It’s the place where the lower and upper classes would be required to intermingle ahead of an assuredly somewhat long journey. With air travel a thing of the future, and not a single bridge across the mighty Yangtze River, all journeys to the north and west of China began from here.
The Nanjing Port Waiting Room can be found at 21 Jiangbian Lu (the road’s name in Chinese meaning “riverside”), as the point of ticket purchase before waiting to board a train that would then be shunted onto the train ferry nearby.
And while it might look like a traditional Chinese style palace in many respects, it is nowhere near as old. Built during the Republican era, the palace similarities stem from the classical Chinese patterned lintels, which are concrete imitations thereof. Window awnings, akin to hanging gardens, are richly moulded. Exquisitely decorated, Nanjing Port Waiting Room is a standout example of traditional Chinese decorative art that has been given the benefit of modern materials and processes.
Not fit for purpose since the opening of the Nanjing Yangtze River Bridge removed the need for the train ferry, the building languished for many years until the recent revival of the Xiaguan part of Nanjing.
That 2016 transformation for the Waiting Room was twofold; exterior and interior. As for the former, the accompanying image speaks for itself.
Inside is now the “Nanjing Xiaguan History Exhibition Hall” and the “Nanjing Binjiang Business District Planning Exhibition Hall”.
That historical journey begins with the first foot taken inside, as the marble floor tiles of the exhibition hall are engraved with the various names of Xiaguan from different historical periods; the ancient names whispered, as if floating along the long river of history and living the memories of Xiaguan.
It’s also something of a waxworks museum today. Herein find Zheng He’s treasure ship sailing to the west and wharf porters bargaining with their rich and powerful clients in surprisingly lifelike scenes.
Climbing up to the third floor is a walk from the past to the future. Here, a 200-square-metre panoramic view of the future planning for Nanjing’s riverside business district.
