Nanjing

Spend a day on Purple Mountain. See the Ming Xiaoling Tomb and walk the Sacred Way past its stone guardians, then visit the Sun Yat-sen Mausoleum in the afternoon for early Republican history.

Walk a stretch of the 14th-century Ming city wall above Xuanwu Lake in the morning. In the afternoon, tour the Presidential Palace, then stroll the plane-tree avenues of the old consular quarter.

Eat two local dishes, at separate meals: duck-blood vermicelli soup (yaxue fensi tang), and salted duck (yanshuiya), a chopped plate of duck with pale skin and light salt. Extras in the soup, such as duck liver or gizzard, vary by restaurant; if you have an allergy, ask before you order.

With half a day more, go out to Yangshan Stele in Tangshan: a Ming quarry where the huge blocks cut for a stele for the Ming Xiaoling tomb were never finished. It is a managed park with stairs up the hillside; confirm hours and tickets before you go.

By air or rail: Nanjing Lukou International Airport, or Nanjing South Railway Station.

From Shanghai: high-speed train from Shanghai Hongqiao to Nanjing South. Confirm times on 12306.

On to Suzhou: a short high-speed train ride from Nanjing South, or a drive by private car.

To Yangshan Stele: by private car or taxi, or take the metro and a ride-hailing car toward Tangshan.

Central Nanjing. Close to the Qinhuai canals and their stone bridges for an easy evening walk.

Paying: pay by QR code. Set up Alipay for foreigners before you go; some older restaurants still take cash, but do not rely on it. Do not count on English on the menu board.

Entry: Nanjing is inside China's 240-hour visa-free transit area, so eligible passports can stay up to 10 days. You must enter through a designated port and hold a confirmed onward ticket to a third country or region. Check the official NIA notices before you book.

Train tickets: buy them on 12306, China's official rail site, with the passport you will travel on. Register early, because identity checks can take days.

Busy dates: Chinese New Year's Day is Saturday 6 February 2027; plan trains around the holiday early. If you want the Qinhuai Lantern Fair by the river, any 2027 programme is still to be announced; check the organiser's notice.

Suzhou. Classical gardens and canal quarters, a short high-speed train ride away. Nanjing has the scale; Suzhou has the detail.

Shanghai. The Bund and the old French Concession lanes, two days before or after Nanjing.

Hangzhou. West Lake; high-speed rail and expressways link Hangzhou, Suzhou, Shanghai and Nanjing.