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Teaching English in Nanjing
Nanjing (meaning southern capital) is one of the six ancient capitals of China (from beginning of the 3rd century to the end of the 6th century), situated at the south bank of the lower reaches of the Yangtze River. Today, Nanjing is the capital of Jiangsu Province and covers an area of 860 square kilometers with a population of more than 5 million.
Various dynasties have made Nanjing their base. The most famous of these periods is when Nanjing was the capital of China during the Ming Dynasty between 1368 and 1644 and also the establishment of the People's Republic of China in the early 20th Century. Many of the city's historical sites date back to these periods and Sun Yatsen's Mausoleum and the Ming Tombs are examples of the wealth of culture existing in this ancient city. Today, the city is renowned for being an educational and cultural center, with a large student (foreign and native Chinese) population. Nanjing is a charming city with tree-lined streets, hills and lakes, making the intense heat of east China's summers more bearable. The pace of life here is slower than many other Chinese cities and Nanjing seems quite conservative in comparison to the brash modern ways of neighboring Shanghai. The local's mantra "man zou" (go slow) is a reflection of the cautious and reserved attitude of many of the city's residents.
There are some 40 universities and colleges plus more than 300 scientific research institutes in modern Nanjing, several art troupes and a theatre for kunqu opera, from which about 100 modern operas in China derived. Nanjing library is the third largest library in China in terms of its collection. The Nanjing Museum boasts a rich collection of arts and crafts. The modern new Nanjing is the economic and cultural center in the lower reaches of the Yangtse River. It has started its voyage to the outside world.
With all those universities, the large student and teacher population manages to create a pretty good cheap nightlife. There are numberous "western style" bars but the best ones are around the universities near Shanhai Lu. Look for great music and sub-culture in Nanjing ask around, check out different places and keep your eyes and ears open and you'll have a great time in Nanjing.
Nanjing is located in the subtropical climatic zone. The average temperature during the year is 15.3 (C) and the annual average rainfall is 1106.5mm . The middle of June is the so-called "Mei Yu" or "wet" period. We highly advise the use of an umbrella at all times in June.
Nanjing is known throughout China as one of the three "furnaces of the earth" (the other two being Wuhan and Chonqing). This reputation stems from the fact that the city can get unbearably hot in the summer months.
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Food in Nanjing
Traditional Nanjing cuisine is known as Jin Su cuisine and is notable for the emphasis placed on original flavor and carefully selected raw ingredients. Nanjing dishes are traditionally bright in color and use only a moderate amount of seasoning but a significant amount of oil.
Jin Su specialties that should be sampled include: Jinling roast duck, steamed duck cutlets, salted duck, Longchi carp and "Eight delicacies soup".
The "Eight delicacies" in the "Eight delicacies soup" are: fish, water chestnut, lotus root, wine, parsley, arrowroot and lotus seeds. This is a popular dish especially around "Moon Festival" time (roughly around the middle of August). There are numerous classical restaurants serving up these delicacies and the area around the Confucius Temple has some great places to taste authentic Nanjing food.
Western and Japanese food is also becoming increasingly popular and there is a good selection of Western and Chinese food available around the universities off Shanghai Road. The big hotels such as The Hilton and The Jinling also have a selection of fine restaurants. McDonalds and KFC franchises are very popular for those preferring something cheap and western. |
Places to See and Things to Do in Nanjing
- Mingxiaoling Mausoleum
The Mingxiaoling Mausoleum is one of the biggest imperial tombs in ancient China. This graveyard of Zhu Yuanzhang, founding emperor of the Ming Dynasty (1368-1644), is situated below Dulongfu Wanzhufeng Peak at the southern foothill of Zijinshan.
Square City, so called for its similarity to a citadel, is a pavilion housing an 8.87-meter-high memorial tablet erected by Emperor Chengzu in his father's Xiaoling Mausoleum.
Yangshan Tablet Materials was chosen originally by Emperor Chengzu for his father's Xiaoling Mausoleum.
The Sacred Path to Xiaoling Mausoleum is lined on either side with 12 pairs of stone lions, camels, elephants, kylin(Chinese unicorn) ,horses and four pairs of military and civil officers.
