I will defend to the last exasperated adjective that there is no better way to experience a city in China than to get on a bike-share bike and get lost. Nanjing, a modern and ancient center of education, culture, and government, is particularly well-suited to this form of exploration.
Our journey begins a few minutes’ walk from the Nanjing Foreign Language School Xianlin Campus. We are getting on Line Two, heading downtown. No preparation required, no plan or materials needed—although a good book or some music will certainly help the 30-minute metro ride pass in a breeze.
We are heading to a station called Daxinggong. It is an area rich in books and coffee—exactly what we are looking for. Our first stop will be visible as soon as we exit the metro, although the colossal Presidential Palace will likely catch your attention first.
We are looking for a modest bookstore directly opposite the palace across the intersection: the Nanjing Foreign Language Bookstore. Walk in the front door and greet the friendly staff with your best terrible foreigner “Ni Hao!” No need to stop on the first floor—it is full of test prep materials in a variety of languages. Walk up the usually non-operational escalator, and at the top you will be greeted by what is very likely the best repository of English-language books for sale in Nanjing. It is certainly heavy on the classics, but they have a wide variety of more modern fiction and nonfiction as well.
Browse, peruse, ruminate, contemplate, meander—or insert here your preferred verb for taking your time to find a good book. This will be key. We are many things on this journey, in a hurry is not one of them. Once your book or books are selected and purchased, it is time to find some wheels. This won’t take long. The area just outside will have blue bikes and yellow bikes, both part of large bike-share programs. I am an Alipay man, so I tend to favor the blue Hello Bikes. Just scan the QR code—if it is your first time, there will be a little setup, but not much. If you struggle with it, bother a stranger; most people are friendly.
With wheels secured and your book in the bag (or basket), it is time to find our first coffee shop. I could just give you a list, but that takes away half of the fun. Start on the separated bike lanes, turn onto some back streets, and explore. Who knows what interesting gems you will find in Nanjing’s constantly changing coffee scene? Take it all in—the architecture, people, speeding delivery drivers on electric scooters, little old ladies walking across bustling streets with reckless abandon wherever they see fit. Nanjing is a massive college town, and it has a great vibe. Explore the narrow back streets, cruise along a canal. Before long, you will start seeing independent and brand-name coffee shops.
If you insist on some hints, CampHood Café is particularly close and a solid option. Enjoy their camp-themed décor, order your preferred form of caffeine, sink into a camp chair or one of the couches, and get lost in that book! Another option is A Coffee—it’s a small hole-in-the-wall place that is not too far away. If you find it, you can enjoy its usually empty and comfy couches. The street it’s on has several other options to explore as well.
A word of warning: take notes! Somewhere in the maze of back streets between Daxinggong and Xinjiekou is a beautiful Japanese-themed tea shop that also serves coffee. I stopped there once and whiled away some truly beautiful hours lost in an anthology of short stories. However, despite my best efforts, I have not been able to find it again. If you find a great place, save the location in WeChat!
Many areas of the city are rich in independent coffee shops. Gulou is the district that is home to Drum Tower and the main campus of Nanjing Normal University. This area is peak college town, and some great coffee shops can be found here. 3 Coffee is one I would recommend, but there are many more worth enjoying. The Scholars Bookstore can also be found among a variety of small independent shops of many types.
The more you explore, the more you will be rewarded: a sprawling underground bookstore, a rooftop bar that turns into a café during the day. Beautiful, secluded park benches surrounded by greenery also make great stops. The goal is to take the journey and make it your own—and hopefully, along the way, you will encounter a side of Nanjing you would otherwise miss if you just took a Didi or Metro from preplanned destination to preplanned destination.
Good luck and enjoy!
