Nanjing - History Everywhere!

Spent a weekend in Nanjing recently. My first time there in all my time spent in China (since 2003!). Hard to believe I hadn't been there before, it's a city full of so much important Chinese history. Most famously perhaps, it has been the capital city of China at various times, and the site of one of the worst massacres in history, often called The Rape of Nanjing (Nanking). Despite being the site of such destruction only 80 years ago, the city has a great feel about it today: quiet, peaceful, tree-lined streets reminiscent of Shanghai's French Concession; modern buildings, hotels, shopping, and schools; well preserved ancient sites and fantastic museums, all easily reached by car or public transport. The city wall was one of the highlights for me. It's amazingly well preserved. Each brick still bears the markings of the brick-maker who originally crafted it! Originally constructed in the Ming Dynasty from 1366 to 1386, it is claimed to be the largest ancient city wall in the world. The Nanjing Massacre Museum was another very interesting stop. It's hard to say I 'enjoyed' it, because it depicts such unspeakable brutality, but it is well presented and an excellent place to learn about what happened. I imagine it's a lot like visiting a Holocaust memorial or a concentration camp - it's not 'fun' but it's history that we cannot forget. The Presidential Palace is a huge palace complex, similar to Beijing's 'Forbidden City' (and in fact the inspiration for it!). Began during the Ming Dynasty, expanded during the Qing, and later used by Sun Yat-sen and Chiang Kai-shek (Jiang Jieshi) during the Republican Period of China (Great spot for my DP History students to visit!) this site has seen a lot of change in its time.

Lastly, the Confucius Temple and site of an early university for taking Imperial exams, this site can trace its roots all the way back to 317CE. Despite the surrounding area being a bit of a tourist trap, the temple itself is very interesting. It was pretty amazing to see that even students hundreds of years ago tried to cheat on their exams! (See picture of cheat notes on socks!)

Really enjoyed this brief visit to Nanjing and will definitely be back someday soon for a longer look.