Autumn landscape is the most impressive part of Nanjing, only God could create such a wonderful palette with red and yellow, gorgeous but romantic, quiet, and poetic. Enjoying Nanjing's autumn sights, you may know what "storied dyeing" means, and experience the golden yellow and bright red of Nanjing. With the rich colors, you may be overwhelmed by the autumn landscape and atmosphere in Nanjing.
Some of the best autumn sights in Nanjing: 600-meter Sacred Path with stone statues, Yihe Road with plane trees, Qingliang Hill with ginkgo trees, Qixia Mountain with red maple trees, and colorful Zhima Ridge. Nanjing's Autumn sights are at their best. Let's enjoy them together.
(Photo: Qixia Temple; Source: Nanjing Municipal Administration of Culture and Tourism)
Recommendation 1: 600-meter long Sacred Path with stone statues in Xiaoling Tomb of Ming Dynasty
Being one of the largest imperial tomb complexes in China, it is the mausoleum of the founding emperor of Ming Dynasty, Zhu Yuanzhang and his wife Ma. The tomb was named "Xiaoling Mausoleum" because of the posthumous title of the empress "Xiao Ci". Xiaoling Tomb of Ming Dynasty is of a grand scale, magnificent architectures, and a quiet environment.
The 600-meter long Sacred Path is praised as the "most beautiful 600 meters" in Nanjing's autumn. The ancient stone statues have been placed on both sides of the path since more than 600 years ago. As time flies, the statues still greet the passers-by every day. In autumn, grey stone statues, golden ginkgo leaves and red maple leaves create a bright landscape with layers, which is praised as the most romantic path in Nanjing...
( Photo: Sacred Path in Xiaoling Tomb of Ming Dynasty in autumn; Source: Nanjing Municipal Administration of Culture and Tourism)
Attraction: Xiaoling Tomb of Ming Dynasty
Address: No. 7, Shixiang Road, Xuanwu District, Nanjing City
Opening hours: 06:30-18:30 (last admission: 18:00) February 1-November 30; 07:00-17:30 (last admission: 17:30) December 1-January 31 of the following year;
How to get there: It is 632m away from Metro Line 2 Muxuyuan Station, and it takes 9 minutes to walk.
Best period for autumn sightseeing: Mid to late November
Recommendation 2: Yihe Road with plane trees
Full of plane trees in autumn, nearly 100 western-style buildings on both sides of Yihe Road are distinctively designed. The yellow facades buildings are old and they reflect the vicissitudes of history. Visitors see the buildings through the space between the plane trees may feel a subtle sense of retro. Autumn wind blowing, plane tree leaves fall to the ground, creating a thick golden coating on Yihe Road, rustling when stepping on it, which is the whisper of autumn.
(Photo: plane tree leaf; Source: pixabay)
Attraction: Yihe Road
Address: No. 37 Yihe Road, Gulou District, Nanjing City
Opening hours: 24 hours
How to get there: Metro Line 4 Yunnanlu Station
Best period for autumn sightseeing: November
Recommendation 3: Qingliang Hill with ginkgo trees
Nanjing Qingliang Hill Park, known as the "historic site of seven dynasties", is located in the downtown but quiet, so it is also praised as the "city forest". The most ginkgo trees in Nanjing are planted in this park. There are more than 300 ginkgo trees in the ginkgo dell, with an average tree-age of about 60 years and an average height of 20 meters. The ginkgo dell in autumn is covered with yellow ginkgo leaves, and the overwhelming golden is astounding.
(Photo: Ginkgo tree on Qingliang Hill; Source: Nanjing Municipal Administration of Culture and Tourism)
Attraction: Qingliang Hill Park
Address: No. 83, Qingliang Hill Road, Gulou District, Nanjing City
Opening hours: 9:00-17:00, all year round
How to get there: It is 1.1km away from Metro Line 2 Hanzhongmen Station, and it takes 16 minutes to walk.
Best period for autumn sightseeing: November
Recommendation 4: Qixia Mountain with red maple trees
Qixia Mountain is one of the four best maple watching places in China. The west side of Qixia Mountain is called Maple Ridge as the number of maple trees. The maple leaves turn red in late autumn and are overwhelmingly gorgeous and picturesque, thus Qixia Mountain is praised as "the most pleasing mountain in Jinling". In terms of Qixia Mountain, there are ginkgo trees, maple trees and the flourishing Qixia Temple. It's no doubt that Qixia Mountain is a perfect destination for your autumn travel.
(Photo: Red maple on Qixia Mountain; Source: Nanjing Municipal Administration of Culture and Tourism)
Attraction: Qixia Mountain
Address: No. 88, Qixia Street, Qixia District, Nanjing City
Opening hours: 24 hours
How to get there: It is 2.6km away from Bus No. D21 Qixia Mountain East Stop, and it takes 37 minutes to walk.
Best period for autumn sightseeing: Mid to late November
Recommendation 5: Zhima Ridge
Iridescent Zhima Ridge is known as the "scaled-down Jiuzhaigou in Nanjing". Towering above the water, pond cypress trees turn red in autumn, presenting a large area of red, where the breathtaking beauty. The twilight through the water mist creates a dreamlike area on the lake, and this is one of the best landscapes in Nanjing's autumn.
(Photo: Zhima Ridge; Source: Nanjing Municipal Administration of Culture and Tourism)
Attraction: Nanjing Luhe Zhima Ridge Forest Park
Address: Zhuzhen Town, Luhe District, Nanjing City, Jiangsu Province (adjacent to Lai' an County, Anhui Province)
Opening hours: 24 hours
How to get there: It is 6km away from Bus Route G61 Taohua Island Scenic Area Stop, and it takes 1.4 hours to walk (driving is recommended).
Best period for autumn sightseeing: Mid to late November