What to see in Nanjing, and why now is an appropriate time to explore China’s former capital
The Chinese capital under the Ming dynasty, and after the 1912 revolution, Nanjing has a rich heritage to explore, a moving monument to 1937 Japanese massacre, and tranquil, tree-lined streets for relaxation
This year marks both the 80th anniversary of the Nanking massacre and the 175th anniversary of the Treaty of Nanking, which formally ceded Hong Kong Island to Britain. This historical city on the Yangtze River is about a couple of hours away from Hong Kong, and easily accessible via inexpensive flights, so it’s an apt time to plan a trip to the former capital of China and sample its cultural treats.
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Now known as Nanjing, the city’s rich heritage stretches back long before the opium wars. It was first known as Nanking when Zhu Yuanzhang, the first emperor of the Ming dynasty, selected the city as China’s capital in 1367 and ordered the construction of 35km of city walls to protect him and his subjects.
Nanjing’s city wall is popular with visitors. Photo: Alamy
These days it’s a modern high-rise city, but most of the brown stone walls of the ancient Ming city still stand and many sections are open to the public. As in most Chinese cities, the local authorities are exerting enormous effort to conserve their cultural heritage, and Nanjing has more than its fair share. Memorial parks, mausoleums, palaces, museums, ancestral halls, pagodas and temples are dotted across the urban landscape.
When Chiang Kai-shek established his capital in Nanking in 1927 there followed 10 years of relative stability and prosperity in China, known as the “Nanking decade”. It was abruptly terminated by the Sino-Japanese war, which inflicted a ghastly human toll on China and on Nanking in particular. Between mid-December 1937 and the end of January 1938, some 300,000 residents died and many more were subject to atrocities at the hands of the occupying Imperial Japanese Army.
Japanese soldiers cross the river near the Nanking city wall in 1937. Photo: Alamy
The Nanjing Massacre Memorial Hall commemorates the tragic events. It’s a sprawling complex on the western suburbs of the city and has become something of a national shrine. Despite the brutal subject matter, the curators have resisted the temptation to reduce the inhumanity of war to undiluted nationalism and xenophobia. Instead, the emphasis is on historical evidence and the vital importance of preserving peace with other nations.
The Nanjing Massacre Memorial Hall. Photo: Stuart Heaver
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A mass grave inside the Nanjing Massacre Memorial Hall. Photo: Alamy
The site also encompasses the mass grave of victims of the massacre, the most macabre part of which is some exposed remains. It’s a profoundly compelling and solemn experience, albeit less so in the intense heat of a peak summer weekend when thousands of families crowd the site, taking advantage of the free admission.
A fountain in the Presidential Palace in Nanjing. Photo: Alamy
When Sun Yat-sen declared the first provisional republican government of China on January 1, 1912, he did so at the Presidential Palace in the centre of the city. Later his successor, Chiang started construction of new government buildings there, so this vast 90,000 square metre compound that dates back 650 years includes classic Ming pagodas and courtyards combined with the distinctive grey brick of classic republican architecture.
