Qixia Mountain

Qixia Mountain is a bit of a way outside of Nanjing, but makes for a good day trip. On the mountain is a a temple of the same name and overlooks the Yangzi River, several pavilions, a series of Buddha statues carved into a cliff, and many paths through the mountain itself. Some paths are little more than a small trail through the forest, while others are a full fledged roads which are wide enough for cars to drive on. Qixia is famous for its foliage in the autumn, and is far enough away from the city center to have relatively blue skies. One drawback, however, is the fact that the whole mountain is surrounded by many heavy industrial complexes, which can ruin the atmosphere a bit. Tickets into the park cost 15 RMB per person.