I’m about to complete two years living in China. Such a wonderful time! I have just finished writing my 3rd book to learn Mandarin Chinese fast. Every moment spent in China has just been great (check out: Why I Love China?). In March 2019, I was travelling to Hunan Province of China. After exploring the scenic Nanyue and Zhangjiajie, I headed to Nanchang (南昌) city (in Jiangxi province), before returning to Suzhou, my Chinese hometown. My experience with Nanchang, famous for the Pavilion of Prince Teng (滕王阁), was a bit different as the temperature over here was much higher than that in Zhangjiajie. However, I quite liked the city. In particular, the city looked incredibly beautiful in the nighttime.
Not to mention, I’m dedicating this article to share a quick travel review of Nanchang, the provincial capital city. As always with my blog-posts, there are some selected photos attached to let you feel Nanchang city better!
Nanchang city brief
Nanchang, being the provincial capital, is the political, economic, cultural, scientific, educational and transportation center of Jiangxi. By 2018, the city has a jurisdiction over 6 districts and 3 counties, with a total area of 7402 square kilometers and resident population of 5,545,500 (urban population being about 4,116,400).
Nanchang is located along the eastern part of China, north of Jiangxi province, the lower reaches of the Minjiang River and the Fuhe River, and the southwestern shore of Poyang Lake. The city is a historical and cultural hub. After the founding of modern China, Nanchang built the first aircraft of new China, the first batch of coastal defense missiles, the first motorcycle and tractor. As such, it is an important manufacturing center in China and the birthplace of the Chinese aviation industry.
Nanchang is China’s first low-carbon pilot city. It has won the titles of the National Innovation City, International Garden City, National Health City, and Top Ten Dynamic Cities in the World.
How to get to Nanchang?
There are two main railway stations in the city:
- Nanchang Station (南昌站)
- Nanchang West Railway Station (南昌西站)
These stations are connected by the high-speed trains from Shanghai and other parts of China. The West Railway Station is a bit far from the city center. However, the Nanchang Station is directly in the city center, very close to the Pavilion of Prince Teng. Both the railway stations are linked by Nanchang subway, transporting you to/from the downtown.
Also, there are regular minibuses from the Nanchang West Railway Station to city center (fares depend on how many stops you wanna go, about RMB 5-10).
Nanchang transportation
Nanchang Metro is an urban rail transit serving the city. Its first line was opened on December 26, 2015, and Nanchang became the 25th city in mainland China to operate the subway. As of June 2019, Nanchang Metro has 2 operating lines, namely Nanchang Metro Line 1 and Line 2, with 52 stations (including transfer stations) and 2 interchange stations. The total length of the operational lines is 60.35 kilometers. As of June 2019, Nanchang Metro has two more lines under construction, namely Line 3 and Line 4, with a total length of 68.5 kilometers under construction.
Well, there was no operating subway line to the West Railway Station during my March (2019) trip. However, in June, the subway has been further expanded and the west station is already connected to the subway. Don’t forget to use the Baidu Map, probably your best friend in China.
Nanchang weather
It was too hot in mid-March. The temperature hovered around 30°C. Coming out of the hotel was a bit difficult. I had faced a similar situation in Jinan last year. Thankfully, it didn’t rain in Nanchang.
Well, Nanchang has a subtropical humid monsoon climate with a humid and mild climate with an abundant sunshine. It has long summer and winter, and short spring and autumn. The city’s annual average temperature is about 17°C.
Due to the city’s location in the subtropical zone of the northern hemisphere, it is affected by the East Asian monsoon, forming a subtropical monsoon climate. Nanchang’s annual rainfall is about 1600-1700mm, about 147-157 precipitation days, with an annual average relative humidity of 78.5%.
Nanchang food
Nanchang cuisine is called Gan cuisine (赣菜). If you like Chinese food, Nanchang has got plenty in store for you. Some of the famous Nanchang dishes include, Wuhu fat fish head, four-star sacred moon, sautéed scallions, scorpion squid, simmered pork, Pingxiang smoked meat, lotus blood duck, Old table chicken soup, Yonghe tofu, Jinggang tobacco shoots, etc. Nanchang rice noodles is a must as they are very tasty. The best places to find these foods would be: Shitou Jie, Ruzi Lu and Fuzhou Lu.
Nanchang hotels
I was staying with the Hanting Express (汉庭酒店), located directly in the city center. Quite nice. Hanting is generally my preferred choice while travelling in China.
Top Things to do in Nanchang
Now let’s quickly look go through some of travel attractions and the top things to do in Nanchang.
Pavilion of Prince Teng
In case you are not into Chinese history, it’s worth knowing that there are three famous buildings south of the Yangtze river: Pavilion of Prince Teng (滕王阁) is one of them. The other two being the Yueyang Tower and the Yellow Crane Tower (Wuhan). These three are collectively known as the “the three famous buildings in Jiangnan”. It feels great to have visited all three of them!
The pavilion was built in AD 653. The Tengwang Pavilion has been rebuilt for 29 times as it was repeatedly destroyed.
