48 Hours in Nanjing: A Short Trip, A Lasting Impression

Scoot recently hosted 15 Care Corner and TOUCH Community Services volunteers on a memorable getaway to Nanjing, China on a Spider-Man: Brand New Day themed flight. The appreciation trip was the airline’s way of marking Singapore’s National Day and celebrating its everyday ‘heroes’- people who make a positive impact to the lives of those in need. It fit in with this year’s National Day theme, “Majulah Singapura, Go Beyond!”, which calls on Singaporeans to do better for one another, and to show care and concern for the wider community. The volunteers embody their spirit through their acts of service such as delivering meals to those in need, all while juggling their own personal and professional commitments.

I had the chance to join the volunteers on the themed flight and appreciation trip, and it also gave me a taste of what the historic city of Nanjing has to offer. The historic capital of Jiangsu province, Nanjing is one of China’s Four Great Ancient Capitals and has served as the capital of several Chinese dynasties and regimes over the centuries.

While Singaporeans often take short weekend getaways to neighbouring Southeast Asian destinations, there has also been a recent rise of “military-style travel” – the Gen Z trend of squeezing as much sightseeing as possible into a short itinerary to max out their time and resources. Our Nanjing trip was certainly not that, in fact the pace was pleasantly leisurely. Yet, I had never before had a short escapade to any location more than a three hour flight away (Nanjing clocks in at 5.5 hours). It did make me curious: what would a short trip to a Chinese city feel like? And could a city as historically rich as Nanjing leave much of an impression in just a couple of days? The answer, as I discovered, was a resounding yes.

Laomendong

We arrived at Nanjing past midnight, and after getting an ample night’s rest, we set about discovering the Qinhuai District after lunch, starting off with Laomendong in the city’s old town. Laomendong is a pedestrian-only, lively commercial street known for its traditional architecture, narrow lanes and restored Ming and Qing dynasty-style buildings. The area’s weathered brickwork, tiled roofs and traditional façades provide plenty of instagrammable opportunities, while its many eateries offer an introduction to local specialities like duck blood vermicelli soup and a variety of sweet treats. It is the sort of place where you can easily lose track of time – wandering down one alley, stopping for a snack in the next and taking yet another photograph.

Nanjing Confucius Temple (Fuzimiao) and surroundings

One can spend an entire day strolling the Qinhuai District. A 15-minute walk from Laomendong takes you to the 1034-founded Nanjing Confucius Temple (Fuzimiao in Chinese) and the surrounding Qinhuai river area. It is a place to worship the great philosopher and educator, Confucius, and I saw many parents bringing their children to pray for their examinations. I did not enter the temple as the nearby streets were bustling with activity. There are countless stalls selling salted duck (duck products are a Nanjing specialty) which you might want to pack to take back home, and more good food. If you stay till night, you will catch the magic of the lights in the area shimmering over the Qinhuai River – taking on an entirely different character and best enjoyed via a boat ride. Night is when Fuzimiao truly comes alive as the after-office crowd fills up the area. I, however had other plans for the evening.

Librairie Avant-Garde (Mount Wutai Branch)

As a bibliophile, one of my priorities was a visit to Librairie Avant-Garde’s famous Wutaishan branch – a bookstore that has become something of a cultural institution in Nanjing. There is good reason for book lovers to put it on their itinerary. Nanjing was designated a UNESCO City of Literature in 2019 and Librairie Avant-Garde fits perfectly into that literary identity and has been hailed by several global media as one of China’s most beautiful bookstores. The store’s proximity to Nanjing University also gives it a strong student following. If you have time, Nanjing University’s nearby campus is worth popping by too – it is one of the top 10 universities in China.

Jiming Temple

The next day, we headed to the Xuanwu District, Nanjing’s main urban centre which serves as the seat of the municipal government and is also home to several historical and natural landmarks. Our first stop was Jiming Temple, one of the oldest Buddhist temples in Nanjing with over 1,700 years of history. Today, it has expanded to function as a Buddhist nunnery and centre for Buddhist education. It is also interesting for its pretty colours and sprawling, tiered layout that takes some effort to ascend but rewards with great views at the top. If you are hungry, there is a popular vegetarian restaurant within the temple grounds – a welcome opportunity to take a break midway. And if you happen to visit in April, you’ll see beautiful cherry blossoms that amplify the temple’s true beauty.

Nanjing City Wall and Xuanwu Lake

Jiming Temple is located near the Nanjing City Wall and Xuanwu Lake and is a springboard for those attractions, all of which make for a handy 3-stop tourist circuit. The only exit after entering the temple is at the top, where there is a small bridge that leads to the City Wall, an impressive monument in its own right that snakes right through the city centre. Completed around the end of the 14th century to protect Nanjing when it was the founding capital of the Ming Dynasty and the world’s largest city then, the wall’s full length is about 35km, making it one of the longest surviving city walls in the world.

Sections of the wall offering striking views of Nanjing’s modern skyline alongside its historic landmarks, and you can consider walking along its entire length if you have more time in Nanjing – it takes an estimated 10-12 hours. We were content to spend about 45 minutes on the wall enjoying the views of the city and Xuanwu Lake, which is composed of five islets, several gardens and a park, all of which are scenic in every season. I was surprised to find that Nanjing’s afternoon heat in summer can be searing beyond what we have experienced in Singapore. Temperatures hit 38-40 degrees Celsius during our time there, so do ensure that you bring along adequate sun protection.

Nanjing Impressions

After visiting the wall, it was time for a sumptuous dinner before squeezing in some last-minute shopping and then heading for our flight back to Singapore. I came away from the trip surprised by how much I’d seen in such a short time. Although it was not my first visit to China like it was for at least one of the volunteers, this was the first time I had ventured around a Chinese city with some measure of public transport, which made my evening jaunt to Librarie Avant-Garde and Nanjing University all the more satisfying. Not only did I discover the ease and convenience of Chinese ride-hailing via DiDi Chuxing, I also managed a maiden ride on the Nanjing Metro. The Qinhuai district tourist office advised me that it can be much faster than Didi during peak hours, with fares at only about 2-8 RMB (less than S$2) for most rides! The metro would make a free-and-easy trip here efficient, less daunting and very cost-effective for even a solo traveller.

Nanjing is ultimately a city of contrasts: ancient city walls and modern skyscrapers, centuries-old temples and contemporary bookstores, traditional neighbourhoods and an extensive modern transport network. And this introductory trip only scratched the surface, with many more attractions left to discover, from the Sun Yat-sen Mausoleum and Presidential Palace to the Ming Xiaoling Mausoleum, Purple Mountain, Niushou Mountain and the Memorial Hall of the Victims in Nanjing Massacre. For a traveller accustomed to quick escapes only within Southeast Asia, I had experienced that it was also doable for Chinese cities – which opens up a huge range of new options for me as Singapore resident!

And while I doubt I will ever attempt to walk the entire Great Wall of China, completing the full stretch of the Nanjing City Wall has now found its way onto my bucket list. My glimpse of Nanjing might have been fleeting, but it certainly left a lasting impression.

Scoot flies daily from Singapore to Nanjing.