Everyone should visit Nanjing at least once

Your hometown is the root of your person.

Nanjing is my hometown, and with countless distinctive and unparalleled characteristics it is always my favorite place .

The food is the soul of Nanjing 

As a Chinese saying goes, “Food is the building block for people’s lives,” China is always proud of its food diversity; even each city has its distinct and special recipe.

For me, studying abroad thousands of miles away, my homesickness is mostly embodied on my missing the food in Nanjing. Having thrived for five thousand years, Chinese are very particular about food. Nanjingers are no exceptions. For breakfast alone, we have more than ten of kinds of food.

We have steamed dumplings which are handmade and so juicy that one needs to drink the juice inside before eating them; we have rice glue ball with wine, in which the stickiness of the rice ball is wrapped in the gentleness of the sweet ferment rice.

We also have, glue pudding, boiled salted duck, boiled fish with Sichuan pickles, spiced corned egg and much more.

It sounds bizarre here, but for me, these foods are home.

For us, food brings hope and motivation, solaces injured body and depressed mind and carries expectations and love for each other.

Our scenery is entirely unique

As an indispensable part of culture, food is interconnected and shaped by many other factors. Firstly, Nanjing’s unique geography plays an important role in the specialness of food. Nanjing is a city situated in the heartland of lower Yangtze River region where the terrain, weather, and water source are all perfectly fit for rice industry; thus gradually, Nanjing became a center of economy, politics, culture, and transport for thousands of years.

Having been the capital for six dynasties, Nanjing has many wonderful historical sites, for instance, the old city wall surrounding the whole city, the depositary of Buddhist sutra where monks spread faiths in Buddhist sutra to normal people, and the Ming Xiaoling, the tomb of the first emperor of Ming Dynasty. Despite those gratifying historical sites, Nanjing also has many periods of sad and heart wrenching stories.

While we were invaded by the Japanese army in World War 2, all inhabitants in Nanjing were massacred, including women and children in extremely humiliating and disgracing manners. In one night, Nanjing became a deserted city. Only after many years did new people start filling in, and gradually Nanjing rehabilitated. As an old city, Nanjing has witnessed too much prosperity, misery, success, and failure.

Saturated with vicissitudes, Nanjing’s inclusiveness shows in every aspect, no matter culture, scenery or food. That is why Nanjing also contains food and flavors from all over the country.

Nanjing welcomes and accepts everyone.

 

Our lives are wonderful

In light of Nanjing’s food, geography, and history, Nanjingers are the unavoidable representation of Nanjing’s essential breath and spirit. As said before, the original citizens were wiped out in war and the current citizens were actually from other places, so Nanjingers are naturally very open to all kinds of culture and thoughts.

Another reason that we welcome others to Nanjing is that we are so proud of our hometown that – can’t wait to introduce visitors and to show off it!

Nanjingers really love and enjoy their lives. There are always many people getting up early just to eat a bowl of hot watery jellied bean curd.

Also, after work, many will stop to buy fried glutinous rice balls with sesame as snacks. On the weekend, we might go to Tang Mountain to enjoy a hot spring bath. In spring, we can go to Plum Blossom Hill to appreciate to full-blown plum blossoms. In autumn, we can walk on the road of phoenix trees to watch leaves falling.

There are so many things to enjoy in Nanjing. Having lived here for 18 years, I never dare to say that I have fully explored this city.

I love my hometown. I am honored to be a Nanjinger.

Welcome to Nanjing.