Nanjing
Founded in 900 BC, the capital of Jiangsu province has endured a chequered history. It has been the capital of China several times and, for some months in 1912, it was the capital of Sun Yatsen's provisional government, following the overthrow of the Beijing-based Qing dynasty.
By any standards, Nanjing is a beautiful city, its tree-lined streets boasting a quarter of a million maple trees and a glorious display of chrysanthemums in autumn. The streets are busy, and the air no doubt is as polluted as anywhere else in China, but it seems less so, thanks to the breezes that sweep along the Yangtze River and down from the surrounding hills. Those hills, especially the Purple and Cold Mountains, are an additional attraction, and their cool air and open spaces make for a fine day out from the city.
Chaotian Palace (Chaotian Gong)
The Worshipping Heaven Palace was originally a Ming-dynasty school for the children of high officials, later extended by the addition of a Confucian Temple in 1866. Together with other pavilions on the site, such as the Flying Cloud Pavilion and the Imperial Stele Pavilion, they form one of the most perfect monumental ensembles in China. Qing-dynasty emperors came to the temple to pay their respects to the sage.
Confucius Temple (Kong Fuzi Si)
In the atmospheric Fuzimiao district, where shopping, eating, and amusements abound, the temple is a symbol of a bygone age. Yet it remains popular with local Chinese, and rightly so. Recently rebuilt, it recreates the , atmosphere of its Ming- and Qing-dynasty heritage, when its role changed from that of imperial educational establishment to temple. Outside the gate is a canal and a photogenic group of waterside houses.
Drum Tower (Gulou)
Dating from 1382, the tower displays a 2-m diameter drum that was beaten at night to sound the changes of the watch, and an inscribed stone stele mounted on an elephant.
Linggu Temple (Linggu Si)
Part of the extensive monumental zone beneath the Purple Mountain, this temple was dedicated to Xuan Zang, one of the monks who brought the Buddhist scriptures to China from India. Next to it is the 60-m high Linggu Pagoda Linggu Ta), which was designed in 1929 by the American architect, Henry Killam Murphy.
Ming City Wall
Extensive sections remain of what was once an astonishing 33-km circumference defensive wall. Built by 200,000 labourers between 1366 and 1386, the wall averages a height of 12m and a width of 7m. Some of its 13 gates also survive, including Zhonghua Gate (Zhonghuamen) in the south, which has been restored and opened as a museum. Sections of wall can be seen beside Xuanwu Lake, in the northwest close to the Yangtze River, and particularly in the south, beside the Qinhuai River.
Ming Palace (Ming Gugong)
Little remains of the great palace on which the Forbidden City in Beijing is said to have been modelled. It was destroyed in various waves of rebellion and invasion, and only fragments of it survive today.
Nanjing Museum (Nanjing Bowuguan)
Despite its name, this is the Jiangsu provincial museum, and features an extensive collection of objects from the Stone Age to 1919, including archaeological finds, porcelain, and antique astronomical instruments.
Purple and Gold Mountains (Zijinshan)
Overlooking the city, the Purple and Gold Mountains add to Nanjing's green reputation. At the foot of the mountains is the monumental zone that includes the Sun Yatsen Mausoleum and the Linggu Temple. Walking is the best way to reach the summit, but there is also a cable car. Halfway up the pathway, you pass the Purple and Gold Mountain Observatory, which is linked to China's space programme.