Nanjing Travel Notes | Seven-day trip from Beijing to Nanjing

It has been more than ten days since I returned to Beijing from Nanjing. The memory of Nanjing, in addition to the bits and pieces imprinted on the 739 photos, contains more surprises, shocks, and subtle emotions.

Nanjing, known as Jinling in ancient times, was the ancient capital of six dynasties (Wu, Eastern Jin, Liu Song, Southern Qi, Nanliang, and Nanchen) and the capital of ten dynasties (Eastern Wu, Eastern Jin, Southern Song, Qi, Liang, Chen, Southern Tang, Ming, Taiping Heavenly Kingdom, Republic of China), one of the four ancient capitals of China (Xi'an, Nanjing, Luoyang, and Beijing), has a rich historical heritage and prosperous cultural integration.

Looking at the four seasons in Nanjing, it seems that each season has its own "color" except winter. In spring, cherry blossoms are in full bloom, and all kinds of flowers are blooming, colorful and full of vitality; in summer, the lush sycamore trees, with their lush branches and leaves and the green spreading like thick ink; in autumn, the golden ginkgo and red maples on Qixia Mountain are blown by the autumn wind Fallen dead leaves...it seems snow will fall in winter too, but it still needs to be colder. Nanjing in winter has two characteristics. One is that there are very few people visiting the scenic spots, and the other is that there is always a hazy poetic feeling like smoke and rain when viewed from a distance.

Keep reading, I will review the seven days of traveling in Nanjing, record some stories, and keep some photos.

Arrive at Nanjing Lukou Airport around noon and take the subway for one and a half hours to reach the hotel located northwest of the Confucius Temple Scenic Area. After a quick lunch in the surrounding area, we stay at the hotel to rest, and then go to the Confucius Temple Qinhuai River Scenic Area at around 5 o'clock in the evening. Nanjing is further east than Beijing, and the sunset is earlier. In addition, in winter, the sun is directly in the southern hemisphere. It is already dark after five o'clock, and the moon is high in the sky. At that time, the clean Zhonghua Road is already lit up, and the bright and colorful night market is about to let the cold The winter days are a little more lively.

 

Go all the way south along Zhonghua Road, go east to Zhonghua Gate, and go straight for 100 meters to the east of Laomen, which is an important part of the Qinhuai River Scenic Area of ​​Confucius Temple. At night, the city wall is decorated with colorful lights. Although it is not bright, it is enough to show the outline of the city wall. It is already past seven o'clock when we walk along the north side of the city wall to Laomen East. We find a Nanjing food stall nearby. As soon as we enter, the waiter greets us with fists. , shouting "Guests please come in", after taking your seats, you can order dishes while listening to Jiangnan songs, and also taste Meiling porridge, roast duck buns, salted duck, etc., all of which taste slightly sweet and authentic Jinling taste.

 

There were three or two lanterns hung on the houses on both sides of the alley in Lao Mendong. The lamps were coiled irregularly on the branches, adding a little more light to the dark alley. Walking north, when you see an east-west river with southern characteristics, you arrive at the Confucius Temple Qinhuai River Scenic Area. If Laomendong can be said to be lively, the banks along the Qinhuai River can be said to be prosperous. The neon lights of Kuiguang Pavilion are reflected in the water, and the moving boats leave gorgeous ripples; there are crowds of people in front of each business, and the sounds of hawking, bustling, and music from the shops complement each other, just like the bar street in Houhai, Beijing, with bright lights, greenery, and bustle . After taking some photos of the night scene, we returned to the hotel and the first day was over.

 

The next day we planned to go to Zhongshan Scenic Area. Since the scenic area is very large, we decided to go to Ming Xiaoling Mausoleum in the morning and Meiling Palace in the afternoon. There is a bit more chill in the Purple Mountain in the early morning, and the crows’ crows give the Ming Xiaoling Tomb more divinity. Entering from the Golden Gate, the Ming Dynasty Xiaoling Holy Gong Monument stands in the stele pavilion, which is extremely spectacular. You can see the Shixiang Road Shinto along the way, with a total length of 615 meters. On both sides of the shrine are six kinds of stone animals: lions, xiè zhì, camels, elephants, unicorns and horses. Go north and enter the Memorial Hall of Sun Quan, the Great Emperor of the Eastern Wu Dynasty, then follow the trail to Boai Pavilion and then go down the mountain to the main building of Ming Xiaoling Mausoleum.