Sun Yat-Sen Mausoleum
The mausoleum of Sun Yat-Sen (1866-1925), the great pioneer of Chinese revolution, was built after his death from 1926-29 on the southern side of the Zhongshan Mountain in the eastern suburb of Nanjing. It has since been designated as a national tourist resort. The 73-meter-tall mausoleum, situated 159 meters above sea level, is composed of a 392 flagstone stairway, a pavilion with a stone tablet under its roof, a memorial hall and the tomb. A marble statue of the deceased in a reclining position is placed in the tomb chamber and beneath the statue lies his remains. The entire layout, which covers 80,000 square meters, takes the shape of a giant bell, looking solemn and breathtaking between a vast plain and a green smudge of mountains.
Yuhuashi (Rain Flower Pebbles)
A legendary saying revolves around the Liang of Southern Dynasties (502-557) when Master Monk Yunguang was expounding the texts of Buddhism at Jubao Mountain. They say that heaven was so moved that it rained flowers, so that the colorful pebbles with beautiful patterns and trailsin the mountain are called rain flower pebbles. Yuhuashi is a compound of quartzite, flint and agate with the popular name of rain-flower agate.
Temple of Confucius
Situated in the center of the scenic area along the Qinhuai River in south Nanjing, the Temple was first built in 1034 for local people to pay tribute to Confucius. Having weathered the ups and downs over the years, the temple has now become a public cultural and entertaining center. There was a large-scale renovation program in 1985 when all the teahouses, restaurants and stores close by the Temple of Confucius were remodeled or reconstructed in the architectural styles of the Ming and Qing Dynasties. The restaurants and eateries in this place offer about two hundred kinds of traditional food and delicacies. The nearby riverside Gongyuan Street, which has been transformed into a cultural and commercial center, lures visitors with its authentic classical look.
Purple Mountain (Zijinshan)
Purple Mountain (Zijinshan) is also called Zhongshan (Bell Mountain) or Jiangshan. It was named this because the rocks on top of the mountain look purplish red in the distance. It is lush and towering with the main peak 448.9 meters high. Places of historic interest and scenic beauty on the mountain are Dr. Sun Yat-sen Mausoleum, Mingxiaoling Mausoleum, Linggusi (Soul Valley Temple) among others.
Nanjing Massacre Memorial and Museum
The site of the Memorial of the Nanjing Massacre (datusha jinianguan) is on the site of the massacre by Japanese invaders in 1937 with a mass grave of the Chinese that were killed during the atrocities. The Memorial, built in 1985, is an imposing and solemn construction. The Museum documents the Japanese invasion via graphic pictures, a viewing hall and a display of the original furniture that was used during the signing of the Japanese surrender.
The Museum is a somber and solemn place but also provides an insight into the atrocities of 1937. The exhibition ends on a more positive note, documenting the Sino Japanese reconciliation talks in 1945. However, recent developments regarding right wing Japanese groups claiming that the severity of the massacre is exaggerated may change this optimistic outlook of improved relations. Nanjing residents greeted the Japanese claims with great dismay and distress, regarding this particular accusation as a personal offense.
Opening hours: Daily: 8am-5pm. RMB 8.
Linggusi (Soul Valley Temple)
Situated two kilometers east of Sun Yat-sen mausoleum, the Linggu Temple was first built during the Liang Dynasty. It was moved to the present site because of the construction of the Xiaoling Mausoleum during the Ming Dynasty. The temple's 22-meter-tall Hall of Amitayus was constructed without a single inch of wood, still less pillars and beams; hence the nickname "Beam-less Hall". Tourist attractions in the temple include the Stone Tablet for Three Wonders, the Pine-and-Wind Pavilion and the Linggu Pagoda.
Qixiasi Temple
Qixiasi Temple is located at the foot of Fengxiang feng Peak and Qixiashan Mountain is 20 kilometers northeast of the city. It is a famous ancient temple of the Six Dynasties Period with the Dagoba, the cliff sculpture Qianfoya (Thousand-Buddha Grottoes) and other cultural relics.
