ChinaRoam
ChinaRoam
Metro routes that work, tickets you can actually book, food you can order, and the payment hacks no guidebook prints — city by city.
China's ancient southern capital — Ming tombs, a Confucian temple quarter, and the Yangtze running through history.
High-speed rail from Shanghai (1–1.5h), Beijing (3.5h) and Hangzhou. Lukou Airport (NKG) has the metro Line S1 into town.
A dense 12-line metro covers the old city, Ming sites and the station. Fares ¥2–7. Alipay metro QR works.
DiDi and bikes; many sights cluster near the Zhongshan scenic area east of the old wall.
The tomb of the Ming founder in the Purple Mountain park, on a grand sacred way of stone animals. UNESCO.
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The sweeping memorial to modern China's founding father, set high on Purple Mountain.
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The lantern-lit canal quarter — the Qinhuai River, old merchant houses and snack streets, stunning at night.
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The longest surviving city wall in the world — walk a stretch for views over the old city.
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The seat of Ming, Qing and Republican governments — six centuries of power in one compound.
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The city's beloved soup — duck blood, vermicelli and tofu in a clean broth.
Nanjing's famous 'cooked-in-salt' duck — tender and not greasy.
Delicate sweet-and-salty cakes from the Confucius Temple lanes.
Soup dumplings with a shot of broth — order a basket at any xiaolongbao shop.
Autumn (Oct–Nov) for the plane trees and clear skies; spring brings plum blossom at the mausoleum.
Ming Xiaoling and Sun Yat-sen are a full half-day; take the park shuttle bus between sites.
Alipay everywhere; snack streets take cash — carry ¥100–200.
Tourist sites have English signage; everyday English is limited — translation app helps.
ChinaRoam is a crowdsourced guide to traveling China, built for foreign visitors. We started with the city guides that everyone needs but nobody could find in English: how do I actually pay? How do I book a museum with my passport? Which metro line goes where?
Unlike tourist agencies and travel portals, every entry here is written by travelers who have been on the ground — and every guide is open for anyone to correct and improve. It's a living guidebook, not a static one.
Prices, opening hours, and visa rules change. Treat every entry as a strong hint, not gospel — check official sources for things that matter. And if you spot something wrong, correct it: that's the whole point.
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