NANJIANG -- The Confucius Temple-Qinhuai River Scenery Belt in east China's Nanjing City recently has become a popular destination of summer study tours thanks to its vast array of tourist attractions rich in cultural heritage.

The Confucius Temple Scenic Area in Nanjing, with the Qinhuai River running through the time-honored architectural complex, is always a must-go for tourists to the historical city that served as the capital of six Chinese imperial dynasties.

In recent years, the new consumption mode and emerging business forms integrating tourism with culture have made the scenic spot stand out as one of the best choices for children and teenagers to learn first-hand about the long-standing Chinese culture.

The Wuyi (meaning "black clothes" in English) Alley on the south side of Qinhuai River is the oldest and most famous ancient lane in China. It was where barracks of troups guarded the Stone City of Wu during the Three Kingdoms Period (220 to 280 AD), and later was the residence of the aristocrats of Eastern Jin Dynasty (317-420). It is widely known in China thanks to the poem Wuyi Alley written by famous poet Liu Yuxi in Tang Dynasty (618-907).

In 1997, Qinhuai District restored the Wuyi Alley. Since then, the lane has become the best place for tourists to the Confucius Temple-Qinhuai River Scenery Belt to experience the history and culture of the Wei, Jin, and Southern and Northern dynasties (220-589).

The Jiangnan Examination Hall on the east side of Confucius Temple is one of the three ancient building groups in the scenic area. First built in 1168, the hall served as the largest imperial examination site south of the Yangtze River during the Ming (1368-1644) and Qing (1644-1911) dynasties.

Based on it, the China Imperial Examination Museum was established to present the country's ancient imperial civil examination system and collect related relics. Some remains such as the Mingyuan Tower, the oldest preserved building of imperial examination halls in China, have been restored.

Currently, the museum's study tour program receives an average of 66,000 visitor arrivals every year. Its revenue so far this year is approaching one million yuan (about 140,000 U.S. dollars), creating a highlight in cultural consumption.

The Zunjing Pavilion on the north side of the Confucius Temple is another tourist attraction in the area. Used to be a private academy, the site has been expanded by the local culture and tourism department and now has supporting facilities such as accommodation, dining and courses designed for study tours, including classes on movable-type printing, a traditional technology originated in China.