NANJING'S HISTORIC TREASURES

If you ever plan a trip to Shanghai for more than a week, you’ll have a lot of time to see some of the neighborhood cities even just for a day trip and make the most of your China vacation. I really suggest hopping on a train and visiting another city.

One nearby city worth visiting is the historical city of Nanjing. Nanjing used to be the former capital of China (formerly known as “Nanking”) and has an extremely important place in Chinese history and culture, having been renowned as the capital of several dynasties over the course of Chinese civilization.

If you’re coming from Shanghai, getting to Nanjing is easy as the Shanghai-Nanjing Intercity Railway now takes you there in only an hour and 13 minutes going west. If you live in Hefei (like me) it is equally easy to get to, only an hour away by train going east. It is a nearby neighbor, sitting between Hefei and Shanghai, and a city with real historic treasures. Here are some of Nanjing’s amazing pieces of history. 

THE CITY WALL OF NANJING

The City Wall of Nanjing

The City Wall of Nanjing (also known as the Ming City Wall) was built by 200,000 laborers on the orders of the first Ming Dynasty Emperor, Zhu Yuanzhang, after he founded the Ming Dynasty (1368-1644) and established Nanjing as the capital 600 years ago. This amazing wall took 21 years to complete and surrounds the urban city center (which was the old city back then). The wall is over 600 years old but still stands looking practically brand new with over three-fourths of it still intact. Because of this, it is breathtakingly beautiful.

DR. SUN YAT SEN'S MAUSOLEUM

With friends at the foot of the Mausoleum in 2010

Sun Yat Sen is considered the “Father of Modern China”. He ended the monarchy in 1911 and founded the Republic of China, from which he was President of from 1912 until his death in Beijing in 1925. On May 28, 1929, his remains were transferred to Nanjing and placed in a special mausoleum made just for him. Construction of the tomb began in 1926 until 1929. Now the tomb is one of the best tourist spots in China. Situated at the foot of the second peak of Purple Mountain in Nanjing, it is majestic to see and after climbing the hundreds of steps to the top, the view of the city makes all that climbing worthwhile.

THE MING XIAOLING TOMB 

The Spirit Path: a path of stone animals leading up to the Ming Tomb

The entrance path to the Ming Tomb

The Ming Xiaoling Tomb is a UNESCO World Heritage Site located at the southern foot of Purple Mountain in Nanjing. It is the tomb of the first Ming Emperor (also called the Hongwu Emperor), the founder of the Ming Dynasty. It was built from 1381-1405.

CONFUCIUS TEMPLE

The Temple of Confucius used to be an imperial examination center for the entire Jiangsu province. Now it is just a tiny museum, what was left of the original buildings. But it is a top tourist spot in Nanjing because of its location, right at the center of a massive shopping market and beside the Qinghuai river where you can take beautiful photos of the old town architecture and drink some tea while riding the gondola boats for a canal ride.

A Tale of Two Streets

In Shanghai, shopping is a definite past time….and a joyful one too!! I admit I love going for the bargains! After all, this is the city where you can find a ton of them and some really good deals…you name it…at the antique markets, fabric markets, and underground shopping plazas and in many of the big retail shopping malls. Shopping opportunities here are endless.

But once in a blue moon, I love walking down two of the city’s famous streets that are known to be paradise for the ultimate luxury shopper. Here, the shops cater to the high-end market, but there’s no rule you can’t enjoy them no matter what your shopping budget is. The best thing about these streets is that you don’t even have to be a big-spender. It is also the perfect place to go for a nice walk amongst the tree-lined roads as you take in the view of some unique architectural sights, do some window-shopping (nothing wrong with that!), and stare at the amazing designs of all the flagship stores. Shanghai is a city of excess; modernity and supreme luxury…so why not have fun and just let it take you in? J

HUAIHAI ROAD

Huaihai Road has been known for many years especially amongst Shanghai residents as the city’s number one retail and shopping strip. It was built in the early 20^th century but you’d never guess that by looking at it now. It is a 6-kilometer long boulevard often compared to the Champs-Elysees in Paris, Fifth Avenue in New York and Ginza in Tokyo. Here, huge department stores and shopping plazas abound such as Times Square mall and Hong Kong Shopping Plaza as well as smaller boutique shops lining the street.

Huaihai Road's Cartier shop

Apple Store Shanghai - a huge 2-story haven for techies

Some nice old French style houses also line the street. Most have become new shops.

A Christmas tree decorates the entrance to a mall

Certain shops have made their statement along Huaihai Road because of their unique design. Luxury brands Dunhill and Vacheron Constantin are located in two floors of the two newly-renovated French-style villas (known as the twin villas) on 796 Huaihai Road. The upper floor is home to the members only Kee Club, a high-society hangout with beautiful dining rooms, bars and restaurants serving French and Chinese cuisine.

