Nanjing
Out of all the cities I’ve visited in China, Nanjing leaves me the deepest impression.
Nanjing used to be the capital of China, has undergone several hardships which even the locals living in Nanjing didn’t really want to talk much about it, especially during the Nanjing massacre where the Japanese came and took the lives of many Chinese.
I was glad that this tour had arranged a visit to the Nanjing Massacre Memorial Hall. Before entering the compound, the guide told us that photography is forbidden within the museum but it’s perfectly fine to take photos outside the building.
But I chose not to bring my camera along because I guess I just want to focus my senses and attention on reading, learning and reflecting on this painful history that occurred back in 1937.
We spent about an hour viewing the exhibits in the museum but I swear that I could take almost 4 to 5 hours to thoroughly read and view the details of all the exhibits. There were so many interesting artifacts collated during this period of killings and fighting – from news articles, items used by the Japanese soldiers to the bones of Nanjing Massacre victims which were buried deep down on the very same grounds this memorial hall was built.
This was indeed the highlight of my trip to China where I get to witness part of China’s history by paying a visit to the memorial hall where the bones and souls of the victims were buried. This could be a great valuable insight for me to share with my students.
Lunch
This Chinese restaurant in Nanjing has a unique theme – an old colonial train embedded in a restaurant with its head butting out.
A mini garden behind the restaurant, leading to the kitchen.
Be sure to make a visit to Gourmet mansion restaurant, it’s one of a kind restaurant in Nanjing and the food there is quite delicious.
Fuzimiao Walking Street 南京夫子廟
Finally, it’s shopping time! Don’t get me wrong, I’m not really a shopaholic. I just yearn that freedom to explore this city! I’ve been waiting for this moment where we had some time to ourselves to roam and wander around, trying some Chinese delicacies or street food while shopping and exploring the city on foot, with the locals. This is the best time to get yourself immerse into their local culture as you interact with the locals as you shop, eat and walk.
This area is really easy to navigate because it’s a one-direction street with a stretch of shops, restaurants, food stalls and fast food centres like MacDonald and KFC lining at both sides of the main road. I have fallen in love with this place after an hour of exploring this side of Nanjing. I just realised that this city, Nanjing, has so much to offer! I would love to come back again!
Trying out some street food – a herbal pear drink.
I love the taste of it. Slightly sweet and soothing for the throat.
Gosh! This popular street snack someday on my favourite food list. It’s basically several strawberries coated with a red candy glaze, held together with a wooden stick.
It costs about 10RMB which is equivalent to SGD 2.
The strawberries were super sweet and juicy! Such a wonderful delight!
I couldn’t resist the sight of it! Salivating even as I was working on this blog post.
Street Art
This man was writing Chinese Calligraphy with his big brush and some water. An environmental-friendly form of art. No ink, just water which will eventually dry up.
No vehicles. Safe place to roam freely about.
Shao Ping
Another street snack: A baked Chinese pastry coated with sesame seeds. The round ones are sweet while the rectangular ones are savoury. I love both!
It wasn’t a fruitful shopping trip for our family as most of
It turns dark really early here because it’s winter where the daylight hours are shorter. I still remember reading about it during my Geography lessons. Such important lessons and knowledge from our school teacher never go to waste! I would love to come back to this city someday… very soon I hope.
