Discover Nanjing and find hotels

There are different interests to choose from when visiting Nanjing: imperial tomb history, historic cultural sites, protected river landscapes and extensive green spaces. When looking for a hotel, you can first consider whether culture, scenery or leisure will be the main focus of your trip.

Scenery and culture at Zhongshan Mountain

Nanjing’s Zhongshan Mountain National Park covers about 31 square kilometres, with forest cover of around 80 percent. The area is also home to more than 200 historical and cultural attractions. Its core areas include the Sun Yat-sen Mausoleum, the Ming Tomb area, the Linggu area and the Open-Air Music Hall. Forest scenery and numerous cultural sites are both part of the park’s character. The four core areas offer a way to explore the vast grounds by theme.

Ming Xiaoling and imperial tomb history

Ming Xiaoling is the mausoleum of Zhu Yuanzhang, founder of the Ming dynasty, and his wife, Empress Ma. The tomb of the first Ming emperor broke with earlier traditions and established the basic form of later imperial tombs. These include the Xianling Tomb in Zhongxiang, as well as the Western and Eastern Qing tombs. The site’s history thus extends beyond a single burial place to a later tradition of imperial tomb architecture.

The Ming Tomb Museum is a museum at an archaeological site that presents the World Heritage site of Ming Xiaoling. It adds information about its World Heritage status to the historical perspective on the mausoleum. Meihua Hill also has a well-documented cultural connection: it was the main venue for Nanjing’s International Plum Blossom Festival. If you want to plan your trip around the festival, check the dates for your chosen year.

Qinhuai: river scenery and cultural sites

The Confucius Temple is the centre of the Qinhuai scenic area, with the “Ten Miles of Qinhuai” section forming its central axis. The area also includes Chaotian Palace and Xinanli. Protection also extends to the Qinhuai River and the character of the waterfront scenery on both banks. For orientation, there are several distinct points of reference: the temple as the centre, the named section as the axis, and the other included areas. The river and its waterfront scenery are also part of the area’s character.

A 2023 text from the city of Nanjing listed sightseeing boats on the “Ten Miles of Qinhuai” section as an offering at the time. The water excursion service was restored in the 1980s and 1990s. Before planning a trip, check whether sightseeing boats are currently operating.

Xuanwu Lake and the Ming City Wall

Xuanwu Lake is in Nanjing’s Xuanwu District and covers 3.78 square kilometres. It offers a variety of leisure and entertainment activities. Unlike Qinhuai, where the river and the waterfront scenery on both banks are key themes, Xuanwu Lake is primarily about the lake and leisure activities. This makes it possible to include two distinct waterside settings in your travel plans.

The Nanjing Ming City Wall is about 22 kilometres long and has 25 visitor access points along its route. Visiting conditions may vary from one section to another, so check access to your chosen section in advance. For the Ming Tomb area, visitor guidance dated June 19, 2025, recommends taking Metro Line 2 to Muxuyuan Station. From there, you can continue on foot or take a sightseeing bus. Check this route before your trip.

Explore more destinations: Kunshan, Yangzhou, Yancheng, Suqian, Zhenjiang, Huai'an, Taizhou, Xuzhou

For the broader travel overview: Jiangsu.