南京市

Why this place

Nanjing has been a capital of China under six dynasties and again in the twentieth century, and it retains the longest city wall in the world along with the mausoleums of its first Ming emperor. It is also a city of plane trees, universities and grief — the memorial to the 1937 Nanjing Massacre is one of the most affecting sites in the country.

What to see

• The Ming city wall — 35km of the original, with the Zhonghua Gate the most complete
• The Sun Yat-sen Mausoleum on Purple Mountain, and the Ming Xiaoling tomb nearby
• The Nanjing Massacre Memorial Hall — essential, and very hard
• Confucius Temple and the Qinhuai River district, for the old examination-city quarter
• The Presidential Palace, which spans the Taiping, republican and later periods

What to eat

• Salted duck (yanshui ya) — Nanjing's most famous food
• Duck blood and vermicelli soup, and duck-oil pancakes
• Sweet osmanthus and lotus-root dishes from the Qinhuai tradition

How to plan

Two or three days: one for Purple Mountain, one for the wall and the old city, one for museums.

Best time

March–May and September–November; the plane trees are green all summer

Practical tips

• Purple Mountain sites are spread out — use the shuttle and wear walking shoes