Qinhuai River

The Qinhuai River is a branch of the Yangtze. It used to be an area for wealthy families around the Confucius Temple and also became notorious for its night-life until the brothels and etc. were closed down in 1949. There were pubs and hotels for merchants, officials and business people. Along with Purple Mountain, it is Nanjing’s main historical tourist spot, and still attracts crowds at night to see the bright lights along the river, eat at the restaurants, and go to the bars.

The main historical attractions along the river are Confucius Temple, Zhanyuan Garden and Zhonghua Gate. The Zhonghua Gate was a part of a huge wall that was built around the city about 600 years ago at the start of the Ming Dynasty period. The gate was the main south gate into the city. The wall’s circumference was greater than the wall of any other city in China. While floating on the boats of the region, visitors have the opportunity to fully appreciate the beautiful sights of the Qinhuai River.