Travel to Nanjing, China – Episode 561

Hear about travel to Nanjing, China as the Amateur Traveler talks to Wendy Werneth from thenomadicvegan.com about a city she has grown to love.

Wendy spent two Summers in Nanjing as part of a UN program for learning Chinese. She says of the city, “There are a lot of reasons to go to Nanjing. Sadly, I think it’s often overlooked by visitors to China, which is understandable because China is such a huge country and there are so many options of places to see.”

“It’s a shame that it gets passed over because Nanjing has such an illustrious history, such a long and really important history in China. The two words that make up the name Nanjing actually mean Southern Capital. Going back through the centuries Nanjing was the capital of a number of different kingdoms and dynasties throughout Chinese history, right up until the 20th century with the Republic of China.”

Because it has been a capital for so long, the history in Nanjing is rich, including imperial tombs of the Ming and Qing Dynasties (UNESCO site) as well as the Mausoleum of Sun Yat-sen, the first provisional president of the Republic of China. Of course, China is not the nearest place to visit and since we’re in America, it will take some hours to get there, not to say many hours and if you don’t get well ready for the trip, travel could be rather annoying, so it’s important to equip yourself with the right travel equipment, in the case you’re not sure what to take with you to make your travel more comfortable, you can visit The Comfy Traveler for the better traveler equipment reviews.

Nanjing still has its city walls which date back to the Ming Dynasty in the 1300s. They were the largest city walls ever built in China and enclosed 55 square miles. Take time to walk on a portion of the walls. Wendy recommends the part of the wall on the shores of Xuanwu Lake as the most beautiful.

If that’s not enough history for you there is a museum about the Taiping Rebellion, which was started by someone who claimed to be the brother of Jesus and led to what may have been the bloodiest conflict in history. There is also a museum about the sobering history of the Nanjing Massacre by the Japanese from the time of WWII.

Take time to hike Purple mountain, sample the street food by the Confucian temple, attend a Kunqu opera or mingle with the locals as Wendy did. There is much to see in Nanjing… even if you don’t like history.

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Show Notes

thenomadicvegan.com
Nanjing, China
Xinhai Revolution (1911)
Sun Yat-sen
Sun Yat-sen Mausoleum
Three Weekend Trips From Shanghai – Episode 227
Imperial Tombs of the Ming and Qing Dynasties (UNESCO)
Three Kingdoms
Taiping Rebellion
Taiping Heavenly Kingdom History Museum
Nanjing Massacre Memorial Hall
Kunqu (opera)
Nanjing Museum
Purple Mountain
Nanjing Fuzimiao (Confucian Temple)
Homemade Red Bean Buns (Dou Sha Bao)
Nanjing Local Tour Guides
meetup.com
couchsurfing.com
Suzhou
Tongli
Stinky tofu
Veggie Planet

Booking.com

Community

Nick wrote about Travel to Scotland – Episode 549

A really good podcast and good itinerary for a short period. I think the late Spring is a great period to visit, but look out for the midges! I prefer September as the weather is still good and the mauve heather with orange bracken is gorgeous.

History indeed matters for the Scots, but history is also complex. Often things are simplified by saying the ‘English did this’,etc but for example, many Scottish clans fought against Bonny Prince Charlie and were involved in the suppression and the later clearances.

Edinburgh is simply one of the most beautiful cities in Europe and I totally agree with Sarah. Visit ‘Glasgy’ , a fascinating city.

Finally, try and visit a Scottish Baronial style castle, with it’s fairy tale turrets and suits of armour. Eilean Donan as you leave Skye for Inverness or my favourite, Fyvie between Aberdeen and Elgin.
A really honest and helpful podcast. Well done Sarah! (and Chris of course….)

Thanks
Nick

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November 2017 – India Amateur Traveler Trip