What to See in Nanjing
For many, Nanjing will always be associated with the massacre of innocent Chinese citizens by the Japanese army in 1937, when Nanjing was the capital of the Republic of China, founded in 1912. Even if only to pay respect to those victims, a visit to the Nanjing Massacre Memorial Hall should be part of your tourist itinerary in the city. The Memorial Hall was built in 1985 and, like many other Chinese monuments, is enormous, providing relevant exhibitions of historical objects and records that tell the story of the massacre. One of the most impressive parts of the Memorial is the walkway, with the footprints of people who escaped the massacre.
Built in 1034 AD and destroyed and rebuilt several times ever since, the Confucius Temple is worth a stop both because of the architecture and the scenery available from the temple grounds. Even more, it is a good place for shopping (or at least for noticing shopping traditions in China), because much of the grounds have been transformed into a large marketplace. You can also take a gondola on the canal that passes by and enjoy a cup of tea, after visiting the temple and after haggling to the death with the Chinese merchants. No stop at the temple would be complete without a picture with the sculpture of Confucius. Sometimes, different performances can be seen on the grounds.
All that remains from the once splendid Ming Dynasty Imperial Palace are several ruins, as this palace was then destroyed by the following Qing dynasty. However, this is an interesting site because it served as the initial plan for the Forbidding City, after the capital of the Chinese Empire was moved north to Beijing.
Dr. Sun Yat-sen’s Mausoleum was constructed in the 1920s on Mount Zijin and is a majestic monument that hints of traditional Chinese architecture, with a solid modern component. 392 steps lead to the mausoleum, so take your time, admire the cypresses and ginko trees along the way and consider this a week’s exercise. Dr. Sun Yat-sen is an interesting figure considered to be the “Father of Modern China”, both in China and in Taiwan (probably one of the few things there is agreement on).
Finally, pay a short visit to the Zhonghua Gate, in the south of the city. This was the largest of the 11 gates around the city and was initially called the “Gathering Treasure Gate”.