Other must-see stores on Huaihai Road are the Barbie Flagship store and the Apple Store. The Barbie store is the first flagship store set up by Mattel to sell exclusive Barbie products. This store is not just a toy boutique but a clothing store as well, filled with bags, shoes and retail on all things Barbie. At the top floor, there is also a café developed by chef David Laris. Even if you’re not a kid anymore, it is an experience not to be missed. The Apple Store is two gigantic floors of heaven for all Mac fans and techies out there. You can just browse for hours in here but watch out..it is always packed with people!

WEST NANJING ROAD 

West Nanjing Road, also known as Nanjing Xi Lu (in Mandarin pinyin spelling and pronounced “Nanjing shee lu”) is also a famous luxury shopping street with many malls and big department stores such as Isetan and Plaza 66. In comparison with Huaihai road, I find that there are more accessible retail boutiques here such as Lacoste, Massimo Dutti, Bossini, Hotwind, Nike etc. If this wasn't enough, there are also the UNIQLO , H&M and Marks and Spencer flagship stores which are directly right after one another. Yes, enough to give you a shopping heart attack! The street also plays host to many five-star hotels such as the Portman Ritz Carlton, the JC Mandarin, and The Puli Hotel and Spa. There are also many business buildings and offices here.

West Nanjing Road's many boutique shops along the street

West Nanjing Road's many office buildings

This guy in shorts really amused me.
It was 8 degrees Celsius but he seemed  to think it was summer!

Christmas decorations

Jing'An Temple, built in 1216 is a great landmark at the beginning of West Nanjing Road.

One of the best architectural sights is Jing’An Temple at the beginning of West Nanjing Road. The Buddhist temple was built in 1216 during the Song Dynasty and is now a historical landmark in this otherwise modern landscape.

In Dumpling Heaven...

I’ve always had a love for dumplings. I’m game to eat them anytime, anywhere. For a snack, a meal, even breakfast? J haha! I’m not kidding!! It really is extremely easy to get addicted to these yummy little things…

But the moment I tried the xiao long bao (pronounced shyaow-long-baw), all other dumplings went down the drain. The xiao long bao is sometimes called a “soup dumpling” and is usually filled with pork steamed until it fills with the juices of its own soup. Putting it in your mouth, it is tender, delicious and the soup inside the dumpling just fills your mouth with warmth and joy…I can’t even begin to tell you what an amazing experience it is without getting hungry right now!!

My friend Cathy and I eating a giant xiao long bao in Shanghai in 2010.

When it comes to xiao long bao’s, in my opinion, no other restaurant beats Din Tai Fung. Din Tai Fung is an award-winning, popular and successful chain of restaurants originating from Taiwan. It has now become an international legend with branches all over the world: in Hong Kong, Mainland China, Thailand, Japan, Singapore, Malaysia, Indonesia, South Korea, the United States, Australia, and Canada. Din Tai Fung in Hong Kong has been awarded one Michelin star.

Two days ago, while in Shanghai to do some errands, Marc and I decided to take advantage and head on over to Din Tai Fung for lunch…a treat we haven’t had in awhile. As usual, the food was excellent, the service impeccable and it was pure dumpling heaven!!

The famous xiao long bao

Sauteed spinach in garlic. Just WOW!

Shrimp and pork mixed xiao long baos

Marc in a Din Tai Fung daze! Everything is just too good!!

Spicy Cucumber sauteed in chili and garlic. Yum!!! 

Din Tai Fung is always packed!

The open kitchen showing the chefs making the xiao long baos fresh

Many local celebrities have their caricatures drawn on the walls with their autographs.

Din Tai Fung, Shanghai

Shanghai Centre, 1376 West Nanjing Road (Nanjing Xi Lu)

Shanghai, P.R. China

Tel: (86) 21-62899182

The Best of China? Hop on the CRH!

That’s short for China Railway High-Speed or simply the fast trains…and believe me, there is nothing better than riding them to your next destination. Hands down, hopping on a train is the best way to explore China as there are currently already 9,676 km (6,012 miles) of track routes in service connecting almost all the cities, and as of June 2011, 3,515 km (2,184 miles) of these rail lines reach top speeds of 300 km/h (186 mph), so basically, there really is no place you can’t reach in the Middle Kingdom.

The trains are clean and modern and the seats resemble those on an airplane. You can choose between first-class seats and regular second-class seats. What’s the difference? In my opinion, not much since there isn’t any special food service (unlike in the airlines) and the trip is usually fast. The trains don't serve food although you can buy some snacks and coffee. I must say though that first class seats definitely have more leg room and a slightly bigger seat. So if supreme comfort is what you're after, then by all means, go first class all the way.

