Live Your Best Lives
It is said that when it snows, Nanjing becomes Jinling. Whenever I come to Nanjing at this time, I have the illusion of going back to the Republic of China 100 years ago, the Ming Dynasty 600 years ago, or the Six Dynasties 1000 years ago. Every brick and tile tells the story of time.
Nanjing in the snow is covered with a layer of gauze, with the silver-clad Purple Mountain, the gentle romance of the Qinhuai River, and the solemnity of the Sun Yat-sen Mausoleum. There are surprises everywhere, which is absolutely different from the usual Nanjing.
Jinling in the snow (Photo from tourists: LuCPhoto)
The cold winter does not affect the charm of Jinling at all, but makes it more attractive. Look, the hot springs in Tangshan are steaming, the delicacies in the south of the city are freshly baked, the thousands of plum blossoms at the Ming Xiaoling Mausoleum are spread all over the mountains, and the Qinhuai Lantern Festival at the Confucius Temple is very lively. Only in this season can you feel the most lively appearance of Jinling.
Let’s take a look at what Nanjing people do in winter today.
Tangshan Hot Spring is known as the "Millennium Holy Hot Spring, Health Paradise". It is the first of the four major hot spring resorts in China and the only one in China that has obtained dual international certification for hot spring water quality from Europe and Japan.
Tangshan, formerly known as "Wenquan," derives its name from its hot springs. With a history spanning over 1,500 years, Tangshan has been a haven for imperial royalty since ancient times. It's a favorite destination for dignitaries. Yuan Mei, a Jinshi (Jinshi) during the Qianlong Emperor's reign and the magistrate of Jiangning County during the Qing Dynasty, visited Tangshan many times for bathing. During the Republic of China era, Chiang Kai-shek commissioned the construction of a hot spring villa specifically for him and his wife.
Near the springs of Nanjing's Tangshan Hot Springs, visitors can see numerous naturally occurring minerals in fine crystals. This unique geographical location makes Tangshan a must-see destination in Nanjing during winter. Every Nanjing resident, and even those from other parts of the province, craves a soak in Tangshan's hot springs during the winter.
Tangshan Woge Hot Spring Hotel: Southeast Asian style
Tangshan RV Campground Hot Spring
Tangjiajia Hot Spring B&B
Ziqing Lake Hot Spring: The best hot spring in Tangshan
Recommended hotels: Ziqing Lake Hot Spring Resort (five-star), Tangshan Woge Bali Villa (five-star), Tangjiajia Hot Spring B&B Village
Recommended hot springs: Ziqing Lake Hot Spring, Tangshan No. 1 Hot Spring, Jinwu Hot Spring Park (free)
Hot springs have remained renowned throughout history primarily due to their unique health-promoting properties. As early as the Han Dynasty, the scientist Zhang Heng noted in his "Hot Springs Stele" that "where there are serious illnesses, there are hot springs." Besides their therapeutic benefits, hot springs can also enhance physical fitness through their three physical effects: heat, static pressure, and buoyancy. Regular bathing in hot springs not only promotes smooth skin but also promotes longevity.
In the cold winter, it is wonderful to come to Nanjing and soak in a hot spring.
Tips:
Tips: How cold was Nanjing in history?
The coldest day in Nanjing recorded by meteorological data was January 6, 1955, with a low of -14°C. Heavy snow fell for 21 days, a record that has not been broken to date. This day also happened to be the Minor Cold solar term. This first heavy snowfall and extremely cold weather in Nanjing since the founding of the People's Republic of China is deeply etched in the memories of old Nanjing residents.
Plum blossom is the city flower of Nanjing, and visiting and appreciating plum blossoms is a winter custom in Nanjing.
Plum Blossom Hill, located near the Ming Xiaoling Mausoleum, is known as the "No. 1 Plum Hill in the World". It is one of the four major plum gardens in China, along with the Shanghai Dianshan Lake Plum Garden, the Wuxi Plum Garden and the Wuhan East Lake Plum Garden, and ranks first among them.
