Map of Nanjing’s Streets and Bridges

Walls and Gateways

• The Great Rectitude Gate original: "Dazheng Men." An internal gate associated with the administrative or imperial precincts.
• The Taiping Embankment original: "Taiping Di." A defensive or water-management structure located in the eastern part of the city near the walls.
• The Gate of the Upright Sun original: "Zhengyang Men." This was the principal southern gate of the inner city wall, aligned with the imperial axis.
• The Gate of Universal Navigation original: "Tongji Men." A complex, multi-layered gate in the southeast, crucial for controlling both land and water traffic entering the city.

Central Structures

• The Imperial City original: "Huangcheng." The palatial core of Nanjing, built by the Hongwu Emperor at the start of the Ming Dynasty; even after the capital moved to Beijing, this area remained a potent symbol of imperial authority.
• The River Under Heaven original: "Tianxia He." Likely a reference to the inner Qinhuai River, the city's primary artery for commerce and culture.
• The Imperial Examination Hall original: "Gongyuan." Specifically the Jiangnan Examination Hall, one of the largest centers in China where scholars gathered to take the rigorous civil service exams.

Streets

• Imperial Street original: "Huang Jie." The central boulevard leading toward the palace complex.
• Justice Street original: "Gongzheng Jie." A street likely named for its proximity to administrative or judicial offices.
• Cooperation Street original: "Hezuo Jie." A commercial lane often occupied by specific guilds or craftsmen.
• Shaanxi Street original: "Shaanxi Jie." Named after the Shaanxi province, likely indicating a neighborhood where merchants from that region settled.
• Grand Avenue Street original: "Dadao Jie." A major thoroughfare for local trade.

Bridges

• Great Central Bridge original: "Dazhong Qiao." A massive stone bridge that served as a key junction in the city's eastern water network.
• The Huai-Qing Bridge original: "Huaiqing Qiao." Located at the confluence where the inner and outer Qinhuai rivers met.
• The Bridge of Virtuous Profit original: "Shanli Qiao." Bridges in Nanjing were often named with auspicious Confucian concepts.
• The Bridge of Martial Stability original: "Wuding Qiao." A famous crossing in the southern district, historically surrounded by bustling markets and residences.
• The Cattle Market Bridge original: "Niushi Qiao." Indicates the location of one of the city's specialized livestock markets.
• The Old Hui Bridge original: "Guhui Qiao." Possibly associated with the city's Muslim (Hui) community or a corruption of a name referring to the "return" of the river flow.
• The Lower Middle Bridge original: "Zhongxia Qiao." Part of a series of bridges regulating the flow of the city's internal canals.