南通市

Understand

Nantong is a major port on the Yangtze River near Shanghai that was historically known for its distinctive textiles. In the 2020 census the city had a population of around 3.77 million in the core area, more than seven million overall. It is a bit inland of Shanghai and across the river.

Get around

Taxis are cheap to get around Nantong. Buses ply the main streets however can take a bit long to wade through the local traffic if you are in a hurry to get somewhere quick.

Line 1 of Nantong Rail Transit opened in 2022. It runs in a northwest-southeast direction and transverses the central part of the city. A second line is under construction and will likely open by the end of 2023.

See

The Cao Gong Zhu Memorial Temple commemorates a local hero who defended the city against Japanese pirates in 1557. Nantong Medical College - was founded in the first decade of 20th century. Visit the college at evening; you may see hustle and bustle.

Do

Boat Trip Along the Hao He river is a treat in the evening. You can hire an e-boat for a few hundred yuan and it is worthwhile doing it in the evening when the lights come on and the fountains go splashing around 19:00.

Buy

Nan da jie is a shopping street, you may find interesting things here. Underground Shopping Streets on the north end of Nan da jie, with a variety of shops, mostly fashion and clothing, located in a converted former bomb shelter. The different aisles actually have street names. RT Mart is a supermarket located on the second floor of the shopping center on the north end of the pedestrian street, near the Underground Shopping Streets. Lan Yin Hua Bu (fabric printed with a distinctive blue flower design) - during the Ming Dynasties this particular design of cloth was popular among Southern China's elite. Now it is only produced at the Nantong Textile Museum.

Eat

Nantongmap.net Nantong Mapped Out is a comprehensive English language website that provides information about all Western style restaurants in Nantong, including maps to specific restaurants and general, localized maps.

A very busy place for a quick meal served in a jiffy can be found along Jiao Yu Lu on the North entrances to Nantong Textile and Vocational College and Nantong Vocational College end. Several hole in the wall restaurants ply their trade here with some great food on offer at a very economical price.