Four Must Things to See in Nanjing

Before we get into the details of my Four must things to see in Nanjing, there is something that needs to be said: a weekend in Nanjing is not enough. As a matter of fact, Nanjing is one of greatest capital cities of ancient times and thus the city itself offers thousands of things to do. Nevertheless, having said that, China is a huge and diverse country and I want to see as much of it as I can so I spend one or two days per city when I’m travelling. Hence, if you’re planning of spending only a weekend in Nanjing like I did, I highly suggest checking out this list of Four must things to see in Nanjing.

1. Real Bread Cafe

This bakery is amazing and I recommend a visit for breakfast, lunch or even a quick snack or coffee. Honestly, I was feeling so homesick but the great people working here and the amazing food reminded me of home, which was great :) Annie and me liked it so much that on Sunday morning we went back. I highly recommend the chocolate and almond croissant; I seriously can’t stop thinking about it!!

2. The Memorial of the Nanjing Massacre

In the second half of the 19th century, Japan gradually embarked on a militarist road, repeatedly instigating wars of aggression against China. On December 13, 1937 the Japanese perpetrated the world-shocking massacre in Nanjing, in blatant violation of international laws. The Japanese army restored to indiscriminate mass killing, rape, robbery and arson. Over one third of the buildings in Nanjing were destroyed. According to the post-war trial of Japanese war criminals by Chinese military tribunal, the total number of victims exceeded 300,000. The Nanjing massacre is the most representative case of countless atrocities committed by the Japanese army during its war of aggression against China and a crime against humanity, one of the darkest pages in human history.

3. Fuzi Miao / aka Confucius Temple

Fuzi Miao it’s an area of walking streets along the Qin Huai River and it represents the heart and soul of ancient Nanjing. It’s a great place for light shopping, a casual stroll or to grab some lunch or dinner, as there’s plenty of options including Chinese or western food. I recommend going at night-time for a walk, as is the perfect place to enjoy the colourful display of lights such as the dragons along the bank of the river near Wende Bridge.

4. Librairie Avant-Garde

This place it’s a hipster bookstore and coffee shop in a converted parking garage. How cool is that?! They have numerous books (nearly all in Chinese), besides a table where you can email postcards to friends and family and a gift shop with handmade items.

Nanjing it’s awesome and I can’t stop think about the great time I had! Although, I will be going to Shanghai in two weeks so … sit down, relax and stay tuned!!!