Stand at the south end of Bayi Square and the axis of the city opens up in front of you: a historical scene wall, the memorial tower at the centre, revolutionary sculpture, a military history corridor, and the Wanda business centre closing the view at the north end. Nanchang rewards travellers who like their cities legible, with monuments, riverfront and old towers arranged along a few straightforward lines.
It suits anyone with an interest in twentieth-century Chinese history, in classical poetry and architecture, or simply in a mid-sized provincial capital that is easy to move around. This guide covers the sights and experiences the sources describe, plus a one-day plan that links them.
Top things to do in Nanchang
1. Bayi Monument
This large monument, topped with the flag of the People's Liberation Army, stands in the centre of Bayi Square on Bayi Avenue and commemorates the Nanchang Uprising of 1 August 1927, the date on which the People's Liberation Army was founded. The square is open all day and free to enter.
Come at night to see the monument lit, or combine it with the shopping around the square. The square is served by Nanchang Metro Line 1 and Line 2 at Bayi Square station, which has exits on several sides, including one leading to Wanda and Fortune Plaza and one leading to department stores.
2. Pavilion of Prince Teng
One of the Four Great Towers of China and the setting for Wang Bo's famous poem, the Pavilion of Prince Teng stands on the east bank of the Gan River at the intersection of the Gan River and the Fuhe Old Road. It is a landmark building of Nanchang and a symbol of the ancient civilization of Yuzhang, and the present building was reconstructed in 1985.
It is open 08:00-22:00, with the latest entry at 21:00, and admission is ¥50. Take Nanchang Metro Line 1 to Tengwangge Station, Exit 2, for Renjie Square at the southwest gate of the scenic area, or to Wanshougong Station, Exit 3, and walk to the main entrance.
3. Jiangxi Provincial Museum
Jiangxi's main museum, at 2 Xinzhou Road in Donghu District. It is free, open 09:00-17:00 with no entry after 16:00, and closed on Mondays.
Reach it on Metro Line 1, Tengwang Pavilion Station, Exit 2, which makes it an easy pairing with the Pavilion of Prince Teng. Note that a new home for the museum is being constructed on Ganjiang Avenue North; when that is complete, the old site will become the Nanchang City Museum.
4. River Edge Light Show
Every night from about 21:00 to 23:00, the skyscrapers along the Gan River are outfitted with LEDs and centrally synchronized into a light show that runs multiple times each night.
Watch from the Honggutan side at the fountain: walk along the water south from Bayi Bridge. It is the kind of coordinated display that is only possible by fiat authority, and it costs nothing.
5. Qiushui Square
Completed on 28 January 2004, Qiushui Square sits on the shore of the Gan River in Honggutan District, facing the famous Tengwang Pavilion across the water. It takes its name from the line in the Tengwang Pavilion Preface about the sunset and the lone duck flying together and the autumn water sharing one colour. The square is free.
The musical fountain runs 19:30-19:45 and 20:30-20:45, with extra showings at 10:00-10:30 and 15:30-16:00 on holidays excluding weekends, and it does not open on rainy days. Outside those times, the fountain can be run on demand between 9:00 and 22:00 for ¥100 per minute. Reach it on Nanchang Metro Line 1 at Qiushui Square Station.
6. The Star of Nanchang
A Ferris wheel with a height of 160 m, formerly the world's tallest. It is a straightforward way to get a view over the city.
There is a laser tag place under the wheel, so you can combine the two if you are travelling with people who want something more active.
7. YouMin Temple
YouMin Temple (YouMinSi, 佑民寺) is a Buddhist temple in wonderful condition and in active use.
It is located just north of Bayi Park, which is not the same place as Bayi Square, so check which one you are heading for before you set out.
8. Sheng Jin Tower
A Buddhist temple south of the downtown area, and a quieter stop than the riverfront sights.
It sits away from the main monument-and-museum axis, so treat it as a separate outing rather than something to fold into a walk between the square and the river.
9. Kite flying on the west bank of the Gan River
Walk along the west bank of the Gan River on a Saturday or Sunday and buy a cheap kite for ¥10-30, then join the hundreds of Chinese kite fliers. It is surprisingly fun and costs very little.
