With the construction started in 1926, Dr. Sun Yat-sen's Mausoleum is the tomb of Dr. Sun Yat-sen, the great forerunner of democratic revolution of China. On June 1, 1929, Dr. Sun Yat-sen's coffin was moved from Beijingto Nanjing and buried here. Covering an area of over 133 hectares, Dr. Sun Yat-sen's Mausoleum is located at the southern foot of Zhongshan Mountain. Lying on the mountain, it faces the plain with the verdant mountain at its back, enjoying a regular layout and a spectacular appeal.

The mausoleum was designed by Lu Yanzhi, an outstanding Chinese architect who was concurrently the architect of tomb construction at that time. The plane of entire mausoleum ensemble looks like an alarm bell with a far-reaching significance. 700 meters long with a 70-meter difference in height, the path from the mausoleum gate to the tomb-chamber has 393 steps and 10 platforms. The arched tablet, the tomb-path, the mausoleum gate, the tablet-pavilion, the sacrificial hall and the tomb-chamber are all vertically situated on one and the same axis. Main buildings of the mausoleum are built with solid and beautiful granites and Jinshan stones which mostly came from Fujian province, Beijing, Suzhou, Qingdao and Hong Kong, etc. The archway and the top of the sacrificial hall are all covered with glazed blue tiles, appearing magnificent, spectacular, tranquil and solemn.

Nanjing is one of the six ancient Capital cities in China. Being the capital city of the Ming Dynasty (the first and second Ming Dynasty emperors lived in Nanjing), there used to be over 100,000 Muslims living in Nanjing 600 years old when the Ming Dynasty was first established. There are more than five mosques now in Nanjing, among which Qingjing Mosque is the most famous one. IslamiChina has summarized the following Nanjing Muslim travel tips to our Muslim brothers and sisters to travel Nanjing during a short period of time.

Tour Itinerary Planning

For Muslim Business Travelers

If you are in Nanjing for a business trip and you have one day free to travel around Nanjing, you are recommended to visit the Presidential Palace, the Mausoleum of Sun Yat-sen and the Confucius Temple. You may also join local Muslims to perform Salat Prayer at Nanjing Qingjing Mosque.

For Muslim leisure travelers

2 Days and  one Nights Nanjing Muslim Tour is the best choice for Muslim leisure travelers because this tour itinerary allows you to have enough time to know both Nanjing’s culture heritages as well as Muslim heritages. You are not in a hurry to get around Nanjing from one place to another. Please check IslamiChina’s Nanjing Muslim Tour 2 Days for details.

Accommodations

There is no Muslim hotel in Nanjing, you may choose to stay at international brand name hotels such as Sheraton, Hilton, Holiday Inns and dine at local Halal restaurants in Nanjing.

Halal Restaurants in Nanjing

The easiest way to find a Halal restaurant in China is to look for local mosque. Mosque is always located in the center of a Muslim community, no doubt, Halal restaurants can be found around Mosque serving local Halal food. In Nanjing, Halal restaurants are also located in other part of the city serving Southeast Asian Cuisine, local Nanjing Halal cuisine and Xinjiang Uyghur Cuisine. Lanzhou Beef Noodles can also be found in many areas in Nanjing.

Mosques in Nanjing

According to historical record, the earliest mosque in Nanjing was built in the Song Dynasty. There were 11 mosques built in Nanjing in the Ming Dynasty; 24 mosques built in the Qing Dynasty; 13 mosques built in the Replica of China period from 1911 to 1949. By 1949 there were 32 mosques in Nanjing’s city proper area and 21 mosques in its suburban counties. Currently there are 12 mosques in Nanjing. Four mosques are located in the city proper area: Jingjue Mosque which was built in the Ming Dynasty; Caoqiao Mosque; Jizhaoying Mosque and Hanximen Mosque. The rest are located in the suburban areas of Nanjing.

Money Exchange

You can exchange traveler's checks or cash at most banks, and most 5-star and 4-star hotels always have a money exchange counter. You can also get a cash advance on your credit card on ATM machine. The exchange rate all over China are the same fixed by Bank of China. To change money, you have to have your passport at hand. If you want to change money in a hotel, you usually have to be a guest there. Sometimes if you are not a guest in a hotel but need to change money there, you can just say a random room number, but this doesn't always work. Remember to keep the exchange slip well because you need this slip to change the Chinese Yuan back to your currency if you do have this need at the end of the tour. At present, the RMB is not exchangeable on the International market, so it is only usable within the country. So when you are changing money, don't change too much, because it is difficult to change back into other currencies. To change RMB back into your home currency, you must retain the exchange slips that are given to you at the bank or money exchange counter.

