Nanjing is a must-see destination in China. We've been to China 5 times now, and Nanjing is one of our favorites. We really think it has the best food, and a lot to offer tourism.
First: Nanjing means South Capital, whereas Beijing means North Capital. Nanjing was the capital of China over the thousands of years of history. It's a special place, and the tourist attractions are aplenty.
We started at Qinhuai River, where we had a lot of fun. Great shopping, beautiful scenery, friendly locals... the place has it all. We picked up some souvenirs to go along with our memories, and considered it a perfect way to start a day exploring Nanjing.
Next, the city wall. Very historic, and very beautiful. Our favorite part was just how many locals were out and about using the massive park for sports, recreation, or even just admiring the scenic lake. Perfect weather, great atmosphere, and a sense of adventure through hiking and learning history. Another top tourist destination in Nanjing.
From there, we wanted to try the famous Nanjing duck. This is where our day started to really take shape!
We ordered the duck from the restaurant with the longest lineup of customers-- typically a good move, in our opinion. Unfortunately, we realized that the store had no chairs. We weren't sure what to do. We started walking... hoping for a bar where we could get a table, buy some drinks, and eat our duck.
As we walked, we were amazed. So many young people in the street, and so much delicious looking street food! There must have been a dozen really tasty looking things. We ended up buying 4 of them... sort of spoiling our appetite for the duck, but no regrets! It was an awesome experience.
By the time we went back to our hotel, our duck was cold, and we figured we needed to give it a fair chance by trying it again the next day. It wasn't bad... it's just something about eating cold duck in your hotel room that didn't quite hit the spot.
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JetLag WarriorsMay 8, 2025, Spring in
China- 0:00Arrival in Nanjing
- 0:42Exploring Qinhuai River
- 7:24Nanjing City Wall
- 9:58City Wall Views
- 11:35Nanjing Duck Quest
- 14:29Street Food Delights
- 22:53Return to Hotel
- 28:44Fancy Dinner
- 44:46Nanjing Review