Nanjing Golden Autumn Scenery Tour

Meet the flight upon arrival and then proceed to the hotel to check in. After a brief rest, you can try Nanjing specialties for breakfast around the hotel area, such as duck blood and vermicelli soup and chicken juice soup dumplings, to replenish energy for the day's itinerary and experience the lively atmosphere of Autumn Jinling.

In the afternoon, first head to Zhonghua Gate, a core heritage of Nanjing's Ming Dynasty City Wall. As the largest well-preserved city gate in China, it is famous for its exquisite military defense design of "three-fold barbican". After climbing the gate, you can walk along the city wall towards Changgan Gate and overlook the tributary of the Qinhuai River and the panoramic view of Laodongmen. Then walk to Laomendong, where you can feel the profound sense of history in the Ming and Qing Dynasty streets. You can also visit time-honored restaurants to taste authentic delicacies like sweet porridge with lotus roots and salted duck, and experience the blend of the old town's vitality and historical heritage.

Zhonghua Gate

Your Journey's Rewards:

Appreciate the military defense wisdom of Zhonghua Gate and overlook the scenery along the Qinhuai River; step into the Ming and Qing Dynasty streets of Laomendong and taste the delicacies of Jinling (Nanjing).

Educational Focus:

Every brick of Zhonghua Gate is engraved with the name of the craftsman who fired it. What is the significance of this practice?

Takeaway:

Carving craftsmen's names on the bricks of Zhonghua Gate mainly aims to establish a responsibility-binding mechanism. It forces craftsmen to strictly control the brick-firing process, avoid cutting corners, ensure brick quality from the source, and make the city wall more solid and durable. It also facilitates subsequent quality tracing—if there is a problem with the bricks, the responsible person can be quickly identified, and accountability and rectification can be carried out in a timely manner.

Thoughts Challenge:

How can we, in the development of modern cities, enable material relics that carry historical information to continuously integrate into the daily life scenarios of contemporary people?

Start your trip at Linggu Temple in the early morning. The red walls of the Ming Dynasty Building, surrounded by ancient maple trees, frame the fallen leaves, creating a strong sense of history. Climb to the top of Linggu Pagoda for a panoramic view of Purple Mountain and Nanjing City. Then, walk for 10 minutes to reach Meiling Palace, known as "the No.1 Villa in the Far East". Its yellow exterior walls matched with stained glass windows fully show the style of the Republic of China (1912-1949). The restored daily life scenes inside and Song Meiling's paintings make people feel as if they were back in the years of the Republic of China. Finally, stroll along the Sycamore Avenue. In autumn, the French sycamores have turned golden, and the tall branches block the sky, as if enclosing people in a golden kingdom. It is one of the most beautiful autumn sceneries in Nanjing.

Meiling Palace

In the afternoon, first go to Sun Yat-sen Mausoleum. Climb up the 392 steps to the top; the platform in front of the Memorial Hall allows you to take photos of the symmetrical architecture and the city skyline, and feel the grandeur of this masterpiece of modern architecture. After that, go to the adjacent Music Terrace to feed white doves and enjoy the quiet time. Then walk to Liuhui Pavilion; the lake reflects the sycamores and pavilions. Sit down to rest for a while and feel the tranquility of Zhongshan Mountain. Finally, head to Ming Xiaoling Mausoleum. Stroll along the "Most Beautiful 600 Meters" - the Shixiang(stone elephants) Path of the Sacred Way, and see stone statues such as stone elephants and stone horses standing quietly.

Sun Yat-sen Mausoleum

Liuhui Pavilion

Shixiang Path of Ming Xiaoling Mausoleum

Your Journey's Rewards:

Climb to the top of Linggu Pagoda to overlook the scenery of Purple Mountain and admire the Republican-era style of Meiling Palace; visit Sun Yat-sen Mausoleum to feel the grandeur of its architecture and stroll through Ming Xiaoling Mausoleum to appreciate the heritage of this world cultural heritage site.

Educational Focus:

How do the stone elephant formations on Shixiang Path of Ming Xiaoling Mausoleum reflect the ritual norms and pursuit of natural aesthetics of imperial mausoleums in the Ming Dynasty through their landscape layout?

Takeaway:

The stone elephant formations on Shixiang Path of Ming Xiaoling Mausoleum are arranged symmetrically according to the regulations of Ming Dynasty imperial mausoleums. Their quantity, type and spacing all follow fixed rules. For example, six pairs of stone elephants and other stone carvings symbolize the majesty of the emperor, reflecting strict ritual norms. At the same time, the stone elephants are interwoven with ginkgo and zelkova trees on both sides. In autumn, the stone carvings are hidden among the golden branches and leaves, integrating man-made formations with natural vegetation. This not only adheres to ritual order but also shows natural vitality, conforming to the "harmony between man and nature" aesthetic pursuit of Ming Dynasty imperial mausoleums.

Thought Challenge:

When modern tourists visit Ming Xiaoling Mausoleum mainly to enjoy the autumn scenery, how can they avoid weakening their understanding of the ritual culture and historical value behind it while having an aesthetic experience of the natural landscape?

