The Qinhuai River used to be called Huai Water, and was renamed Qinhuai for the legend that Qin Emperor Shihuang, the first emperor of the Qin Dynasty (221-206 BC), ordered to introduce Huai Water to the city by excavating a mountain. It is a branch of the Yangtze River, running about 110 kilometers, a major watercourse around Nanjing City, Jiangsu Province. It was very famous in the history but lost its fame due to wars, which destroyed many buildings along both banks. The water became filthy and no sign of wealth could be found anymore. After repair and restoration in 1985, the river became a beautiful resort.

In Chinese ancient times, places around the Qinhuai River and the Confucian Temple were already very prosperous. The banks along the Qinhuai River were the gathering place for noble and wealthy families, and were also frequently visited by scholars. Those places lost glory once in the Sui Dynasty (581-618) and the Tang Dynasty (618-907), but regained popularity in the Ming Dynasty (1368-1644) and Qing Dynasty (1644-1911).

Floating lights are the most famous view on the Qinhuai River. On the river, any boat or ship, large or small, will hang color lamps. It is a very important activity for a visitor to ride such a boat, floating on the river to enjoy the scenes. The prestigious Chinese writer Zhu Ziqing (1898-1948) wrote a verse on the floating lights, which gave a very good description of the wonderful view.

The Confucian Temple is now the center of Qinhuai scenery belt with the Qinhuai River winding through. Other spots are the Zhanyuan Park, Confucian ancient buildings, the Aigrette Island, the Fort at Zhonghua Gate, boats on the river and many views along the banks. The tour is really attractive with so many historical relics, parks, and local features.

Source: http://www.chinaculture.org