Plum blossom cultivation in Nanjing dates back to the Six Dynasties period, boasting a history of over 1,500 years. After Dr. Sun Yat-sen was buried at the Sun Yat-sen Mausoleum in Nanjing in 1929, a large area of plum trees was planted on Sun Mausoleum Hill. Since then, the area of the plum garden has continued to expand, and the variety of plum trees has increased year by year. Today, Plum Blossom Hill covers over 1,533 mu (approximately 1,533 mu) and boasts over 40,000 plum trees of nearly 400 varieties.
From January to March every year, tens of thousands of plum blossoms bloom in layers, like clouds and mist, and the mountains are covered with flowers, creating a sea of fragrance. As many as four or five hundred thousand people come here to explore and appreciate the plum blossoms. There is an endless stream of Nanjing residents and tourists from other places who come here to appreciate the plum blossoms.
Transportation: Take bus No. 3, 20, or 202 in Nanjing, or Nanjing Metro Line 2 to get there
Tickets: During the Plum Blossom Festival, tickets to the Ming Xiaoling Mausoleum scenic area will be discounted from 70 yuan per person to 60 yuan per person. Retired cadres, active military personnel, people with disabilities, people aged 70 and over, and children under 1.3 meters tall are free of charge. Full-time students and people aged 60-69 will enjoy a 50% discount on the original ticket price.
Tips:
Sharing some knowledge: The history of Meihua Mountain
Meihua Mountain was originally the burial place of Sun Quan, the Emperor of the Wu Kingdom during the Three Kingdoms period. The "Plum Blossom Viewing Pavilion" was originally the tomb of Wang Jingwei. In January 1946, He Yingqin dispatched engineers from the 74th Army to demolish the tomb and level the grave. In the spring of 1947, the mausoleum built a pavilion on the site, named "Plum Blossom Viewing Pavilion." Inscribed on it is a couplet: "From the distant heavens, cranes dance; from the Xiaoling Mausoleum, crouching dragons sleep."
The Qinhuai Lantern Festival, known as the "World's Most Colorful Lanterns," is a national intangible cultural heritage. It's China's longest-running, largest, and most visited folk lantern festival. The annual Qinhuai Lantern Festival is a major shopping attraction in Nanjing.
The spring branches of the official willows sway, the evening tide rises in the Qinhuai River. A crescent moon glimpses from the towering pavilions, and lights illuminate the twin bridges. The Qinhuai Lantern Festival dates back to the Wei, Jin, Southern and Northern Dynasties, flourished during the Tang Dynasty, and reached its peak during the Ming Dynasty. Nanjing, the ancient capital of six dynasties and a metropolis of ten dynasties, has always been a place where Nanjing residents bid farewell to the old and usher in the new, praying for good fortune and celebrating with joy.
From the first to the eighteenth day of the first lunar month, the Lantern Festival takes place. In Nanjing, there's a custom of "every family walks on the bridge, everyone watches the lanterns." On the sixteenth day of the first lunar month, people climb the city walls, also known as "walking away all diseases." In the old days, residents of the southern part of the city stayed indoors, and some elderly women never visited the northern part of the city or Xiaguan in their entire lives. During the Spring Festival, visiting Pingshi Street to see the lanterns, listen to music and watch opera, and enjoy acrobatics at Confucius Temple were considered a luxury.
Tips:
Sharing some knowledge: How much do you know about the Qinhuai Lantern Festival?
The longest Lantern Festival: After establishing Nanjing as the capital, Zhu Yuanzhang, the founding emperor of the Ming Dynasty, promoted the Lantern Festival and extended the duration of the annual Lantern Festival to ten nights, making it the longest Lantern Festival in Chinese history. During the fifth year of the Hongwu reign of the Ming Dynasty (1372), Zhu Yuanzhang even took the unusual step of ordering the lighting of tens of thousands of water lanterns on the Qinhuai River.
The Qinhuai Lantern Festival was also suspended.
After 1949, Confucius Temple continued to hold a "Lantern Fair" around the Lantern Festival each year, with varying scales. However, this event was interrupted during the "Ten Years of Turmoil." In 1985, Nanjing resumed the annual Qinhuai Lantern Festival.