Start with Pilu Temple, a Buddhist temple from the Republican period that still has a strong incense atmosphere. Its yellow walls and brown tiles look particularly solemn under the autumn sky. You can visit the ancient buildings and Buddha statues inside the temple to experience the religious atmosphere. Then head to the Six Dynasties Museum. Inside the museum, cultural relics such as celadon and eave tiles display the style of the Six Dynasties. The exhibition hall design incorporates light and shadow elements, and the authentic "Seven Sages of the Bamboo Grove" brick painting should not be missed. In addition, there is a glass wall here that reflects the beautiful scenery of fiery red maple leaves in autumn. When you feel tired from walking, you might as well sit down to rest and enjoy Nanjing's autumn scenery.

Pilu Temple

In the afternoon, go to the Presidential Palace. Visit buildings such as the Main Hall and Zichao Building along the central axis. The Jiangnan garden scenery in the West Garden is exquisite, and you can feel the profoundness of "half a modern history" while wandering around. In the evening, visit the Confucius Temple to learn about the influence of Confucianism on Nanjing. Then take a walk along the Qinhuai River and take a painted boat tour at night to see the lights reflected on the lake surface and experience the night charm of the "Ten-Li Qinhuai River".

Confucius Temple

Qinhuai River at night

Your Journey's Rewards:

Feel the religious solemnity of Pilu Temple, explore the history of the Six Dynasties Museum, appreciate the profoundness of modern history at the Presidential Palace, taste snacks at Confucius Temple, and enjoy the night view of the Qinhuai River.

Educational Focus:

How does the authentic "Seven Sages of the Bamboo Grove" brick painting in the Six Dynasties Museum reflect the social thoughts and artistic aesthetic characteristics of the Six Dynasties period?

Takeaway:

During the Six Dynasties period, society was turbulent but ideological activities were vibrant. As an artistic relic of that time, the "Seven Sages of the Bamboo Grove" brick painting directly reflects the social thoughts and artistic aesthetics of the period. The unrestrained postures of the seven sages in the painting correspond to the ideological proposition of "transcending Confucian ethical codes and following nature" in Wei-Jin metaphysics, and represent the spiritual rebellion of the scholar class against the ritual codes that restricted human nature. The brick painting outlines the expressions and movements of the figures with concise lines, abandoning complicated decorations. This embodies the artistic aesthetic pursuit of "conveying spirit through form" in the Six Dynasties and breaks away from the realistic rigidity of Han Dynasty brick paintings.

Thought Challenge:

During the Six Dynasties period, various fields such as science and technology, literature, and art all achieved unprecedented prosperity. What opportunities and ideological changes led to this prosperity?

Go to the Jiming Temple in the early morning. At this time, the ginkgo trees in the temple are golden, forming an interesting contrast with the vermilion walls and halls. You can feel the Zen atmosphere under the Medicine Buddha Pagoda. Then walk to Liangzhou Isle in Xuanwu Lake Liangzhou Isle. A chrysanthemum exhibition is held on Liangzhou Isle from October 25 to November 30 in 2025. Relics such as Hushen Temple and Lansheng Tower are scattered among the chrysanthemum bushes and ginkgo trees. Take a boat trip to enjoy the scenery of the autumn ripples on the lake, which fully shows the autumn beauty of Jinling (Nanjing). After the tour, we will send you to the airport or railway station according to your return flight/train time, ending this autumn appreciation trip.

Jiming Temple

Liangzhou Ilse's golden ginkgo

Chrysanthemum Exhibition in the Liangzhou Ilse

Your Journey's Rewards:

Admire the ginkgo trees and feel the Zen atmosphere at Jiming Temple, and enjoy the autumn chrysanthemums on Liangzhou Isle of Xuanwu Lake.

Educational Focus:

Why can Liangzhou Isle of Xuanwu Lake become the core venue for Nanjing's autumn chrysanthemum exhibition, and in what aspects do its geographical conditions and cultural background support the chrysanthemum exhibition?

Takeaway:

As the core island of Xuanwu Lake, Liangzhou Isle has a gentle and open terrain, which is conducive to the planning of chrysanthemum exhibition areas and the gathering and dispersal of tourists. It is also close to Purple Mountain, with a humid and mild climate and sufficient sunlight, which meets the growth needs of chrysanthemums. Since ancient times, people in Nanjing have always admired the noble quality represented by chrysanthemums, making the custom of appreciating chrysanthemums more and more prosperous in the tide of history. Many literati and scholars left many famous poems when appreciating chrysanthemums in Xuanwu Lake, and thus "Jinling (the alternative name of Nanjing) Autumn Chrysanthemums" has become a major characteristic scenic spot of Nanjing.

Thoughts Challenge:

While the chrysanthemum exhibition on Liangzhou Isle of Xuanwu Lake meets tourists' viewing needs and inherits folk customs, how to avoid the potential impact of excessive commercialization or concentrated tourists on the historical relics and ecological environment of Liangzhou Isle?