Zhonghua Gate
Zhonghuamen, situated in the far south of the city is perhaps the finest remaining example of Nanjing's ancient city walls. Zhonghuamen ("The Castle of China Gate") is the largest gate along the wall and it is composed of three towers and four smaller gates inside one another. The gate is now separated from the rest of the wall and is located on a huge traffic island at a busy road junction. When constructed, this gate could hold up to 3,000 men at any one time.
The gate affords stunning views of the city and is a good place to see Nanjing's landscape and to get your bearings of the local topography.
Xuanwu Lake
Xuanwu Lake was the recreation place for the emperors and kings of the Song of Southern Dynasties to make relax but it was also used for their navy training. It was designated as a park at the end of the Qing Dynasty. Surrounded by the city and mountains, this is the biggest park in Nanjing boasting many places of historical interest and scenic beauty with thousands of willow trees on the banks.
Mochou Park is a vast open area in the west of the city with a pretty lake and footpaths for walking. This is an ideal retreat to escape from the city traffic and noise. Legend has it that during the Nan Dynasty, a poor girl named Mochou married a man in Nanjing to acquire enough money to bury her father. Unfortunately, the girl was so unhappy with her new life that she committed suicide by jumping in the Mochou Lake.
Purple Mountain Observatory
Purple Mountain Observatory is located on Tianbao Peak in the east of Zijinshan. Set up in 1928, it is now the site of Zijinshan Observatory of China Academy of Sciences. In addition to the modern scientific instruments, there are also some precious ancient astronomical instruments and apparatus exhibited.
Yangtze River Bridge
The Yangtze River Bridge, 4.6km long, is an impressive construction in the northwest of the city. The bridge was built in 1968 in honor of the capture of Nanjing from the Kuomingtang by the Communists. The Chinese are particularly proud of the fact that they managed to complete the bridge after Russia withdrew their promise of assistance. The structure and design of the bridge are particularly impressive. There are two decks; the upper level carries vehicles and passengers and the lower carries trains over the huge Yangtze River.
The bridge is uniquely Chinese in style and on the sides of the top deck are statues depicting soldiers crossing the river. Visitors can access the bridge from the Great Bridge Park to the north of Zhongshan Road North. There are elevators taking tourists up to the decks which affords not only a great view of the massive river but also of the bridge's structure and architecture.
Scenic Belt Qinhuai River
The 110-kilometer-long Qinhuai River is a trunk waterway that meanders its way into the city of Nanjing from the southeastern corner. The section from Dongshui Pass to Xishui Pass, known as "Ten-Li Qinhuai" or "Inner Qinhuai", is famous in Chinese history as the epitome of what is called "Pomp and Pageantry of the Six Dynasties". In its heyday during the Ming and Qing dynasties, the river was flanked with luxury houses of green windows and vermillion doors and the water was plied by lantern boats unmatched elsewhere for their elaborate decorations. The prosperity, however, declined during the mid-Qing Dynasty. Only recently has the river been refurbished and restored to its former glory. Scenic spots and places of historical interest include Bailu Sandbar on the river, Zhonghua Archway, Zhanyuan Garden, Taoye Ferry-crossing, Temple of Confucius, Wuyi Lane, and the famous sing-song girl Li Xiangjun's residence--the pavilion of Charm and Fragrance.
Nanjing Museum
Nanjing Museum is located inside the Zhongshan Gate at the southern foot of Zijin Mountain as a famous museum of art and history. Originally named "Preparatory Committee of National Central Museum", it was first built in 1933 on the proposal of Mr. Cai Yuanpei. The name was changed to Nanjing Museum in March 1950. It now houses 420,000 pieces of cultural relics from ancient China to the modern time.
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Useful Contacts
- Area code: 025
- Nanjing Taxi Service: 3722694
- Air Ticket Reservation: 4499229
- Nanjing Tourist Complaints: 3606085
- Jiangsu Tourist Vehicle Co.: 8815815
- Nanjing Railway Station: 5412781
- Nanjing Post Office: 3797085
- No.1 People's Hospital: 6624213
- Nanjing Branch, Bank of China: 4538767
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