Qinhuai River and Confucius Temple: Nanjing Visitor Guide
Walk Nanjing's Confucius Temple district, cruise the Qinhuai River in a painted boat and eat the snacks of Qifangge.
Photo: Dendy / Unsplash
Contents
Fuzimiao is Nanjing at its liveliest: the Confucius Temple, painted boats on the Qinhuai River, gardens, pavilions and busy lanes in one walkable district. The temple is one of the four major Confucian temples in China. The area is open all day and free to walk into, though some attractions inside charge a fee.[1]
Day or evening
Go by day for the museums and gardens, and stay for the evening, when the river lights up. Every Spring Festival, a lantern show and fairs fill the banks of the Qinhuai.[1]
The Confucius Temple is at No. 152 Gongyuan Road, 400 metres from Exit 4 of Fuzimiao Station on Metro Line 3.[1]
Things to Do
Offers are only loaded from GetYourGuide after you click. GetYourGuide can then process your IP address and set cookies. Privacy Policy
GetYourGuide partner offers. GoAsia may earn a commission if you book through these offers. Check whether tickets or transfers are included, and follow the attraction's official booking and admission rules.
Museums and gardens nearby
Jiang Nan Gong Yuan, the Imperial Examination Museum of China, stands at No. 95 Gongyuan Road. Step into the world of the imperial exam candidates, with experiences such as Kui Xing Dian Dou. In 2024 it was open 9:00 to 21:00 and closed on Mondays, with a 50 CNY ticket.[2]
Zhanyuan Garden is the only Ming Dynasty palace open to the public, with rockeries and quiet pavilions. The garden is open 9:00 to 21:00 and closed on Mondays. The 2024 ticket cost 30 CNY by day and 60 CNY at night, when the scenery is especially beautiful. The nearest station is Sanshanjie on Metro Line 1.[1]
The Nanjing Folk Customs Museum in the former residence of Gan Xi, known as the "ninety-nine and a half rooms", shows lanterns, woodcarvings, paper-cutting and kites in a garden setting. In 2024 it was open 9:00 to 17:00, closed on Mondays, and cost 20 CNY.[2] For a slower stroll, walk the old lanes of Laomendong, open all day and free.[1]
Qinhuai River boat rides
Painted boats leave from Banchi Pier at Fuzimiao, pass Bailuzhou Park, Qicai Water Street, Donguanmen and Zhonghuamen, and return to the pier. The loop is about 4.8 km and takes 50 minutes. The boat glides past carved pillars on both banks while their lights shimmer on the water.[1]
In 2024 the daytime cruise (9:00 to 18:30) cost 80 CNY and the night cruise (18:30 to 22:00) cost 100 CNY. The pier is 500 metres from Exit 2 of Fuzimiao Station.[1]
Food around Fuzimiao
Qifangge at No. 12 Gongyuan West Street is the old-school stop for Nanjing snacks. The teahouse opened in 1920, and in 1987 four of its dishes were among the "Eight Delicacies of Qinhuai": the duck-oil sesame biscuit, the assorted vegetable bun, sesame-oil dried tofu strips and chicken noodles.[3]
Order the biscuit, shaped like a straw sandal sole, and the bun, with a filling of tender greens, wood ear and sesame oil. Writers Zhu Ziqing and Yu Pingbo tasted the snacks here before a night boat ride on the Qinhuai, and each wrote his essay on the river afterwards.[3]
Plan your visit
Give the district half a day: a walk through the lanes, one museum, a meal and a boat. Book the boat for the evening if you only have time for one. For wider planning, see our China travel guide.
Sources and background
Numbers in the text such as [1] refer to these sources.
- [1] Nanjing Municipal Bureau of Culture and Tourism: Scenic Spots: Confucius Temple scenic area and painted-boat cruise listing. Retrieved October 22, 2026.
- [2] Nanjing Municipal Bureau of Culture and Tourism: Museums and Galleries: Jiang Nan Gong Yuan and Nanjing Folk Customs Museum. Retrieved October 22, 2026.
- [3] Nanjing Municipal Local Chronicles Working Office: Nanjing Memory: Qifangge local-food history. Retrieved October 22, 2026.
Frequently Asked Questions
It is the district around Nanjing's Confucius Temple, where ancient sites, gardens, painted boats, busy streets and pavilions sit side by side along the Qinhuai River.
The Confucius Temple scenic area is free and open all day, but some attractions inside charge a fee. In 2024 Jiang Nan Gong Yuan cost 50 CNY and Zhanyuan Garden 30 CNY by day.
Do both if you can. Museums and gardens suit the day, and the river is at its best after dark, when the night cruise runs from 18:30 to 22:00.
The painted-boat loop from Banchi Pier is about 4.8 km and takes 50 minutes. In 2024 tickets cost 80 CNY by day and 100 CNY at night.
Take Metro Line 3 to Fuzimiao Station. The Confucius Temple is 400 metres from Exit 4, and the boat pier is 500 metres from Exit 2.
Try Qifangge on Gongyuan West Street for the duck-oil sesame biscuit, the assorted vegetable bun, sesame-oil dried tofu strips and chicken noodles, all among the Eight Delicacies of Qinhuai.
Jiang Nan Gong Yuan (the Imperial Examination Museum) is on Gongyuan Road, and the Nanjing Folk Customs Museum is in the former Gan Xi residence. Both close on Mondays.
About half a day covers a walk, one museum, a meal and a boat ride.
