Nanjing, ancient city with modern facilities
WHEN my good friend Tony Hsing asked whether I would like to join some of our friends to Nanjing, China to support the Malaysian badminton team at the BWF Badminton World Championships, my answer was an immediate Yes.
My positive response was not because of purely on badminton but more to the good fellowship among us and my love of this renowned historical and cultural city, which was the capital of several dynasties over the course of Chinese history.
Nanjing literally means “southern capital”, is the capital of China’s eastern Jiangsu province and is located 300 km up the Yangtze River from Shanghai. Its total population stands more than seven million.
Historically the city has many well-known and much spoken sites including Ming tombs that are on the UNESCO World Heritage List.
Modern Nanjing has many monuments and landmarks from the era of Ming Dynasty (capital from 1368-1421), including Zhonghua Gate (Gate of China), a preserved 14th century section of the massive wall that contained the old city’s southern entrance. The city has a rich cultural heritage and boasts a centre of politics, commerce, research and tourism. Most recently Nanjing was the capital of Republic of China under the Kuomintang, from 1927 until their retreat to Taiwan in 1949.
A vibrant metropolis with world class sports and cultural venues, Nanjing hosted the world’s youth for the Summer Youth Olympic Games in 2014 and, just two weeks ago, the TOTAL BWF Badminton World Championships 2018 was held in this ancient city.
My previous visit to this capital of Jiangsu was seven years ago. That was quite an emotional visit as I was preoccupied by the infamous genocidal war crime committed by the Japanese army in Nanjing, after it fell to Imperial Japanese Army on December 13, 1937. The duration of the debacle/violence lasted for six weeks. During that time the Japanese army committed numerous inhuman and barbaric acts including rape, looting, arson and the execution of prisoners of war and civilians.
Although the executions began under the pretext of eliminating Chinese soldiers disguised as civilians, historical record has it that a large number of innocent men were intentionally identified as enemy combatants and executed - or simply killed outright - as the slaughter gathered momentum.
As I was walking around the Nanjing city centre I was trying hard to erase my thought of the savage acts based on the books written by an American Chinese Ivy Chang but to no avail. I suppose the ghosts of the massacre are still wondering around the city centre, especially now that the Hungry Ghost festival is just around the corner.
Nanjing has a batch of convenience stores providing essentials. I’ve become particularly conversant with Suguo – a chain somewhere between a 7-11 and a fully-fledged grocery store. There are two within walking distance of my hotel. Nanjing also has several Walmart department stores as well as the popular Carrefour, a French chain boasting cheaper prices that my friends swear by.
It is no dispute that Nanjing is known for its local food from street stalls to high-end restaurants. Try the yuanxiao, jelly-filled dumplings whose round shape and sweet taste symbolize happiness and harmony. Do you know that Nanjing is said to be the hometown of the celebrated Peking Duck? It is said that the Ming Dynasty brought the dish northward while moving the capital from here to Beijing in 1421.
Logistically speaking, Nanjing has a very efficient, rapidly expanding metro system that cuts through the city centre and runs out to the suburbs. Line No 1 runs north to south and links both train stations. Line No 2 goes east from Jingtianlu to Youfangqiao in the west. Line 10 connects Andemen to Yushan Lu, while the S1 Line runs to the airport from Nanjing South Railway Station. The S8 Line runs north of the Chang Jiang. Trains generally run between around 6am and 10pm or 11pm. There are also tourist bus routes that visit many of the tourism sights. Around the town areas, there is a bike hire scheme, but it is not that convenient for short-stay foreigners to use. One needs to apply for a swipe card by taking your passport along to an office and paying ¥250 (¥200 of that is deposit) to activate the card.
Air transport
Nanjing’s international airport is known as Lukou International Airport, 35 km from the city center and has connections to most Chinese cities and international flights from Japan, South Korea, South East Asia, Los Angeles and Germany.
