Jinling Hotel

Located northwest of Xinjiekou in Gulou District, Nanjing, Jinling Hotel was once China's tallest building and remains an iconic landmark of the city. As China's first large-scale modern hotel managed entirely by Chinese professionals, it boasts the country's first high-rise revolving restaurant, first high-speed elevator, and first skyscraper helipad. In 1978, overseas Chinese businessman Tao Xinbo envisioned building an international tourist hotel in his hometown Nanjing. Through his tireless efforts, construction began in March 1979, and when it opened in October 1983, the 37-story, 110-meter-tall Jinling Hotel proudly held the title of "China's tallest building." In April 1983, Japan's Asahi Shimbun reported: "Whether Jinling Hotel succeeds will be the litmus test for China's entire hotel industry's modernization." Media from Britain, Canada, Hong Kong, and Macau also extensively covered its construction and opening. "As one of Nanjing's and even China's landmark buildings, during the early 1980s, Jinling Hotel's exposure in foreign media was probably second only to Beijing's Tiananmen Square." Today, while China has countless five-star luxury hotels, Jinling Hotel remains a historically significant establishment. Visiting here calls for documentation and commemoration. Seeing the world as fate allows [Joyful]