Explore the“Southern Capital”

Nanjing， in eastern China， is capital of Jiangsu Province. Opposite Beijing in the North， its name literally means“Southern Capital” in Chinese， and it indeed was the capital of several empires as well as the Republic of China （1912-1949）. Those historical rulers benefited from control of the massive Yangtze River which afforded vessels passage from Sichuan in southwestern China all the way to Shanghai.

During the Ming Dynasty （1368-1644）， Nanjing was the largest city in China. Now， according to 2012 statistics， the city’s population tallies about 8.16 million – still one of the most important cities in the country， but no longer one of the biggest.

Nanjing is home to plenty of histori- cal and cultural relics. Dr. Sun Yat-sen’s Mausoleum is one scenic spot that tourists shouldn’t miss. After construction finished in 1929， the mausoleum became not only the tomb for Dr. Sun Yat-sen， the great forerunner of Chinese democratic revolu- tion， but also a Nanjing structure of tremendous architectural and artistic value. The Confucian Temple is another must-see. As a grand ancient architectural cluster， it was first constructed during the Song Dynasty（960-1279）. Originally， the structure was used to worship Confucius， a globally-celebrated Chinese social philosopher （551-479 B.C.）. However， over the centuries it was destroyed and reconstructed many times. For tourists， the highlight of the Confucian Temple remains the interior folk art garden where visitors can witness lantern making， paper cutting， and local operas.

Surrounding the city are several more sites worth visiting. Purple Mountain， located to the east， boasts a peak reaching up 450 meters. Peaks of the mountain resemble a huge dragon， which made it a popular destination as early as the Han Dynasty（206B.C.-220A.D.）. Tourists can go on hikes or simply exercise in the scenic area.

Quite a few months are suitable to travel to Nanjing. However， since the city becomes extremely hot and humid for a long stretch from July to September， visiting in June， especially early in the month， is a nice choice. Tourists are not only greeted by pleasant weather， but also avoid the March to April peak.