There is also an evening flight everyday from Shanghai Pudong International Airport for international connections. There is a subway between the airport and Nanjing South Railway Station which takes half an hour and costs six yuan. A taxi ride to the downtown area will take the same time but cost around 100 yuan. There are two express bus routes from the airport to downtown Nanjing - one ends at the North Railway Station and one end at the South Railway Station and connects with the subway and local city buses. The services run at 30-minute intervals, it takes more than an hour to arrive at the North Railway Station.
Rail services
There are two main train stations
1. Nanjing Station (sometimes referred to locally as Nanjing North, situated on the north shore of Xuanwu Lake and is also very close to the Zhongyangmen longdistance bus station).
2. Nanjing South Station. Both are very large serving many destinations with high-speed rail links and are designed to have arrivals through the basement and departures from the second floor.
Nanjing South is the main station for long-haul high-speed trains to Beijing, Shanghai, Xuzhou, Zhengzhou, Jinan, Tianjin, Wuhan, Hefei and other destinations. For nearby destinations like Yangzhou, Zhenjiang, Danyang, Changzhou, Wuxi, Suzhou, Kunshan, you may find Nanjing (North) Station is more convenient. A trip to Hefei takes around one hour, and Wuhan three to four hours. A ride to Beijing usually take four hours on a G-series bullet train.
Bus services
Nanjing is well connected to Shanghai, Hangzhou and most destinations within Jiangsu, Anhui and northern Zhejiang provinces by bus as well as longer overnight sleeper services to Beijing (12 hours) and Guangzhou (24 hours). Most services depart from Zhongyangmen bus station, a large, clean modern terminal in the north of the city approximately 10 minutes’ walk to the west of the main train station. The station has English signage and announcements but the ticket clerks generally cannot understand English.
Road
There is a modern highway system between Shanghai and Nanjing, which can allow you to travel from city to city. If you are traveling alone, it may be cheaper to travel by train, but if you’re in a larger group, carpooling can be cheaper. Be warned, you need to be a very experienced driver to handle Chinese traffic. Hence it is advisable to travel by trains or buses between the cities and taxis in the cities, unless you’re really on for a challenge.
Water transport
As Nanjing is situated on the Yangtze river, scheduled passenger liner service is available along the Yangtze river between Shanghai downstream and Wuhan in the Hubei province upstream, although, the river is mostly used for freight transport. There are also frequent ferry services across the river, in particular from Zhongshan Wharf (near Nanjing West Railway Station) to Pukou.
Taxi Services
Taxis are a great way to get around and most trips will cost less than 25 yuan. The cab driver should start the meter as soon as you are picked up, if the cab driver doesn’t start using the meter and you choose to remain silent they may assume you are not informed and overcharge you. Ask for a printed receipt detailing the cab number, kilometres traveled, times, and money exchanged from the driver upon exiting the cab. Don’t expect to get a cab during both the morning and afternoon rush hours; demand is high and the drivers make their shift changes around these times.
Tipping is not expected in cabs in China, so the price on the meter is the price you should pay along with a two-yuan gas tax fee (There is an additional receipt for this fee). Unlike cabbies in Beijing or Shanghai (who frequently shuttle foreigners around and may be accustomed to gratuity under the table) tipping in Nanjing is an alien concept. As with anywhere else in China, you are very unlikely to get a driver who speaks any English.
Subway services
The Nanjing Metro is a clean, cheap, safe and fast way of getting around. The system currently has five urban and five suburban lines with more under construction. It covers most of the central city, and links two railway stations and the airport.
Spiritually I was told China’s legendary sage has lost. The advocate of respect, restraint and order is now associated in Nanjingers’ minds with one thing - shopping!
Centered around the ancient Confucius Temple (Fuzi Miao), this neighborhood in southern Nanjing is the place to be on weekends and holidays. Clothing shops and restaurants dominate the main streets (closed to vehicular traffic) while street stalls in the alleyways sell stuffed animals, plants, CDs and even more clothes. The daily night market brings these stalls out onto Gongyuan Lu, the main drag between the Confucius Temple and Pingjiang Fu Lu, a lively scene even if most of the goods on sale are simple household items.
With all the garish consumerism on display outside, it’s little wonder that the actual Confucius Temple is the quietest place in the neighbourhood. Sadlah!