One Day in Nanjing: A Sophisticated Traveler’s Tale from Dawn Espresso to Neon Midnight

The air in Nanjing has the crisp edge of a December morning, but the city hums with a warmth that reminds me of Jakarta’s pre-rush-hour calm. It is 2025-12-08, and I am standing on the Zhonghua Gate watchtower, thermos of single-origin Yunnan drip in hand, watching the sun smolder over the Qinhuai River. One perfect day stretches ahead—let me walk you through it.


Yilei (Jerry) Bao

### Morning | 07:30 – 11:30 #### Breakfast & the Oldest Gate in China From Zhonghua Gate metro station (Line 1, exit 2, ¥2 ride from Xinjiekou) the ramparts open at 08:00. Student tickets are ¥25; bring cash—Nanjing still likes paper. Climb the 39 m brick wall; the view east frames purple-tiled roofs poking through river mist, a silhouette worthy of any Kyoto temple but executed in Ming-dynasty gray brick. **Pro-tip:** Arrive 15 min early and buy a sesame pancake (dà má là shāobǐng, ¥4) from the vendor outside; she presses chili oil into the dough like an İstanbul simit master brushes on pekmez. #### Coffee Ritual at BeanBath (08:45) Ten minutes south of the gate, BeanBath Micro-Roastery occupies a 1930s shikumen lane. Ask barista Zhou for the anaerobic-fermented beans from Pu’er—notes of longan and black-cardamom that would make any Brooklyn roaster weep. Espresso ¥22; V60 ¥35. Beans to go: ¥128/250 g. While the kettle blooms, Zhou sketches the day’s route on a paper filter: - Purple Mountain by cable car (09:30) - Presidential Palace before the tour-bus tsunami (11:00) #### Purple Mountain Cable Car (09:30 – 10:30) Didi to the foothills (¥12). A single cabin lifts you above camphor forests; the city shrinks into a Tang-dynasty ink wash. At the summit station, walk 8 min to the Observatory platform—sunlight ricochets off the Yangtze like molten copper. A moment to rival sunrise over Sakarya’s Karasu coast, yet framed by Ming tombs. Round-trip ticket ¥60; queue early—locals love a misty December selfie. ### Afternoon | 11:45 – 17:30 #### Lunch at ShiZiQiao Food Court (11:45) Metro to Daxinggong Station (Line 2). Follow students clutching boba into ShiZiQiao alley. Order duck-blood-vermicelli soup (yā xiě fěnsī tāng, ¥12) and pan-fried buns (shēng jiān, ¥1.5 each). The broth sings of star-anise and white-pepper; it is as comforting as slurping bakso in a Jakarta back-lane, but with the elegance of Jiangnan clarity. #### Presidential Palace (12:30 – 14:00) Pre-book through WeChat mini-program (English-friendly). Ticket ¥40. Walk the 19th-century wings where Sun Yat-sen once paced; parquet floors creak like New York’s Frick, yet the garden koi ponds whisper Ming etiquette. Audio guide ¥20, but I prefer eavesdropping on university docents practicing English. #### Sifang Art Museum & Jiangsu Provincial (14:15 – 16:30) Taxi 10 min (¥11) to Sifang. The building—stark concrete planes by Steven Holl—floats above a reflecting pool. Inside, the current show fuses Nanjing cloud-brocade with digital projection; silk dragons ripple across the walls as if alive. Entry ¥60. Stroll 6 min to Jiangsu Provincial Museum (free, passport required). Don’t miss the celadon tiger-shaped water dropper—tiny, whimsical, the size of an espresso tamper, yet 1 200 years old. #### Coffee Interlude at UNIUNI (16:40) Opposite the museum, UNIUNI’s Nanjing outpost offers a washed Guji that tastes like bergamot shortbread. Cortado ¥28. Charge your phone; evening plans incoming. ### Evening | 18:00 – 00:30 #### Dinner at Deji Plaza’s 7th-Floor Food Alley (18:00) Metro to Xinjiekou (Lines 1/2). Take Exit 24 straight into Deji. Skip the luxury queues; ride to the 7th-floor “Cloud Alley.” Try honey-glazed pork ribs (fēng mì lǐjǐ) at local chain “Nanjing Impressions,” ¥58. Portions generous; share if you’re saving room for street snacks later. #### Sunset at Laomendong (19:00) Didi south (¥14). The restored neighborhood glows under red lanterns. Climb the small city-wall section; west-facing bricks blush in final light. Street musicians strum guzhengs; the scene rivals İskenderun’s seaside corniche at dusk but with a Confucian calm. #### Nightlife: 1912 Block (20:30) Metro Line 2 to Daxinggong then 10 min walk. Facades imitate Republic-era villas; inside, basslines pulse. Start with a barrel-aged Negroni at Scarlett (¥68) before ducking into underground club “Cosmic.” Cover ¥80 incl. first drink. DJs spin tech-house; the crowd is equal parts university coders and fashion bloggers. #### Midnight Street-Food Finale (23:15) Exit Cosmic, turn left, follow the scent of charcoal. A lone cart sells grilled squid tentacles brushed with cumin and chili (¥3 per stick). Pair with warm soy milk from next-door grandma (¥2). Eat standing, gloves on, December air nipping your ears—Nanjing’s version of Osaka’s 2 a.m. kuromon skewers. ### Practical Notes - **Transport:** Download “Nanjing Metro” app; Alipay/WeChat QR works gates. Day-pass ¥20. - **Timing:** Attractions close 17:30-18:00 winter; plan Purple Mountain first. - **Costs:** Excluding hotel, budget ¥350–450 for food, coffee, entries, nightlife—cheaper than a single omakase in New York, triple the memories. - **Etiquette:** Speak softly in museums; offer seats on metro to elders—Jiangnan manners run deep. ### Final Sip Back at my hotel near Xinjiekou, I brew a last V60 of the Yunnan beans I bought at BeanBath. The cup tastes of longan, of river mist, of Ming bricks and neon midnight. One day in Nanjing, like a perfect espresso shot: short, intense, leaving a lingering sweet memory. May yours pull just as well.