Business Traveller (Asia-Pacific)
CAPITAL INFLUENCE
Former Chinese capital city Nanjing’s star is far from waning, writes Gary Bowerman
China‘s capital city during the Republican period from 1911 until the government moved temporarily to Chongqing during World War II, Nanjing is today among the nation’s foremost cities of trade, commerce and tourism. The city is located on the banks of the River Yangtze – around 300 km from Shanghai – and is the capital of the prosperous Jiangsu province, as well as a strategic inland port and transportation hub.
As in many large Chinese cites, rapid urbanisation and economic growth have been fully embraced, resulting in the transformation of Nanjing’s infrastructure and skyline. Several mixed-used skyscrapers housing hotels, malls, offices and serviced residences have sprung up in recent years, the most eye-catching being Greenland Tower. Standing 450 metres tall, the world’s seventh-tallest building soars above the ancient Drum Tower just across the street.
Another recent arrival is the World Trade Centre Nanjing, which is opening in phases and, once fully completed in 2015, will comprise four landmark towers housing offices, a luxury hotel, serviced residences with sky gardens designed by Antonio Citterio, a retail plaza and the Nanjing World Trade Centre Business Club.
For visitors, Nanjing (which means“Southern Capital”) rivals Beijing (“Northern Capital”) for its
intriguing spread of ancient tombs, palaces and historic monuments. Unlike today’s capital, however, Nanjing has retained and restored its statuesque old city walls, which are a major tourism attraction. To the east of the city, the forested slopes of Zijin Shan (“Purple Gold Mountain”, also known as Mount Zhongshan) shade the ancient Ming Dynasty Tombs, dating from the 15th century, plus the mausoleum of Sun Yat-sen, known as “Father of Modern China”. His impressive former Presidential Palace in the city centre now houses the China Modern History Museum.
Nanjing is also a renowned city of education, and its large student population ensures a lively and varied nightlife. The scenic Nanjing University campus in the heart of the old city was founded in 1902, and is one of China’s most respected educational institutions. The city is also preparing to host the 2nd Summer Youth Olympics on August 16-28 – the inaugural games of which were hosted in Singapore in 2010.
FIRST IMPRESSION
International and domestic arrivals will find Nanjing Lukou International Airport to be functional, but soulless. Like many Chinese airports, it was designed with future capacity growth, rather than added-value services, in mind. Flight connections include all major Chinese cities, plus South Korea, Thailand, Malaysia, Singapore and Germany.
The fixed start fee for a taxi to the city is RMB11 (US$1.81). Domestic business travellers are increasingly turning to the punctual high-speed train network to avoid the frequent flight delays in China. Superspeedy trains from cities including Beijing, Shanghai and Hangzhou arrive at Nanjing South Railway Station, which claims to be one of the world’s largest stations – and has a greater variety of coffee shops and food outlets than the airport! The station is a short taxi ride from downtown, or a quick hop on Metro Line 1 from the station in the basement.
ORIENTATION
Befitting its status as China’s former capital, Nanjing is a vast city with a population of more than seven million. Bordered to the west by the mighty Yangtze River, Nanjing’s 6,500 sq kms of land mass are framed to the north, east and south by the rolling hills of the Ningzheng Ridge.
The city is divided into 13 administrative districts. Business visitors tend to stay in the new hotels of downtown Xinjiekou and the adjoining Gulou district, which developed around the ancient Drum Tower and features several new commercial buildings. The fastdeveloping Hexi District, located between the Yangtze and Qinhuai Rivers is emerging as Nanjing’s new financial and commercial centre.