Jinling Hotel 金陵饭店

For a generation of Chinese travellers, the white tower at Xinjiekou was Nanjing. Here's the story of the landmark, and why it's still a handy base.

The Jinling Hotel (金陵饭店) at 2 Hanzhong Road, Xinjiekou, opened on 4 October 1983. Its 37-storey tower, about 110 metres tall, was then the tallest building in China, and it had the country's first high-rise revolving restaurant. It sits above Xinjiekou metro station (Lines 1 and 2) in Nanjing's main shopping district.

Updated Oct 2026

Night view of Xinjiekou Square with the Sun Yat-sen statue and the tall white tower of the Jinling Hotel behind — Photo: 董辰兴, CC BY-SA 4.0, via Wikimedia Commons

A short history

1979: The project is agreed with Singapore-based, Nanjing-born entrepreneur Tao Xinbo (陶欣伯), as China opens up to international tourism. It became one of the first hotels in China approved for overseas investment, built largely with overseas loans.
Design: Hong Kong architects Palmer & Turner (P&T Group) designed the complex, their first project in mainland China after re-entering the market.
17 March 1980: Ground is broken at the north-west corner of Xinjiekou Square.
4 October 1983: The hotel opens. Its 37-storey, roughly 110-metre tower is the tallest building in China at the time.
A list of firsts: Chinese sources credit it with the country's first high-rise revolving restaurant and first rooftop helipad, early high-speed lifts, and being the first large modern international hotel managed by a Chinese team. It was also among China's earliest five-star-rated hotels.
Today: The original tower is joined by the newer Asia Pacific Tower (亚太商务楼) next door. The pair won an Excellence Award for Best Tall Building in China from CTBUH in 2016. The Jinling name has grown into a hotel group, but this is the flagship.

Sources: Nanjing Municipal Archives; Jiangsu SASAC; Nanjing Party History Office; M+ Museum (Palmer & Turner archive); The Nanjinger.

Location: Xinjiekou, the centre of everything

Address: 2 Hanzhong Road, Gulou District, Nanjing
南京市鼓楼区汉中路2号金陵饭店

The hotel stands on the north-west corner of Xinjiekou Square (新街口), Nanjing's main commercial district, where a statue of Dr Sun Yat-sen stands at the centre of the roundabout. Xinjiekou metro station, the interchange of Lines 1 and 2, is right below the square.

What's around

Shopping: Xinjiekou's department stores and malls surround the square, with food courts serving Nanjing snacks.
Presidential Palace: Line 2 one stop east to Daxinggong.
Nanjing Museum: Line 2 east to Minggugong.
Sun Yat-sen Mausoleum: Line 2 east to Muxuyuan, then walk or take the park shuttle.
Memorial Hall: Line 2 west to Yunjinlu.
Confucius Temple / Qinhuai River: Line 2 to Daxinggong, change to Line 3 for Fuzimiao, or a short taxi ride south.
From the airport: Line S1 to Nanjing South, then Line 1 north to Xinjiekou.

Dining at the Jinling

Plum Garden 梅苑

The hotel's well-known Chinese restaurant, focused on Huaiyang and Jinling (Nanjing-style) cooking: a refined way to try local flavours such as salted duck. It has been listed in the MICHELIN Guide for Nanjing. Reservations recommended.

Revolving restaurant 璇宫

Xuangong, often translated as “Sky Palace”, sits on the 36th floor of the original tower: the same high-rise revolving restaurant that made headlines in 1983, with panoramic views over the city.

The hotel has other restaurants and bars; menus, hours and prices change, so check with the hotel directly before you go.

Quick facts

When did the Jinling Hotel open?

The Jinling Hotel in Nanjing opened on 4 October 1983 after construction began in March 1980.

Was the Jinling Hotel the tallest building in China?

Yes. At its opening in 1983 its 37-storey tower, about 110 metres tall, was the tallest building in China.

Where is the Jinling Hotel?

At 2 Hanzhong Road, Gulou District, on the north-west corner of Xinjiekou Square in central Nanjing, above Xinjiekou metro station (Lines 1 and 2).

Last checked October 2026. This is an independent guide, not affiliated with the hotel.