Qinhuai River
Qinhuai River → Confucius Temple → Dacheng Hall → Mingde Hall → Zunjing Pavilion → Jiangnan Imperial Examination Hall → Wuyi Lane → Former Residences of the Wang and Xie Families → Former Residence o…
Qinhuai River, Nanjing · AI illustration for China Trip
Key facts
- Guidebook rating
- 5 / 5
From China Self Guided Travel 2025, page 999. Open in Google Maps
About Qinhuai River
Qinhuai River → Confucius Temple → Dacheng Hall → Mingde Hall → Zunjing Pavilion → Jiangnan Imperial Examination Hall → Wuyi Lane → Former Residences of the Wang and Xie Families → Former Residence of Wu Jingzi → Taoye Ferry → Chaotian Palace → Zhonghua Gate.
The five-kilometer-long Qinhuai River scenic belt, centered on Confucius Temple, is both Nanjing’s largest entertainment hub and a hugely popular sightseeing area.
“Ten Li Qinhuai” refers to the prosperity of the Qinhuai River area in the past, when merchants gathered and culture flourished. Successive dynasties described it as “a district of wind, flowers, and moonlight, a gathering place of gold dust and elegance.” After renovation, the Qinhuai River still has painted boats, waterside pavilions, green windows, and vermilion doors, but the addition of many modern lighting technologies makes it somewhat noisy, and it retains little of the leisurely charm of earlier times.
Tips from the guidebook
- 1. Night cruise on the Qinhuai River: The Qinhuai River is divided into the Inner Qinhuai and the Outer Qinhuai. The Inner Qinhuai refers to the area around Confucius Temple, while the Outer Qinhuai refers to the area around Stone City Park.
- Below Kuixing Pavilion, at Panchi Wharf, there are two routes for touring the inner river. The East Line costs ¥100 and uses replica painted boats decorated in an antique style. The West Line uses regular tour boats costing ¥140 and offers views of the light show on the Qinhuai River. We recommend the East Line. Seated in the painted boat, you can snack on local treats, listen to the sound of the oars, and watch the lights of the riverside towers and pavilions, which best captures the charm of the Qinhuai.
- To explore the Outer Qinhuai River by boat and see the local customs along the banks, you need to board at the Baoen Temple Boat Dock. Night cruise tickets cost ¥100, and daytime cruise tickets cost ¥45.
- 2. Jinling Lantern Festival: Held every year from the first day to the eighteenth day of the first lunar month, centered on Confucius Temple.
Frequently asked questions
Where is Qinhuai River?
Qinhuai River is in Nanjing, Jiangsu Province, in the East China of China.
More places in Nanjing
Zhongshan National Scenic Area (Purple Mountain)
Sun Yat-sen Mausoleum (Plaza of Universal Love, Tomb Road, Mausoleum Gate, Stele Pavilion, Memorial Hall, Tomb Chamber): free; Ming Xiaoling Mausoleum: ¥70; Music Terrace: ¥10; Linggu Scenic Area (including Linggu Temple): ¥35; Meiling Palace: ¥30; combined ticket for the entire scenic area: ¥100
Yuhuatai
Yuhuatai is made up of three beautiful hills encircled by pines and cypresses. It has a history of more than 3,000 years and is praised with the saying, “Six dynasties of Yuhua condense the spirit of heaven and earth; a volume of history forges a sacred terrace for the ages.” It consists of six functional zones: the Historic Sites Area, the Martyrs’ Cemetery Area, the Yuhua Stone Culture Area, the Yuhua Tea Culture Area, the Recreation and Activity Area, and the Ecological Forest Area. It houses the largest martyrs’ memorial complex in China, historic sites with a long past, lush mountain forests, seasonal flowers and plants, and the world-famous Yuhua stones and the renowned Yuhua tea. In recent years, more than 20 historic sites, pavilions, towers, and halls have been newly rebuilt, including Yuhua Pavilion, Erzhong Temple, Muowei Pavilion, the Qianlong Imperial Stele Pavilion, Ganlu Well, Xiyuan Garden, Yiyuan Garden, and Meigang.
3 hours or more
Qixia Mountain
Known as “the most beautiful mountain in Jinling,” Qixia Mountain is a national AAAA-level tourist attraction and one of China’s four top destinations for autumn foliage. In deep autumn, the mountain turns red all over, like the evening glow settling on the hills, a truly spectacular sight.
¥80 · 2–4 hours
Yuejiang Tower Scenic Area
One of China’s Top Ten Cultural Pavilions and one of the Four Great Towers of the Jiangnan region, Yuejiang Tower is a national AAAA-level tourist attraction and one of the New Forty-Eight Scenes of Jinling. It is known as “the number one tower in Jiangnan.”
¥40 · 1–3 hours
Niushou Mountain Cultural Tourism Zone
Also known as Tianque Mountain, Niushou Mountain takes its name from the twin peaks on its summit, which resemble the two horns of a bull’s head. It is one of the Four Great Scenic Spots of Jinling and is known as “the Spring Niushou.” Ancient Jinling scenes include the Niushou Mist and the Zutang Bell-Ringing. The mountain also preserves many historic sites, such as Yue Fei’s Anti-Jin Fortress and the Zheng He Cultural Park.
¥88 · 4–6 hours
Memorial Hall of the Victims in the Nanjing Massacre by Japanese Invaders
This is a history that must never be forgotten. Through historical facts and artistic works, it records the suffering of a nation. The screening hall shows the historical documentary “The Japanese Invaders' Nanjing Massacre” (侵华日军南京大屠杀).
Free