Fourteenth-century Zhonghua Gate has four rows of gates, making it almost impregnable, and could house a garrison of 3000 soldiers in vaults in the front gate building. When walking through the first two gates, observe the vertical indents in the walls. These channels once held vast stone gates that could be lowered into place. Horse ramps lead up the side to the top of the wall, where you can rent a bicycle and ride 2.5km along the wall to Dongshuiguan Park, near Fūzǐ Miào.
Lonely Planet's must-see attractions
5.76 MILES
This expansive temple complex contains one of the most historic buildings in Nanjing – the Beamless Hall (无梁殿, Wúliáng Diàn), built in 1381 entirely out…
5.33 MILES
An astonishing sight at the top of an enormous stone stairway (a breathless 392 steps), Sun Yatsen's tomb is a mandatory stop for most visitors…
3.13 MILES
This fabulous museum has three dramatically modern exhibition blocks alongside a traditional, temple-style hall. Exhibits range from 20th-century brush…
4.53 MILES
Zhu Yuanzhang (1328–1398), the founding emperor of the Ming dynasty (also known as the Hongwu Emperor), was buried in the tomb of Ming Xiaoling; he was…
14.11 MILES
This sacred site on Qixia Mountain (栖霞山, Qīxiá Shān), 22km northeast of Nanjing, was founded by the Buddhist monk Ming Sengshao during the Southern Qi…
Memorial Hall of the Victims in Nanjing Massacre by Japanese Invaders
2.59 MILES
In the city’s southwestern suburbs, the disturbing exhibits in the Memorial Hall of the Nanjing Massacre document the atrocities committed by Japanese…
0.57 MILES
If you don't have time to get to Suzhou, visit this delightful Ming-dynasty garden complex that once housed Taiping officials. The on-site Taiping History…
4.98 MILES
This scenic area on Zijin Mountain has loads of opportunities for rambling, but the main attraction is Ming Xiaoling Tomb, the magnificent mausoleum of…
Nearby Nanjing attractions
1. Taiping Heavenly Kingdom History Museum
0.54 MILES
Hong Xiuquan, the Hakka leader of the quasi-Christian Taiping, had a palace built in Nanjing (then named Tianjing or 'Heavenly Capital'), but the building…
0.57 MILES
If you don't have time to get to Suzhou, visit this delightful Ming-dynasty garden complex that once housed Taiping officials. The on-site Taiping History…
0.68 MILES
In the south of the city in a smartened-up pedestrian zone full of restaurants, the Confucian temple Fūzǐ Miào has been a centre of Confucian study for…
4. Jiangnan Imperial Examination Hall
0.75 MILES
The north section (北馆; ¥40) of this extensive subterranean museum, marked by the stunning reflection pool on Gongyuan Jie, has contemporary displays on…
2.23 MILES
After the Taiping took over Nanjing, they built the Mansion of the Heavenly King (天王府, Tiānwáng Fǔ) on the foundations of a former Ming-dynasty palace…
6. Memorial Hall of the Victims in Nanjing Massacre by Japanese Invaders
2.59 MILES
In the city’s southwestern suburbs, the disturbing exhibits in the Memorial Hall of the Nanjing Massacre document the atrocities committed by Japanese…
2.73 MILES
Peaceful but maudlin Wuchaomen Park is home to the Ming Palace Ruins, and usually filled with locals practising ballroom dancing while saxophonists,…
2.74 MILES
Established in 1902 and located in the centre of town; the lovely campus is well worth an exploration.