The capital of imperial China between the sixth and 15th centuries, Nanjing today is a centre for innovation that has held onto its history.
The eastern city – whose name, meaning “southern capital”, was introduced in 1403 during the Ming dynasty – has a comprehensive metro network that makes it easy for tourists to get around.
The city offers a wide range of accommodation options, from inexpensive hostels to upmarket chain hotels.
A flight to Nanjing from Hong Kong takes 2½ hours, and the city is an hour from Shanghai by the fastest train.
Here are five major landmarks that span Nanjing’s past, present and future and should be on any visitor’s itinerary.