Pilu Temple

Built in the Ming Jiajing era, a Republican-era "famous temple of the capital" (Ten Thousand Buddha Tower), a social-media hit in ginkgo season (November). The temple is named after the Buddha Vairocana (Piluzhena); after the Qing viceroy of Liangjiang Zeng Guoquan restored it, incense flourished, and when the Republic made Nanjing its capital, its proximity to the Presidential Palace made it the "famous temple of the capital", where Republican statesmen often came to worship. Inside the Ten Thousand Buddha Tower, ten thousand small Buddhas line the walls tier upon tier, solemn and serene. Every November the two century-old ginkgo trees before the temple carpet the ground in gold; yellow leaves, yellow walls and upturned eaves compose effortless photos. In recent years the "ginkgo + ancient temple" pairing has gone viral on social media, making Pilu Temple one of Nanjing's hottest autumn photo spots — weekday mornings have the fewest crowds and the best light.

Getting there: Metro Line 2, Xi'anmen Station