The existing city walls in Nanjing were mostly built in the Ming Dynasty and there are several sections. One of the famous sections is the Terrace City section from Shence Gate to Taiping Gate on the south bank of Xuanwu Lake. Tourists can walk on this section of the city wall throughout the whole journey. On one side is Xuanwu Lake, and on the other side is the city view. On the way, scenic spots such as Jiming Temple can also be overlooked.
Nanjing Terrace City originally referred to the city wall from Jiefang Gate to Taiping Gate. Before the Nanjing Youth Olympic Games in 2014, several sections of the city wall were connected and lengthened. After Jiefang Gate and Shence Gate were connected, the city wall from Shence Gate to Taiping Gate is 5.6 kilometers in length. It passes through Shence Gate, Xuanwu Gate, Jiefang Gate, and Taiping Gate in sequence from northwest to southeast. Each city gate can be used to ascend and descend the city wall. The entrance to ascend the city wall at Taiping Gate is at the east gate of Jiuhua Mountain Park.
Touring tips: Only counting walking time and not including time for taking photos and detailed exploration. It takes about 1.5 hours to walk the whole length of the city wall. Most tourists will not walk the whole way. Instead, they mostly choose to ascend the city wall at Jiefang Gate. A cursory tour for about half an hour is almost enough. After getting off at the “Jiming Temple” station on Metro Line 3, it is about 800 meters on foot to reach Jiefang Gate.Jiming Temple was built in the Western Jin Dynasty. If you pass through the gate opening of Jiefang Gate, you can come to the shore of Xuanwu Lake. Passing through the gate opening only without ascending the city wall is free of charge. Xuanwu Lake is also free. If you walk the whole way, the woods and walls from Shence Gate to Xuanwu Gate will block the view of Xuanwu Lake. From Xuanwu Gate, the view becomes open. Passing through the city tower on Xuanwu Gate is quite interesting. At Jiefang Gate, you can overlook Jiming Temple and visit the History Museum of Nanjing Ming City Wall. On the city wall, there are cannons and imitated ancient defensive weapons. At the fork in the road at Jiefang Gate, going west is a short dead end. Going east can lead all the way to Taiping Gate at Jiuhua Mountain. Because few people walk there, the stone bricks of the city wall are full of grass. Looking east, Zhongshan Mountain (Purple Mountain) is clearly visible.
Open hours: Open all year round from 08:30 to 17:00.
Preferential policies: Children: Minors under 18 years old (excluding 18 years old) (accompanied by a ticket-purchasing guardian), free of charge. Elderly: Elderly people aged 70 years old (including 70 years old) and above can enter for free with their ID cards. Elderly people aged 60 years old (including 60 years old) to 70 years old (excluding 70 years old) can enter at half price with their ID cards. Military personnel: Active-duty military personnel, free of charge. Retired cadres: Retired cadres, free of charge.Disabled people: Disabled people, free of charge.
Students: Full-time college students with valid certificates can enter at half price.
Must-see tips:
1. Tour guide explanations last for 30 to 60 minutes. For groups of less than 30 people, it costs 60 yuan. For groups of more than 30 people, it costs 65 yuan. For explanations lasting more than 60 minutes, for groups of less than 30 people, it costs 80 yuan. For groups of more than 30 people, it costs 85 yuan.
2. When handling an annual card at Jiefang Gate, remember to bring a one-inch photo of yourself. The annual card is for personal use only.