 

Walking through the Jinshui Bridge and entering the Wenwu Square Gate, the red city wall and the plum blossoms that have not yet bloomed create a grand and quiet atmosphere; continuing forward is the Stele Hall and the Zhilong Tang and Song Dynasty Stele. There is a large gilt character; further ahead are the Xiaoling Hall and the Fangcheng Minglou, the main buildings of Xiaoling. The mottled platform base, the polished stone chi head and the magnificent Fangcheng jointly carry the weight and uniqueness of history and bear witness to the Ming Taizu. Zhu Yuanzhang's legendary life.

 

In the afternoon, go to Meiling Palace, which is also located in Zhongshan Scenic Area. If you go there in summer or autumn, the aerial photography overlooking thousands of plane trees and this "No. 1 Villa in the Far East" will be like a necklace, beautiful and romantic. The black car at the entrance of the official residence is full of the Republic of China atmosphere. The reception room, office, bedroom, and large dining room in the official residence are all very solemn and elegant. The red carpet, celebrity calligraphy and painting, and Western style all show its luxury. Meiling Palace witnessed the love between Chiang Kai-shek and Soong Meiling. Its design concept of combining Western and Western jade represents the highest achievement of the architecture of the Republic of China, which is graceful and luxurious even today.

 

In the evening, go to the most prosperous area of ​​Nanjing - Xinjiekou Business District. As soon as I got off the subway, the crowded crowds of people dreamed of returning to Beijing's evening rush hour. There are 24 exits in one subway station alone. Fortunately, I was confused and found Deji Plaza. The 8th floor of Deji Phase II is filled with a strong atmosphere of modern art. There are also Deji Art Museum, Deji Gallery and Art Bookstore. The interlacing of light and shadow and the collision of colors under the impact of multicultural art are very suitable for taking pictures. Xinjiekou Commercial Center is lined with hotels, shopping malls, and entertainment venues. It is the best choice for shopping, shopping, and dining in Nanjing.

 

On the third day after arriving in Nanjing, after getting used to the slightly damp, cold and hazy weather, I took the subway to Xuanwu Lake. Enter the Xuanwu Gate and walk along the road to the bridge. You can see the lake from a close distance and the small bridge from a distance. The fog is wrapped in it, just like an ink painting, and it has the feeling of "misty rain entering the south of the Yangtze River". The close-up view is hazy, the distant view is blurry, and it has the atmosphere of a water town in the south of the Yangtze River. Walk half a circle around the island, cross the bridge into Yingzhou, and then walk to Lingzhou, basically completing the southwest part of Xuanwu Lake. The park is very quiet and the place is large. Although the colors are relatively monotonous in winter, the occasional chirping of birds and the conversations of a few elderly people in the park give Xuanwu Lake more vitality.

 

Go out from the Jiefang Gate of Xuanwu Lake and you will see the Ming City Wall on your right. As the longest, largest and best-preserved ancient city wall in the world, the Nanjing Ming City Wall is larger in scale than the Xi'an City Wall that I visited in high school. It has changed from the square or rectangular old system and is surrounded by mountains and rivers. You can see it when walking on it. On the vast Xuanwu Lake, you can also see Jiming Temple up close. Festive red lanterns are hung on lampposts, and ancient artillery that once defended against foreign enemies stands on the city wall, telling the history of a hundred years ago together with the blue-gray city bricks.

 

Standing outside the Ming city wall and looking up, the thick city wall blends with the nearby scenery, showing the interplay of history and modernity. It was already two o'clock in the afternoon, so I had a steaming bowl of duck blood and vermicelli soup, which was bland in taste, fragrant and smooth. Then go to Jiming Temple, the first of the "480 Temples in the Southern Dynasties". The incense here is always strong, and there is an endless stream of devout worshipers. It is quiet and full of Buddha nature. The plaque on the Guanyin Pavilion reads "Overcoming all hardships", and I wish everyone good luck in the new year.