The west bank is the Honggutan side, which also puts you in position for the River Edge Light Show later in the evening.
10. Nanchang Sunac Park
An amusement park at No. 888, Nanlongpan Street, Jiulonghu New District. From 1 January to 28 September it opens Monday to Friday 10:00-18:00; from 29 September to 31 December it opens Monday to Sunday 09:30-21:30.
Because the autumn and winter schedule runs into the evening, it works as a full-day or late-afternoon plan rather than a quick stop.
11. Amusement parks on the west bank
Besides the Wanda Amusement Park in south Honggutan, there is a smaller fair-styled but permanent amusement park on the west bank of the Gan River, just south of Bayi Bridge in Honggutan. You can ride some surprisingly decent rides or try the dangerously fast bumper cars.
There is an outdoor food market here too, with stinky tofu and assorted chicken and ice cream, which makes it an easy evening when combined with the riverfront.
12. Rafting at Meiling
At Meiling there is a white water rafting course costing about ¥100, with roughly 20 two-person inflatable rafts bouncing down a river that has been turned into a course with cemented rocks along the sides. Expect class 2 and 3 rapids; you will likely not fall out, but you will get soaked.
Budget around ¥120 per person plus transport, and spend the extra ¥15 on the water guns from the small shop, which change the character of a group outing. To get there, take a taxi or private van up through WanLi and further up along a winding road around the side of a hill town; the rafting place is at the end of a small road up there.
13. Hiking around the Meiling mountains and WanLi
Hike and wander around the Meiling mountains west of the city. WanLi is a small town and the gateway to hiking, biking and other routes.
Since the rafting course is reached by going up through WanLi, the two fit naturally into the same day out.
14. Cycling the city
Buy a bike for ¥300 on Beijing Lu, about 200 m off Bayi Square, and discover the city on two wheels.
Beijing Lu is close enough to the square that you can start your ride from the Bayi Monument and work outward from there.
If you only have one day
Morning: Start at the Bayi Monument in Bayi Square, which is open all day and free, and walk the length of the square from the southern historical scene wall past the memorial tower and the military history corridor to the north end. From there, go to the Jiangxi Provincial Museum on Xinzhou Road, arriving well before 16:00, the last entry time, and note that it is closed on Mondays.
Afternoon: Continue to the Pavilion of Prince Teng on the east bank of the Gan River, which stays open until 22:00 with last entry at 21:00. If the weather is fine and it is a weekend, walk along the west bank of the Gan River afterwards and buy a cheap kite to join the fliers.
Evening: Have dinner around the west bank amusement park and food market south of Bayi Bridge in Honggutan, then stay on the Honggutan side for the River Edge Light Show, which runs from about 21:00 to 23:00. If you are there earlier, Qiushui Square is on the same shore, with fountain showings at 19:30-19:45 and 20:30-20:45.
Frequently asked questions
When is the best time of year to visit Nanchang?
Nanchang has four distinct seasons. Autumn is warm to mild with the lowest rainfall of the year, while spring is especially gloomy and April to June each bring more than 220 mm of rain. Summer is long and humid with some of the highest temperatures of any Chinese provincial capital, and July and August are the sunniest months.
How do I get around the main sights?
Nanchang Metro Line 1 and Line 2 serve Bayi Square station, with exits on several sides of the square. Metro Line 1 also reaches Tengwangge Station, Exit 2, for the southwest gate of the Pavilion of Prince Teng scenic area, Wanshougong Station, Exit 3, for its main entrance, and Qiushui Square Station.
Which sights are free, and which charge admission?
The Bayi Monument and Bayi Square are free and open all day, the Jiangxi Provincial Museum is free, and Qiushui Square is free. The Pavilion of Prince Teng charges ¥50. The Qiushui Square fountain can be run on demand between 9:00 and 22:00 for ¥100 per minute outside its scheduled showings.
What should I do if it rains?
The Qiushui Square fountain does not open on rainy days, so plan around the indoor options instead: the Jiangxi Provincial Museum, which is closed on Mondays, and the Pavilion of Prince Teng, which is open into the evening.
Decide your dates, check the museum's Monday closure against them, and start building your days around the square, the river and the tower.