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Jiayi and Julie celebrate an anniversary in Nanjing, traveling by high-speed rail and visiting sites that connect the city's history with its present-day life. They explore the Presidential Palace and the Nanjing Museum, where they see a complete jade burial suit and Oracle bones. At the Ming Emperors' tombs, they take in the landscape and note that tourist information is limited in English. The couple spend the evening at Qinhuai River, try a meal at a black pepper restaurant and explore local food stalls in the alleyways. Their itinerary ends at the Nanjing Massacre Memorial Hall, which they treat as a solemn historical site and plan to cover in a separate video.
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An anniversary trip through Nanjing's history
Jiayi and Julie travel to Nanjing by high-speed rail for an anniversary visit. They begin at the Presidential Palace, a site connected with modern Chinese history. They take in the architecture and artifacts and share their impressions, then visit a local market and sample food. These early stops give the trip a mix of historical context and everyday city activity.
The Nanjing Museum is one of the three biggest museums in China, and the couple see a complete jade burial suit and Oracle bones there. The objects stand out because they had read about them before. The museum's size and collection make it a major stop, with more to explore than a short visit can cover. They take in the unusual scale of the collection and reflect on how different the artifacts feel from objects encountered in ordinary city life. They also visit the Ming Emperors' tombs, where the scale of the site and the surrounding landscape leave an impression. The couple take time to look across the grounds and consider the history represented there, although the limited English information makes it harder to follow every detail without translation. At some tourist locations, they find little information in English, making translation tools or basic Mandarin helpful for understanding what they see.
Qinhuai River, food and remembrance
In the evening, Jiayi and Julie walk along the Qinhuai River. Its architecture, lights and crowds offer a livelier scene after the historic sites. They continue through nearby alleyways, where they find food stalls, snacks and love locks. For their anniversary dinner, they choose a black pepper restaurant. Jiayi especially enjoys the porridge and says it has become one of her favorite foods.
The couple's food experiences also include homestyle dumplings, eggplant, street food and Beijing duck. They also try less familiar dishes such as duck tongue and blood soup, adding a more adventurous tasting to their meals. They describe the duck's flavors and preparation, and recall the lunch as both delicious and affordable. The alleyways and market add local food discoveries to the itinerary, while the riverfront gives them time to enjoy the city's evening atmosphere.
Their final stop is the Nanjing Massacre Memorial Hall. They treat it as a solemn place connected to a significant historical event and decide to make a separate video about the memorial, giving it the attention they feel it deserves. That visit brings a more reflective close to their anniversary trip, which has moved from the Presidential Palace and museum artifacts to the Ming tombs, evening streets and a place of remembrance. Earlier, they are fascinated by the evocative names of the Forbidden City's halls and stop at a souvenir shop where unusually large postcards catch Niki's attention. Their journey also includes a contrast in air quality: the arrival day is polluted, while the day of the Great Wall visit is clear. At Mutianyu they notice tires placed along the steep path and wonder about their purpose. A later tea-house encounter with Ellis introduces them to several teas and a traditional ceremony, providing a quieter final experience. The couple's journey presents Nanjing through shared experiences, historic sites, local meals and the moments they choose to revisit together.
FAQs (From the traveler's perspective)
- Q: What did Jiayi and Julie see at Nanjing Museum?
- A: They visit the large museum and see a complete jade burial suit and Oracle bones, which are objects they had read about before. The museum becomes one of the highlights of their trip.
- Q: What was their evening at Qinhuai River like?
- A: They walk along the river, taking in the lights, architecture and lively atmosphere. They also visit local alleyways with food stalls and enjoy an anniversary dinner at a black pepper restaurant.
- Q: Why do they visit the Nanjing Massacre Memorial Hall?
- A: They include it as a reminder of a significant historical event and treat it as a solemn site. They decide to make a separate video about the memorial to give it appropriate attention.