# Qinhuai River (秦淮河)

Nanjing, Jiangsu Province · East China, China · Guidebook rating: 5/5
Canonical: https://cnatrip.com/en/places/qinhuai-river
Language: en

## Key facts

- **Good for:** History & Culture, Old Towns & Villages, Hiking & Outdoors, Photography, Waterfront

## 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.

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Source: China Self-Guided Travel 2025 (《中国自助游》, Tianjin Science & Technology Press, Aug 2024), p. 999. Prices, hours and transport details are as printed in the August 2024 edition and may have changed. Always confirm with the venue before you travel.
Site: China Trip (https://cnatrip.com) — independent China travel guide in 13 languages.