Confucius Temple & Qinhuai River
夫子庙秦淮风光带
Nanjing's most lively old-town core, with Confucius Temple, the Jiangnan Imperial Examination Hall, Wuyi Lane and night boat rides on the Qinhuai River. Lantern light and the sound of oars evoke the charm of old Nanjing.
Confucius Temple stands on Guanyuan Street on the north bank of the Qinhuai River. First built in 1034 as a shrine to Confucius, it is one of China's four great Confucian temples. Today it is a historic district centred on the temple and linked by the Qinhuai River.
Highlights: the Hall of Great Perfection and the screen wall (on the south bank of the Qinhuai, 110 metres long, the largest screen wall in China). The Jiangnan Imperial Examination Hall, now the China Imperial Examination Museum, charges about 50 yuan and displays the examination cells of the Ming and Qing. Wuyi Lane and the former residences of the Wang and Xie clans, homes of Wang Dao and Xie An of the Eastern Jin. Wende Bridge, Taoye Ferry and Li Xiangjun's former residence.
The classic experience is an evening boat ride on the Qinhuai (from Panchi Pier, about 80–100 yuan per person, 50 minutes, turning back near Zhonghua Gate), watching the lanterns and riverside houses on both banks. The district is free to enter, though individual exhibition halls sell tickets separately. The Hall of Great Perfection costs about 30 yuan.
Food: the Eight Delicacies of Qinhuai (duck blood and vermicelli soup, crab-roe soup dumplings, sugared taro, plum blossom cakes). Try long-established shops such as Qifang Pavilion and Jiang Youji, or walk 10 minutes to Laomendong. The Qinhuai Lantern Festival, held from Spring Festival to the Lantern Festival, is China's largest. Entry requires advance booking, and crowds are huge.
Getting there: a 5–8 minute walk from Sanshan Street station on Metro Line 1 or Confucius Temple station on Line 3.
Suggested plan: arrive around 5 p.m., see the Examination Hall first, take the boat after dark, then stroll the streets and eat snacks. The whole visit takes about 3 hours.
Note: the area is heavily commercialised and very crowded on holidays. Book night boat tickets online in advance, and keep an eye on your valuables.
Opening hours
Streets open all day (exhibition halls about 9:00 AM–9:00 PM; boats until 10:00 PM)
Nearby sights
- Jiangnan Examination Hall (China Imperial Examination Museum)
- Zhan Garden
- Xiaoxihu Historic Block
- Bailuzhou Park
- Laomendong Historic District
- Ganxi Mansion
- Zhonghua Gate
- Porcelain Tower & Da Bao'en Temple Heritage Park