Mixed vegetables, also known as "Ten Dishes" in Nanjing, are a must-have dish for Nanjing residents during Chinese New Year. It's said that in the past, the number of vegetables used in mixed vegetables was calculated based on the number of people in the family, as families often had more than a dozen members. Nowadays, almost every Nanjing household prepares this dish during Chinese New Year.
In "A Longing for Life", in celebration of Hai Qing (from Nanjing), Mr. Huang Lei specially prepared a dish from his hometown that suits her taste - mixed vegetables.
Tips:
Sharing a little knowledge: What is in mixed vegetables?
The vegetables available for selection include: celery, shepherd's purse, bean curd sheets, dried tofu (shredded), tofu fruit (called fried tofu in some places), spinach, snow vegetables, sauerkraut (sour mustard greens), bamboo shoots, carrots, water chestnuts, lotus root, soybean sprouts, day lily, enoki mushrooms, black fungus, shiitake mushrooms, etc.
Besides mixed vegetables, Nanjing offers many other culinary delights worth checking out. Jinling snacks boast a long history and diverse variety, dating back to the Six Dynasties period and encompassing over 80 varieties. Famous snacks include both meat and vegetarian, sweet and savory, and come in a variety of styles. The Eight Wonders of Qinhuai are particularly renowned. Former Vice President Rong Yiren, after sampling Qinhuai snacks at Confucius Temple, inscribed a banner: "Delicious Snacks," also known as "Eat Delicious Snacks."
Tips:
Sharing some knowledge: Eight sets of snacks from the "Eight Wonders of Qinhuai"
The first best: Huangqiao pancakes and dried shredded shrimp from Yonghe Garden, the second best: beef soup and beef pot stickers from Jiang Youji, the third best: tofu stew and scallion pancakes from Liufengju, the fourth best: duck oil pancakes and mixed vegetable buns from Qifang Pavilion, the fifth best: sesame oil vegetarian dried shredded shrimp and chicken shredded noodles from Qifang Pavilion, the sixth best: osmanthus-filled small rice dumplings and five-color small cakes from Lianhu Cake Shop, the seventh best: smoked fish silver thread noodles and thin-skin dumplings from Zhanyuan Noodle House, the eighth best: five-spice beans and five-spice eggs from Kuiguang Pavilion.
Nanjing has long been a city known for its love of duck, with duck dishes being a staple in the city, earning it the reputation of "Jinling Duck Dishes Are the Best in the World." No duck leaves Nanjing alive! From duck blood vermicelli noodles to salted duck, pressed duck, osmanthus duck, and roast duck, there's so much more to enjoy in Nanjing.
Picture from tourists: Jiujiu
Gaochun Old Street's New Year Goods Festival runs from the eighth day of the twelfth lunar month to the fourth day of the first lunar month. Even in the dead of winter, rush to the dazzling array of New Year goods and indulge in a shopping spree! The cold is instantly gone! Cured meat, Chinese sausage, free-range eggs, and fried rice candy—while not presented in fancy packaging—deliver authentic New Year flavors.
After shopping for New Year's goods, go to Changjieyan for a meal of authentic farm dishes. After eating and drinking to your heart's content, watch the slaughtering of the New Year pig and the temple fair performance.
Ringing the bell at Niu Shou Mountain, lighting the first incense stick at Qixia Temple, and praying for blessings at Bao'en Temple—saying goodbye to the old and welcoming the new amidst the melodious and powerful tolling of the bells—is perhaps a must-do at the end of the year and the beginning of the new. Ringing the bell, burning incense, and praying for blessings—hopefully for a year of good weather, peace, and happiness.
Da Baoen Temple
Jiming Temple
Niu Shou Mountain
Come to Nanjing in winter and experience the hustle and bustle, try the eight unique Qinhuai delicacies, stroll through the beautiful streets and alleys, and feel the ancient capital of the Six Dynasties. By chance, it snows, and you will walk into your own Jinling.
Image from tourists: Jin Yu
