial center since its establishment in 1034. Covering an area of 2.63 hectares with surrounding buildings in good harmony, it enjoys a typical architectural style from the Ming and Qing dynasties. Here we can have a general acknowledge of the fast-growing second-tier city through the following aspects. Geographic location Nanjing, as the capital of Jiangsu Province, is a commercial, political and cultural center in east China. Yangtze River, China’s longest river and several of its branches flow through the city. The 6,600-square-kilometer city is a 90 minute bullet-train ride or 3 hour drive from Shanghai in the northwest. Getting there Nanjing is connected to all major domestic cities through three train stations- Nanjing Railway Station, Nanjing South Railway Station and Nanjing West Railway Station and Nanjing Lukou International Airport which is 36 kilometers southeast of the city center and 40 minutes by car. The airport also hosts a few direct international flights, mostly with nearby Asian cities like Seoul, Singapore and Tokyo. The city of eight million is a stop on the five-hour high-speed rail route between Beijing and Shanghai. History Strategically located along the Yangtze River and at the halfway mark on China’s coastline, Nanjing served as the capital of ten ancient Chinese political regimes for 1,800 years. Historical relics and sites, many restored, weave the city. Symbolic remains include the Ming Dynasty City Wall, the Presidential Palace of the Republic of China and Sun Yat-sen’s Mausoleum. Food In Nanjing, you can have a taste of excellent local duck. One of them is Nanjing Salted Duck which is said to be the origination of Peking duck. The local fare is an offshoot of Huaiyang Cuisine, a regional cuisine from southern Jiangsu Province stressing the use of fresh ingredients and fine presentation. Dishes are salty and a bit spicy. Nanjing foods are mostly safe (no freakish eats like dog meat or insect kebabs), but please beware that local chefs like adding duck guts to soups. The city’s iconic snack, Duck blood and vermicelli soup, contains slices of duck liver and gizzard. Lifestyle Life in Nanjing is much slower and more relaxed than in Beijing or Shanghai. It is common to see senior citizens playing chess in the sun or enjoying a radio show next to a busy thoroughfare. Parks are found all around the city. Most are free and well-maintained. Locals love strolling and picnicking in the green at leisure. Basic Information of Nanjing City Located in the southeast of China, southwest of Jiangsu Province, the middle and lower reaches of the Yangtze River. Area: 6,597 square kilometers Population: 8.24 million Language: Nanjing dialect and Mandarin Climatic Conditions: subtropical monsoon climate Airports: Nanjing Lukou International Airport, Nanjing Ma'an International Airport 0:00 Intro 1:17 Street Bike Tour 11:55 Jiming Temple 21:25 Qinhuai River Commercial Area 38:49 Nanjing Old City Wall 55:15 Confucius Temple #Nanjing