So far there are 3 main fast trains in China. Here’s the rundown:

D TRAINS

These make up the majority of the fast trains in China. They are the earlier generation CRHs, all with top speeds of 250 km/h (155 mph) but mostly going at an average speed of 150-200 km/h (93 – 125 mph).

What’s the cost? It really depends on how far your destination is. Here’s a sample cost.

Hefei – Shanghai  - one way regular class: 157 Rmb (US$25)

                            - one way first class: 189 Rmb (US$30)

Last year, waiting for the D train in Shanghai station with friends Isabel, Cathy, and Angela

My friend Claudette in the first class cabin of the D train

G TRAINS

These are the latest generation CRH3 with top speeds of 330 km/h (over 200 mph) and some even reaching speeds of up to 380 km/h. The city connections that use these trains are the Beijing – Tianjin Intercity rail, Shanghai – Nanjing Intercity rail, Wuhan – Guangzhou, and Zhengzhou – Xi’an.

What’s the cost? These are more expensive than the D trains because of their speed.

For Shanghai – Nanjing Intercity rail which opened in July 2010, 

tickets start above 200 Rmb (US$ 31) one way.

G train model
(file photo derived from Wikimedia Commons)

And the fastest of them all... the SHANGHAI MAGLEV TRAIN

The Shanghai Maglev (magnetic levitation) train is the first commercially operated high-speed magnetic levitation train in the world. The line connects Shanghai Pudong International Airport to the central Pudong city area of Shanghai (Longyang Road Station) and back. This is a distance of 30 kilometers which normally takes 45 minutes by taxi. Operation started on January 1, 2004. This ultra-fast train has a top operational commercial speed of 431 km/h (268 mph). This is faster than the TGV in France, faster than any Formula One car or MotoGP super bikes, and is roughly the same top speed as the Bugatti Veyron Super Sport.

Shanghai Maglev Train

The Maglev costs 50 Rmb (US$ 8) for a one way trip. It travels 30 kilometers in 7 minutes and 20 seconds, which sounds almost unbelievable. To see it is to believe it and riding this incredible machine is an experience all its own. Imagine seeing cars traveling backwards on the highway? Yes, this is what you see on the Maglev. Cars going backwards!! You also get the feeling you might take off anytime soon, but don’t worry, the Maglev is contoured safely on the track. If you wanna experience the feeling of real speed, you have to try this at least once on your first visit to China. 

My brother Paolo beside the Maglev train

My mom in the interior of the Maglev train

To really experience the speed of the Maglev, watch this video on Youtube.
Click on the link below:

http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=pCAz-kw6WN0&feature=related

SUGGESTED CHINA TRAIN JOURNEYS

Beijing – Shanghai High-Speed Railway (opened June 2011)

Beijing to Shanghai 

Distance: 1,318 km (819 miles)

Travel time:  under 5 hours

Train top speed: 300 km/h (186 mph) for the entire trip

Shanghai – Nanjing Intercity High-Speed Railway (opened July 1, 2010)

Shanghai – Nanjing 

Distance:  301 km (187 miles)

Travel time: 1 hour and 13 minutes

Train speed: 350 km/h (217 mph)

Shanghai Maglev Train airport rail link (opened in 2004)

Shanghai Pudong Intl. Airport – Longyang Station (inside the city)

Distance: 30 km (19 miles)

Travel Time: 7 minutes and 20 seconds

Top Speed: 431 km/h (268 mph) now that’s fast!!!

BIG PRO: If you’re late for your flight, you might just make it with the Maglev!

Sunset Stroll at 1912

Hefei sunset at 4:30pm (a sure sign winter is coming!)

Hefei 1912 Bar Street
Crossing of Ninghuai Road & Huangshan Road

A beautiful sunset was just the perfect inspiration for me to go on a nice afternoon stroll and check out the new Hefei 1912 Bar Street located in the city’s new technological zone. The 1912 Bar Street officially opened last September 23 and is slated to have more than 20 cultural and commercial shops. The new center also includes various bars, cinemas, boutique hotels and health spas. Most of the places have not yet opened but here are a few already happily welcoming customers and worth checking out. 

View of Hefei 1912 and the upcoming Cinema complex

BLUE MARLIN RESTAURANT AND BAR

Blue Marlin is a chain of restaurants that originated with several branches in the city of Suzhou. Since then, it has branched out to the nearby city of Nanjing and now, with an outlet in Hefei as well. Dishes on the menu are an eclectic mix of German, French, Italian and Asian fare. Recommended are the burgers and their grilled selections. Draught beer and a wide selection of drinks are also available. 

