Three-Day Trip to Nanjing (The Tail End of Autumn)

This itinerary is for November 28th, with the goal of enjoying Nanjing's autumn scenery. First, let's talk about Nanjing's autumn scenery, mainly two places: Qixia Mountain and Zhongshan Scenic Area. At Qixia Mountain at this time, about 50-60% of the leaves have turned red. If you go a few days later, it might be even better. But there is a downside: the yellow leaves might fall overnight due to a sudden drop in temperature! At Zhongshan Scenic Area at this time, the yellow leaves are just right, and the plane tree leaves have not fallen yet. Highly recommended with four stars, especially the Plane Tree Avenue. Getting to Qixia Mountain is convenient by Metro Line 2, get off at Yangshan Park Station Exit 1, then take a Didi ride to reach the destination. If you want to enter for free, you need to get in before 6:30 AM. You can hike up Qixia Mountain on foot (if your stamina is weak, you can take the scenic shuttle bus, but it is often suspended on weekends due to crowds). There is no need to detour specifically to Maple Forest Lake Red Leaf Valley; just follow the main road and enjoy the red leaves along the way until you reach the Shihuang Riverside area, where you can descend and return. Hiking up and down the mountain plus visiting Qixia Temple requires two to three hours. Zhongshan Scenic Area: Take Metro Line 2, get off at Muxuyuan Station Exit 1, and walk a few hundred meters to Plane Tree Avenue. Enter Ming Xiaoling Mausoleum before 6:30 AM, which is said to be free of charge. It is recommended to arrive at Plane Tree Avenue early, around 7:30 AM. At this time, if the weather is good, you can enjoy the changing light, which is great for photography! Then visit Meiling Palace for about half an hour, and while you still have energy, walk to the Music Stage. It’s about 1.4 kilometers and takes about twenty minutes. Try to get there early to feed the pigeons [Grin][Grin] (Remember to feed the pigeons in the small garden behind the Music Stage because they eat and drink well there and won’t go to the fountain area of the Music Stage). After visiting the Music Stage, decide whether to go to Sun Yat-sen Mausoleum. It is near the Music Stage; if you have good stamina, go for a hike and enjoy the view. If your stamina is average, you can take the shuttle bus at the scenic spot to Gate 5 of Ming Xiaoling Mausoleum and tour there. Zhongshan Scenic Area requires four to five hours. Other Nanjing itinerary: 1. Xihe Road. Remember to navigate to Xihe Road Republican Architecture Scenic Area; otherwise, you might accidentally be directed to Xihe Road in Jianye District, which would be a mistake! Don’t ask me how I know [Facepalm][Facepalm]. Because of this, I, who have been taking Didi rides for nearly twenty years, gave a driver a bad review for the first time. Xihe Road is suitable for a casual, artsy photo shoot. You can check in at No. 1 Jiangsu Road and the Crooked Neck Tree [Grin][Grin]. Then take a taxi to the entrance of the Ming City Wall Taicheng Scenic Area. You can climb the Ming City Wall to get a view of Xuanwu Lake and take photos. After descending from the city wall, walk through the city wall gate, and within 300 meters, you can reach the main entrance of Jiming Temple. Jiming Temple is well-known and worth a visit. Exit from the back door of Jiming Temple, walk 300 meters to near the entrance of Ming City Wall Taicheng, find the entrance to Xuanwu Lake, which is free of charge, and enjoy the sunset at Xuanwu Lake. You can choose to start after lunch, after 12 PM. It is recommended to eat at Shichao Courtyard on Shigu Road; their soup dumplings, lion’s head meatballs, and pickled fish are good. First visit Xihe Road, then Ming City Wall and Xuanwu Lake. In the evening, take the metro to Laomendong for dinner! For dining at Laomendong, Bamboo Pavilion is recommended. Their drunken crab is delicious, and the Three Cup Chicken is also good. Recommended rating: four stars. 2. Niushou Mountain. This scenic area is quite amazing, recommended rating four and a half stars. A must-visit in Nanjing, very surprising. Take Metro Line 1 to Tianlong Temple Station Exit 3, then take a taxi to the scenic area. After entering the scenic area, buy a ticket for the scenic shuttle bus to the Buddha’s Relic Palace. It is recommended to visit the underground palace and the Buddhist pagoda. The whole visit and photo-taking will take about two hours. In the evening, you can return to the city center. Nanjing street food stalls are very popular and have long queues. I chose Balin Hou opposite Deji Plaza; their grilled crispy edges, drunken crab, and roast duck are very good. Recommended rating: four stars. After dinner, you can check out the extraordinary restrooms on the 6th and 8th floors of Deji Plaza Phase II [Grin][Grin][Grin][Grin]. For accommodation in Nanjing, it is recommended to stay at Qingmu·Lixin Xinjiekou Metro Station Branch. The environment is good, hygiene is excellent, and it is only 200 meters from Xinjiekou Station (Lines 1 and 2), a great location. The price is also affordable. Recommended rating: four and a half stars. Impressions of Nanjing: I have been to Nanjing three times. Confucius Temple and Laomendong are both nice, and the food is good. The scenery is good, except for Qixia Mountain (which feels average). Also, Zhan Garden, claimed to be one of the four great gardens and the best in Jiangling, is quite ordinary. You can visit if you have time, but I personally don’t highly recommend it. Niushou Mountain, Zhongshan Scenic Area, and Qixia Mountain each deserve a full day to visit so you can enjoy them leisurely without getting too tired! [Happy][Happy][Happy][Happy]