Nanjing: The hidden side of China’s ancient capital
Unlikely attractions —
With its peeling paint and shuttered windows, Pukou Railway Station, on the north side of the Yangtze River that divides Nanjing, is an unlikely tourist destination.
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Pukou Railway Station —
Also known as Nanjing North Station, it was a major transport hub until a rail and road bridge was built across the Yangtze in the 1960s. It's no longer used for passenger trains but cargo trains stop by the station occasionally.
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A glimpse into the Republican era —
It is one of the few rail stations in China that preserves features and designs from the Republican era, the period between the last imperial dynasty and before the founding of the communist government. It's been used as a location in several Chinese movies set in the Republican era.
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Yangtze Villa Hotel —
The old Yangtze Villa Hotel, opened in 1914 and pictured here in 2014, was built using bricks only from the Ming Dynasty (from the mid-1300s to mid-1600s).
Jinhai
Ming Dynasty bricks —
The 100-year-old hotel was commissioned by a British man, who traded with the Nanjing government for a massive consignment of the Ming Dynasty bricks.
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Hotel rebirth —
The unusual hotel is under renovation and will open to paying guests in 2016.
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Another home for the bricks —
The same bricks were also used to build Nanjing's 33-kilometer, 600-year old wall. With 13 fortified gates, few other Chinese city walls remain as intact as Nanjing's.
China Photos/Getty Images
Strict quality control —
Every brick has an inscription tracking where it was made. If the bricks weren't up to standard, the emperor could order the brickmaker's execution.
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The 1865 Creative Park —
The 1865 Creative Park, made up of turn-of-the-century machinery factories and a decommissioned military arsenal, has been turned into an art zone and business hub.
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This way to the creative district —
Home to a number of galleries, curio shops, bars and cafes, the renovated buildings have kept much of their industrial character.