SOUTH BEAUTY RESTAURANT

I love to call this "the restaurant with the mask" because of its beautiful, iconic red mask logo. If you have some sudden cravings for excellent spicy Chinese food, this is the place for you. Sichuan cuisine and its famously fiery elements made up of chilies and hot peppercorn ingredients are number one on the menu here. This growing restaurant chain is already valued as a brand with its authentic, delicious food, high-end decor (glass walls and comfy booth sitting) and upscale environment adding to its appeal. Top menu favorites are the spicy stone grilled beef, dan dan noodles, palace prawns, crystal shrimp, Ma Po tofu and home-style sea cucumber. 

LAVAZZA

Italy's beloved coffee roaster Lavazza has now come to China with plans of opening more than 200 coffee shops in the next five years. The first shops opened in the top cities of Beijing, Shanghai and Guangzhou and have now expanded to many smaller cities including Hefei. Real Italian Lavazza coffee is available here including some Italian cuisine. I decided to try out the Mochachino. Yummy!

MADRID CLUB SPANISH RESTAURANT

A huge craving for some Spanish tapas and Paella brought Marc and I straight to this restaurant last weekend. The restaurant has a fine-dining atmosphere decorated in an old world ambiance. The authentic Spanish chefs who make the wonderful dishes hail from Valencia and San Sebastian. We sampled the Paella de Mariscos, croquetas de jamon, croquetas de verduras and really nice wine. The food was great and delicious and we'll definitely be back! 

Shipyard Cafe...a true Wuhu Road sanctuary!

Marc walking down Wuhu Road, Hefei

Beautiful rows of trees on Wuhu Road, Hefei

Wuhu Road in downtown Hefei is filled with trees....just rows of endless trees on each side that beckon you to walk through them especially in the autumn when the leaves turn yellow and bright orange, which not surprisingly fires up the appetite as well. It was lunchtime, my stomach was growling and the hunt for food was on. Being conveniently located downtown, naturally Wuhu road is filled with restaurants, mostly Chinese fare and coffee shops, but Marc and I were looking for something a little bit different from the usual. Having read about a charming place called Shipyard Cafe that serves great coffee, freshly made teas and some tasty dishes such as chicken wings and fries, we tracked it down in no time.

Shipyard Cafe is inconspicuous to say the least. Wuhu Road is also quite a long road but if you start walking on the right side of Wuhu just off Jinzhai Road, you will see it eventually. It can be easy to miss the outside sign written in green letters but if you walk slowly and look closely, it'll be worth the search. 

Shipyard Cafe's owner Jeremy with Marc by the bar

The moment we entered, we were greeted by Shipyard's friendly owner Jeremy. Jeremy is orginally from England and opened the cafe in April 2011 together with his lovely wife who designed the place. The entire place just envelops you in warmth and a feeling of joy. It has a very cottage-like and homey feel to it much like if you were in a French countryside cafe surrounded by flowers and sunlight. The place has several cozy nooks and private rooms and a nice general sitting area with one wall displaying a huge wooden book shelf with an assorted amount of books and even board games (I think I saw a Chinese monopoly!). The other walls are also decorated with Jeremy's beautiful photographs taken from his many travels. At the heart of the cafe lies the bar which was my favorite as it had a fantastic coffee machine, some pretty good wine and the most adorable hanging lamps with a beautiful design pattern resembling mosaic and stained glass. There is also a small outdoor area with one table for guests who want to enjoy their coffee al fresco when the weather is warm. The whole place was just screaming happy and cheery and I was glad we sauntered over for lunch.

The bar's beautiful hanging lamps

A table in the main sitting area

A private room

A cozy, relaxing nook

The charming book shelf

A lovely cabinet

Looking at the menu, we realized that the cafe doesn't normally have a regular menu for food but Jeremy revealed that if customers were hungry, they could happily whip up some dishes such as Steak and Chips (French fries) and Chicken wings. We each ordered the Steak and Chips which was great and the fries were just about the best we've tried so far in Hefei. They were made fresh and what a difference it makes. Real fresh potatoes! Marc ate all of his and half of mine! I glared at him and promised I won't be that nice next time, but I knew he was enjoying the fries so much so I gave in just this once. The main menu offers a really great selection of coffee and tea. I was impressed by the abundance of the tea list ranging from classic English teas, Chinese herbal teas and Fruit infused teas. I decided to try the Rose tea which came in a nice pot. It was fresh and delicious. 

Freshly made Rose tea

All in all, it is a great place to hangout with a cozy fresh atmosphere and we truly enjoyed our Saturday lunch. We will definitely be back soon and if you find yourself walking down Wuhu Road one of these days, why not check it out?

Shipyard Cafe 

377 Wuhu Road, Hefei, Anhui Province, China. 

Phone: +86 5512866895

Closed on Mondays