 

After coming out of Jiming Temple, I happened to pass by the Nanjing Museum of Paleontology, where I visited and learned about the historical evolution of life on earth, and glimpsed the evolution of life from paleontological fossils. Then take the subway to Nanjing Drum Tower, which is in sharp contrast with the surrounding modern buildings. The red walls and blue tiles retain the traces of time. I originally wanted to go up to the Zifeng Building, the tallest building in Nanjing, to take pictures of the night scene, but gatherings were not allowed during the epidemic, so today’s trip could only be ended with regret. In the evening I had soup dumplings at Jinling Zhengchun Garden, which tasted very good.

 

Along with the drizzle, we embarked on the journey to Niushou Mountain. Niushou Mountain is a famous Buddhist mountain in China. It is the founding place and birthplace of Niutou Zen Buddhism and has profound cultural heritage. Before going there, I never would have thought that the Zen view and the Thousand Buddhas Hall at the Foding Palace in Niushou Mountain would be so shocking. After arriving at the destination, the light rain gradually stopped, so we got on the tour bus and headed to Foding Temple first. This is a temple imitating the Tang style, with seven halls distributed in a courtyard style. There are monks meditating in the main hall, and you can also hear the sounds of chanting sutras and knocking wooden fish. The dark red buildings and the lingering cigarette smoke add a bit of tranquility and tranquility.

 

Then drive to Foding Holy Land, where major buildings such as Foding Pagoda and Foding Palace are located. The mist covers the mountains, and the Buddha's top tower stands in the mist. It is vaguely visible from a distance and majestic and solemn from a close look. Take the elevator up the hill, and the majestic outline of the Buddha Dining Palace emerges in front of you. The giant lotus holds up the small Mani dome with the bun on the top of the Buddha's head, and together with the large cassock-like dome form the magnificent main building of the Buddha's Top Palace. Walking into the small dome, the long corridor that stretches for a week outlines a sacred stroke in the mottled light and shadow. When entering the Zen state, you are even more attracted by the colors of the morning sun and moonlight on the Sala dome, the solemn and kind-faced reclining Buddha, and the golden light all around. I was deeply shocked by the Buddhist worship wall.

 

The real wonder is after entering the underground palace. It is difficult to describe this place in words. The splendid Thousand Buddhas Hall is magnificent and colorful. In the center is the holy pagoda dedicated to the parietal bone relics of the Buddha. Surrounding the corridor are the four Buddhas, the sixteen Bodhisattvas of Huimen, the Four Photographs Bodhisattvas and the Eight Inner and Outer Bodhisattvas. , a three-dimensional presentation of the sacred scene of the Fourth Offering Meeting of the Mandala Mandala in the Vajra Realm of Buddhism. The outer Ten Thousand Buddhas Gallery is composed of thousands of large and small Buddha statues, which are compassionate and solemn and save all living beings. At the same time, I saw the bone relic of Sakyamuni Buddha from a distance in the Relic Palace, which was so extraordinary. In the afternoon, we had a vegetarian buffet on the basement floor of Foding Palace, walked around the Buddhist Sutra Temple, and then returned to Qinhuai District.

 

The weather finally cleared up and I went to play with my good friends in Nanjing today. In the morning, we went to visit the Nanjing Museum. As one of the three major museums in China (the other two are the Palace Museum in Beijing and the Palace Museum in Taipei), the Nanjing Museum consists of the History Hall, the Special Exhibition Hall, the Digital Hall, the Art Hall, the Intangible Cultural Heritage Hall and the Republic of China Hall. , the museum has hundreds of thousands of cultural relics, including bronze, jade, ceramics, lacquerware, silk embroidery and other cultural relics. There are also a number of national cultural relics such as the golden seal of Guangling King of the Eastern Han Dynasty, bronze cow lamps decorated with silver, etc., all of which are Chinese civilization. direct evidence of development.

 

In the afternoon, I ate crispy sesame pancakes, red bean and sesame glutinous rice balls and beef pot stickers near Daxing Palace. The taste was very light. Considering that I didn’t have enough time, I only took photos outside the Presidential Palace and then went to Nanjing 1912 Block, where the architectural features of the Republic of China period can be seen at a glance. Commercial elements and old buildings complement each other. In addition to leisure and fashion, the buildings of the Republic of China are modernized and protected. The 1912 Block not only carries eye-catching historical coordinates, but also outlines clear living coordinates.