On October 29, 2018, the Nanchang Tengwang Ge Tourist Area was approved, by the Ministry of Culture and Tourism, as a national AAAAA-level tourist attraction.
This is one of the great towers of China and famous for the Preface to the Teng Wang Pavilion (Tengwang Ge Xu Ji, 滕王阁序, Téngwáng Gé Xùjì) by Wang Bo (王勃) from the Tang Dynasty.
- Opening hours 07:00-18:00; and 19:00-21:30 (evening/light show)
- Ticket price: 50 yuan/person
Geographic location: No. 58 Old Street, Donghu District, Nanchang City, Jiangxi Province
Address in Chines: (地理位置): 江西省南昌市东湖区仿古街58号
The Star Ferris wheel of Nanchang
Another famous travel attraction in Nanchang is the Star Ferris Wheel (南昌之星). It has a height of 160 meters. When completed in 2006, it was the world’s tallest Ferris wheel. Now it’s the world’s sixth highest Ferris wheel.
- Opening hours: 9:00-21:30
- Ticket price: 50.00 yuan
- Recommended length of visit: 1-2 hours
Nanchang Star Amusement Park
The Amusement Park (南昌之星游乐园) is located near the ferry wheel. The bus stop is just behind the park, ensuring a convenient transportation. The Nanchang Star Amusement Park has become the largest amusement park area in Nanchang, and probably in Jiangxi. The park is near the Lijiang River, offering glimpses to the beautiful scenery on both sides of the river.
Sheng Jin Tower
One of the famous Buddhist temples in Nanchang is Sheng Jin Tower (绳金塔). It was built in the Tang Tianyou years (AD 904 ~ 907 years). According to legends, the tower before digging was a foreign monk. The golden pagoda, also known as the rope tower, is simple and beautiful. It has the typical artistic style of Chinese Jiangnan architecture. With more than 1,100 years since its establishment in the Tang Dynasty, the tower conveys the historical facts about the wisdom of the working people of ancient China.
- Opening hours: 7:30-19:30
- Ticket price: free
Bayi Square and Bayi Monument.
Bayi Square (八一广场), formerly known as the People’s Square, was built in 1952. Located in the city center area, Bayi Square covers an area of 78,000 square meters, including a memorial tower, the remembrance area at the southern end, and the public recreation area at the northern end. Bayi Square is the heartland of Nanchang City, the largest city center square in Jiangxi Province, an important place for political, economic, cultural, entertainment and leisure activities.
- Opening hours: All day
- Ticket price: free
- Famous for: Memorial Tower, Jinshui River, Shengqitai, Military History Emboss, etc.
Nanchang nightlife
Frankly speaking, the city looks like a newlywed bride in the night. The buildings are well illuminated. As such, if you are in Nanchang, don’t forget to go out and take a walk around the library. Walking around the city is a pleasant experience. Really nice!
Also, there are some of the interesting Cafes and Bars in Nanchang. Here is a quick list:
U.B.C. Coffee,
Minde Lu branch: No.195, Minde Lu, Donghu District
Supu branch: 3F, Jiangling Caiwu Dasha, No.111, Supu Lu
CD Bar
Address: No.65, Zhongshan Lu, Donghu District
Denver 1857’s Bar
Address: No.403, Minde Lu, Donghu District
Felix Bar
Address: No.65, Yanjiang Beilu, Donghu District
In summary, I was in Nanchang just for a couple of days, and it was a pleasant experience exploring the city. Visiting Teng Weng Ge was the most interesting part. Exploring the downtown in the night light was another memorable experience.
After Nanchang, I also intended to visit Wuyuan (Shangrao, Jiangxi) to see the spring flowers, but I didn’t visit them in March, as the best time to see the flowers was in April. So, I came back to Jiangxi again in April. I will tell you more about traveling to Wuyuan in my next blog-post.
That’s all in this post about traveling and top thing to do in Nanchang city. If you have any question about traveling, living or working in China, do let me know in the comments! Feel free to post in our forum so that others could also contribute and learn. For regular updates like us on Facebook, or follow on Twitter!
If you find the write-ups useful, don’t forget to buy me a beer!
Hope you enjoy travelling to Nanchang city!
Cheers!
Last updated: Tuesday, August 6, 2019
Hello!
Congratulations on your 2 years in China! I think you should do a post of your time in China like a recap or of your experiences , especially for readers who are interested in working or studying abroad in China.
Thank you!
Hi there, thanks! Yes, I’m working on a book, and should be available by early November. Will keep the blog updated as well. 🙂
Hello! Your write up about Nangchang has been very helpful. I have been here since September 21st… and haven’t seen much yet. I’ve been trying to get out. Im just very shy. I however will check out some of the spots you mentioned. I also would like to ask? What are some of the best ways to go about meeting more English speakers? Thanks again! Michelle (Mishi)
Hi there! Thanks for stopping by. For meeting foreigners, you can join Facebook expat groups (there are many, just search in FB). Once you know a few foreigners living nearby, check out with them if there are WeChat group of expats (again, there are many city-based groups). This way, you will be able to meet more like minded people. Wish you a pleasant stay.