| Nanjing |
.We took a taxi back to the Paradise Hotel and from there emailed the Novotel Peace Hotel in
Beijing to reserve a room for the following day. They replied that they had no vacancy but
offered us a room at the Novotel Xinquiao Hotel, which we accepted.
We had hot-pot dinner at another nearby restaurant, then got back to the hotel to pick up our
bags and take a taxi to the Nanjing Railway Station for our 9:06pm train to Beijing. In hard
sleeper car we found several congenial fellow-passengers. We especially enjoyed the company
of a man who spoke English very well and told us about his work engineering and constructing
roads in Ethiopia, Laos and Cambodia. Lights out at about 10:30pm and all quiet until morning
except for the rumbling of the train.
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Beijing to reserve a room for the following day. They replied that they had no vacancy but
offered us a room at the Novotel Xinquiao Hotel, which we accepted.
We had hot-pot dinner at another nearby restaurant, then got back to the hotel to pick up our
bags and take a taxi to the Nanjing Railway Station for our 9:06pm train to Beijing. In hard
sleeper car we found several congenial fellow-passengers. We especially enjoyed the company
of a man who spoke English very well and told us about his work engineering and constructing
roads in Ethiopia, Laos and Cambodia. Lights out at about 10:30pm and all quiet until morning
except for the rumbling of the train.
Click here for the next page, "Back in Beijing".
Click here to return to the "China Trip Menu"
Click here to return to "Our Travel Journals Main Menu"
18 to 20 October: We took a 10:30am flight from Guilin to Shanghai, arriving there about 1:
00pm. From the airport we took a taxi directly to the Shanghai Railroad Station and bought
soft seat tickets for the next train, scheduled to leave at 3:30pm but whose departure was
delayed to about 5:00pm. Arriving at Nanjing at about 8:00pm we took a taxi to the Paradise
Hotel, where we took a suite for 430 yuan after the hotel insisted they had no regular rooms
available. It is a modern hotel centrally located on one of Nanjing’s main avenues.
Nanjing is an important city that has served as China’s capital for much of its history as
reflected in its name: “nan” translates as “south” while “jing” or "king" is translated as
“capital”. The city, formerly known as "Nsnking", has many attractive wide avenues, many well-
tended parks and gardens, several good museums, and is historically important. This was our
first visit to Nanjing.
00pm. From the airport we took a taxi directly to the Shanghai Railroad Station and bought
soft seat tickets for the next train, scheduled to leave at 3:30pm but whose departure was
delayed to about 5:00pm. Arriving at Nanjing at about 8:00pm we took a taxi to the Paradise
Hotel, where we took a suite for 430 yuan after the hotel insisted they had no regular rooms
available. It is a modern hotel centrally located on one of Nanjing’s main avenues.
Nanjing is an important city that has served as China’s capital for much of its history as
reflected in its name: “nan” translates as “south” while “jing” or "king" is translated as
“capital”. The city, formerly known as "Nsnking", has many attractive wide avenues, many well-
tended parks and gardens, several good museums, and is historically important. This was our
first visit to Nanjing.
The morning after our arrival at the Paradise Hotel we took a taxi to the Nanjing Railway
Station to get sleeper tickets to Beijing for the 20 or 21 October but was told that none were
available. After a snack at Pizza Hut we went back to the hotel and the travel agent there
mysteriously got us hard sleeper tickets for the following evening, 20 October.
Station to get sleeper tickets to Beijing for the 20 or 21 October but was told that none were
available. After a snack at Pizza Hut we went back to the hotel and the travel agent there
mysteriously got us hard sleeper tickets for the following evening, 20 October.
We visited the Museum of the 1937 Nanjing Massacre, dedicated to the 300,000 victims of
what is generally known as the Japanese “The Rape of Nanking".
Another historical museum we visited was the “Taiping History Museum” which features the
Taiping religious and nationalistic uprising in the 1800's which tried without success to stop
foreign control of parts of China and especially to stop British importation of opium into China.
The museum is located in a traditional Chinese mansion located in a beautiful garden.
what is generally known as the Japanese “The Rape of Nanking".
Another historical museum we visited was the “Taiping History Museum” which features the
Taiping religious and nationalistic uprising in the 1800's which tried without success to stop
foreign control of parts of China and especially to stop British importation of opium into China.
The museum is located in a traditional Chinese mansion located in a beautiful garden.
Garden of the Taiping History Museum, Nanjing.
Another part of the Taiping Garden.
That evening we had dinner at a “hot pot” restaurant near our hotel. Below you will find a
“hot pot” on the table. It is basically a round pan with a funnel going up through the
center. Under the funnel is a flame to keep the flavored liquid in the pot boiling. The
restaurant staff bring to you uncooked whatever vegetables or meat you order and you put
those items into the boiling liquid and with your chopsticks you remove them when you think
they have been cooked to your liking. The system is somewhat similar to preparing a fondue.
“hot pot” on the table. It is basically a round pan with a funnel going up through the
center. Under the funnel is a flame to keep the flavored liquid in the pot boiling. The
restaurant staff bring to you uncooked whatever vegetables or meat you order and you put
those items into the boiling liquid and with your chopsticks you remove them when you think
they have been cooked to your liking. The system is somewhat similar to preparing a fondue.
On the 20th we vacated our room at the Paradise Hotel at about 11:00am, checked our bags
with the management, and took a taxi to the SunYatSen Mausoleum, shown on the next page.
SunYatSen is very highly regarded for having successfully led the revolt against the corrupt
imperial regime around 1910 and attempting to replace it with a democratic government. From
the mausoleum we walked through the woods to the nearby SunYatSen Museum devoted to the
life of that national hero.
with the management, and took a taxi to the SunYatSen Mausoleum, shown on the next page.
SunYatSen is very highly regarded for having successfully led the revolt against the corrupt
imperial regime around 1910 and attempting to replace it with a democratic government. From
the mausoleum we walked through the woods to the nearby SunYatSen Museum devoted to the
life of that national hero.
Gate to the Sun Yat Sen Mausoleum.
Steps to the Sun Yat Sen Mausoleum.
Statue of Sun Yat Sen in the Mausoleum, Nanjing.
Sun Yat Sen Museum, Nanjing
In a Nanjing hotpot restaurant,