 

Continuing to the south is the Jiangning Weaving Museum. This is a modern museum built based on the old site of Jiangning Weaving. The overall style is like Jiangnan landscape painting and the garden structure is outstanding. Its style is described as "three mountains and half fall outside the green mountains, and two rivers separate Bailuzhou". Very harmonious. The museum records the history of Jiangning Zhizao Mansion itself, as well as the rise and fall of the historical masterpiece "Dream of Red Mansions" which is closely related to Zhizao Mansion, as well as the author Cao Xueqin and the Cao family. There are also many cultural relics on display, such as the silk handicraft Yunjin from the Tang Dynasty, which is known as "an inch of brocade, an inch of gold", and the exquisite and unique yellow-based dragon robe of the Qing Dynasty emperor, etc., which are exquisitely designed, beautiful and ingenious.

 

On the penultimate day in Nanjing, I took a nucleic acid test in the morning in accordance with the epidemic prevention requirements of "returning to Beijing requires a nucleic acid certificate within 48 hours", and then went to visit Zhanyuan, one of the "Four Famous Gardens in Jiangnan". As the oldest existing Ming Dynasty classical garden in Nanjing, the overall layout of Zhanyuan is elegant and exquisite, with ancient buildings from the Ming and Qing dynasties, quiet and elegant pavilions, steep rockeries, clear and tranquil lakes, and lively and cute little buildings. Cats form a harmonious and beautiful garden landscape. Here I also met a grandmother who loves photography. She has been doing photography for more than 30 years, which is very valuable.

 

After lunch, we took a taxi to Pukou Railway Station and drove through the Nanjing Yangtze River Tunnel to the other side of the Yangtze River. Unfortunately, Pukou Railway Station is under renovation and is not open to the public, so we can only walk along the Yangtze River. When you come to the riverside, the rolling river water and the moving freighters depict a busy shipping scene. Nanjing is a city that was born and prospered because of the river. Looking north at the Nanjing Yangtze River Bridge, this double-decker railway and highway bridge across the Yangtze River is a very important milestone in China's bridge construction. The majestic bridges, the wide river surface, the large cargo ships traveling on the Yangtze River, the Yangtze River is magnificent and turbulent.

 

To return to the other side of the river, you can take a ferry across the river from Pukou Pier. The one-way ticket only costs 2 yuan. You can also ride an electric car on the ferry, which is very friendly to office workers on both sides of the Yangtze River. At this time, the sun is approaching sunset, the river surface under the ferry turns dark blue, and the lights of the buildings on both sides of the Yangtze River gradually light up. The last ray of sunset emerging from the horizon, reflecting the intertwined clouds in the sky, on the deep and vast river surface, and the shadow of distant tall buildings near the horizon, tells the story that time has gone by like the river and will never return. It also tells the story of cargo ships, ferries and the people who live there day after day.

 

The night before returning to Beijing, I sorted out the photos from the past few days and spent half the night editing them into a video. While editing, I kept thinking, what are the characteristics of Nanjing’s winter? One is that there are very few people visiting the scenic spots, and the other is that there is always a hazy poetic feeling like smoke and rain when looking from a distance. Of course now, I think there is a third characteristic: Nanjing in winter has a kind of cultural warmth, just like the Forbidden City in the first snow, which gives the city a deeper cultural heritage and market warmth in the cold season.

Just like walking along the Qinhuai River, although everyone is wearing heavy clothes, there are still steaming roast ducks, enthusiastic hawking sounds and enthusiastic food stall waiters. Just like the vermilion walls of the Ming Xiaoling Mausoleum, the bright red lanterns on the Ming City walls, and the fiery red sunset over the Yangtze River in the evening, they are blazing and real in the cold winter. There are also the prosperous Ancient Jiming Temple, the magnificent Niushou Mountain Foding Palace, and the bustling Xinjiekou business district. The development of history is accompanied by the exchange, integration and innovation of human civilization. The temperature of culture is the temperature of human beings. , is breath, is foundation, is blending, is change.

On the flight back to Beijing, it was sunset and the sky was getting dark. The lights of the cities gradually lit up at this time, and the lights were like stars, connected by roads, forming a bustling scene. Cities are connected to each other, and what crosses thousands of rivers and mountains is not only transportation, but also people’s hearts. In Nanjing, I also met talkative driver masters and security guards who helped guide the way. The temperature of every city is the temperature of everyone in the city. Nanjing is such a city with cultural warmth. It is not only an ancient historical capital and a cultural city, but also a city with warmth.