As the capital city of six Dynasties of China, Nanjing has accumulated numerous cultural and historic heritages. Souvenir in Nanjing is mainly the handicraft which can date back to thousands of years ago. Cloud Brocade (Yunjin) had been the official dress of the Ming and Qing Dynasty emperors and it represented the highest level of silk and brocade making technology in Imperial China. The gold leaf produced in Nanjing is another famous local handicraft which is less than 1/10 micron thick and has a long history dating back to 420 A.D. Gilded paintings, bookmarks, statues and other gold leaf products are available in stores of Nanjing. Xinjiekou is the main shopping area located in the center of Nanjin; Hunan Road is a better shopping street if you stay at northern part of Nanjing; Taiping South Road is a shopping street located in southern Nanjing. When you are in Nanjing, don’t miss the shops around Confucius Temple.

Local Specialties of Nanjing

Nanjing has a variety of local specialties, and among them, the most well-known ones should be Cloud Brocade and Yuhua Stones. The Cloud Brocade is one of the three famous brocade sin China. The brocade gains its name for its elegant colors and exquisite patterns. The Yuhua Stone is a unique souvenir in Nanjing. It is said that in North Dynasty, Master Yunguang gave a lecture in Jubao Mountain. When he finished his teaching, the flower rain fell down the earth and changed into Yuhua stones.

Visitors can buy authentic Cloud Brocade in Nanjing Cloud Brocade Study Institution and Yuhua Stones in Chaotiangong Antique City and Nanjing Museum. Besides, Nanjing also has some local products, such as stewed salt-preserved duck, the rose peanuts and Yuhua tea. Those local products can be found in each large scale super market. Visitors are not recommended to buy those products in sightseeing spots.

Featured Shopping Streets in Nanjing

The shopping streets in Nanjing mostly gather in Xinjiekou, Hunan Road and Confucius Temple Area. Nanjing Xinjiekou Pedestrian Street is the third largest commercial street in China, only inferior to Beijing Wangfujing Street and Shanghai Nanjing Road. It is a multifunctional street combining shopping, dining and entertainment together.

Hunan Road Pedestrian Street is situated on the northwestern part in Nanjing City. The street is 1,100 meters long and 30 meters wide. Among all the 238 stores, the excusive stores and brand name shops account for 83%. Ten years ago, the street was unknown; however, it is now one of the most prosperous shopping streets in Nanjing. Besides, Shiziqiao Street, a branch of Hunan Road, is a wonderful place for gourmets.

The Confucius Temple Commercial Area is situated on the bank of the Qinhuai River. The street is distinguished by its various commodities as well as the architectural style of the Ming and Qing Dynasty. The commercial area offers goods like antiques, clothes, flowers, paintings and so on.

Nanjing is located in East China’s Jiangsu province and close to Shanghai on the southern bank of Yangtze River. Nanjingcan be reached by air, by train, by boat and by bus. Nanjing International Airport is located to the southeast of the city, 35 kilometers (22 miles) from the city center. It is about 45 minutes to drive from downtown Nanjing to the airport. TheYangtze River Bridge in Nanjing connects railways on the northern and the southern river banks so that Nanjing has become the train transport hub of Eastern China with direct trains to Beijing, Shanghai, Suzhou, Hangzhou and Xian.Nanjing also has a developed water transport network due to its convenient location by the Yangtze River. Passenger cruise ships can take travelers downstream along the Yangtze River to Shanghai or upstream to Wuhu and Chongqing.

Getting to Nanjing by Air

Nanjing Lukou International Airport is located in Lukou Town, Jiangning District, about 35.8 km away from the downtown area. The airport was built in 1995 and opened to public in 1997. Covering an area of 9562 mu, the airport has a terminal of 13.2 square meters, a parking apron of 44.7 square meters and a 3,600-meter-long runway.

Getting to Nanjing by Train

Nanjing Railway Station, built in 1968, is located to the north of Nanjing, by the side of Yangtze River and at the foot of Purple Mountain. The railway station was expanded in 2002, and after three years’ refitting, Nanjing Railway Station has become the most important station in the city. Now Nanjing can be reached by Bullet Train from Shanghai and Beijing.

Getting around Nanjing by City Bus

There are many types of city buses in Nanjing City and visitors can simply distinguish them by their names. The routes from Bus No. 1 to Bus No. 159 are within the city; the buses starting with 3 are mini buses within the city; the buses starting with 8 only open at night; the buses starting with a Chinese character “游” are tourist buses.

Getting around Nanjing by Taxi

The types of taxis in Nanjing include Jetta, Santana and Fukang. The starting fare is 7 yuan for 3 kilometers. After exceeding 3 kilometers, the charging standard wiil be 2.4 yuan per kilometer. At night, the fare will be 0.3 yuan higher than that in the day time. However, the taxis in Nanjing will not charge the waiting fare. In other words, the taxi fare in Nanjing only depends on the mileage.

