Fūzǐ Temple

The Confucian Fūzǐ Temple, in the south of the city in a pedestrian zone, was a centre of Confucian study for more than 1500 years. This temple has been damaged and rebuilt repeatedly; what you see here today are newly restored, late-Qing-dynasty structures or wholly new buildings reconstructed in traditional style.

Across from the temple complex to the east is the Imperial Examinations History Museum. This is a recent reconstruction of the building where scholars once spent months – or years – in tiny cells studying Confucian classics in preparation for civil service examinations.

Today the area surrounding Fūzǐ Temple has become Nánjīng's main amusement quarter and is a particularly lively, crowded and fairly unattractive place. On weekends and public holidays, it seems like the whole of Nánjīng throngs here. It's littered with restaurants and rows upon rows of souvenir and fashion shops and even pet stores. The whole area is lit up at night, adding to the kitsch ambience. Tour boats (yóuchuán) leave from the dock across from the temple itself for 30-minute day (Y50 to Y60) and evening (Y60 to Y80) trips along the Qínhuái River (秦淮河; Qínhuái Hé).

Catch bus 1 or Y2 from Xīnjīekǒu here.