Nanjing locates in the middle latitude and belongs to the subtropical monsoon climate region. Nanjing’s annual temperature averages 15 C, featuring distinct seasons, the coldest in January with average temperature of -7C, and the hottest in July and August with average temperature of 32 C. As one of the three hottest cities in China, the summer period should be avoided. The most favorable time for visiting this city is from October to mid-November when the weather is pleasant. In winter, it may snow in Najing, which is quite different from the ordinary southern cities. Lucy visitors can appreciate the beautiful snowscape in Nanjing.

Nanjing, the capital of ten periods in Chinese history, is famous for its rich culture, long history and beautiful landscapes.

As one of the eight great ancient capitals in China, Nanjing is one of the first cities awarded the title of "Famous Historical and Cultural City" by the State Council. In 472 B.C., Goujian, the king of Yue State, started to build the city at Yuhuatai, thus it was called "Yue city". In 229 A.D., the Eastern Wu Dynasty of the Three Kingdoms moved its capital to Nanjing and started to develop "Jianye city" as it was named then. After this, the Eastern Jin, Song, Qi, Liang and Chen Dynasties, Southern Tang Dynasty, Ming Dynasty, Taiping HeavenlyKingdom and Republic of China all chose Nanjing as their capital. These eras left many famous attractions including: the willowed banks of Xuanwu Lake, the bright lights and river scenery of Confucius Temple, the ancient city wall (the best preserved in the world), the World Heritage-listed Ming Tomb, Dr. Sun Yat-sen Mausoleum proclaiming to the world the spirit of Freedom, Equality and Fraternity, Jinghai Temple, Presidential Palace and many, many other places of historical interests. Among the many protected cultural relics and sites in Nanjing, one has been inscribed on the World Heritage List, 14 are protected at the national level and 135 at the provincial level. In all, three cultures with distinctive characteristics may be witnessed in Nanjing: the culture of the Six Dynasties, the culture of the Ming Dynasty, the culture of the Republic of China.

Nanjing, with a favorable geographical location and picturesque landscape, is also a famous tourist city. Nanjingis located on the lower reaches of the Yangtze River, thus the four seasons are clearly demarcated, which brings plenty of rainfall and abundant produce. The mountains, lakes, rivers, forests as well as the city properly form the beautiful vistas all year round. Nanjing's magnificent scenery extends across the seasons and across the city's reach. In spring, it is interesting to visit the misty greenness in Niushou Mountain. In summer, the sunlight and clouds in the eastern suburbs is famous, while in autumn climbing the splendid Qixia Mountain is the most favored. Lastly, in winter it is recommended to view the stone city wall under the white snow.

Nanjing is a modern city brimming with dynamism and confidence. Nanjing has comprehensive strengths and is one of the four national key cities for science and commerce. Nanjing, with complete infrastructure and dynamic trade and commerce sectors, is an important transportation and communication hub in East China as well as the most important commercial city in the Yangtze River delta region after Shanghai.

As an ancient capital city, green city, cultural city, riverside city and city of fraternity, Nanjing has emerged as one of China's most attractive destinations for investment and living. Nanjing has been awarded several honorable titles for its outstanding achievement, including "National Advanced City for Scientific and Technological Progress", "National Excellent Tourist City", "National Hygienic City” and "National Model City for Environmental Protection”. Nanjing, as one of the "forty Chinese cities with best environments for investment”, is also regarded as one of the Asian-Pacific Rim cities with the best development prospects in the 21st century.

Five Springs Mountain Park: General Introduction

The Five Springs Mountain Park (Wuquan Shan Gonyuan) is, along with it's neighbor Lanshan Park, a pretty area of mountain scenery, temples and winding paths. These two spots will take up a good day and are a worthy rest away from the bustle of the strip of city that can be seen from below.

The park is named after the five springs that can be found at the foot of the mountain, to the south of the city. Legend has it that a General from the Western Han Dynasty (206 BC-24 AD), Huo Qubing, stabbed his sword into the ground after finding no water for his horses or himself. The five springs erupted from here and are still flowing today.

The park contains many temples and pavilions, mostly of Qing Dynasty (1368-1644 AD) origin, as well as tea-houses, art-exhibition halls and pools. Of these, the Ming Dynasty (1368-1644 AD) Jingang Palace (Jingan gong) and Temple ofReverent Solemnity (Chongqing si) are the best. The first contains a magnificent 16ft bronze Buddha cast in 1370 AD, while the latter houses an ancient bronze bell, 10 feet high and weighing 5 tons, that dates back to 1202 AD.

Five Springs Mountain Park Travel Tips:

Admission Fee: CNY5

Opening Hours: 06:00-18:00