🚩 Local Scams · Nanjing
Last verified 30 Jun 2025
1 Scam Spotlight Table
"Priority Mausoleum" Tickets
Purple-Mountain metro exit, shuttle stop
How it works: Tout sells "skip-the-line" QR codes that fail at Sun Yat-sen gate.
🛡️ Avoid: Only book in the 南京预约通 mini-program; tickets are free.
Qinhuai Boat Up-charge
Confucius-Temple side piers
How it works: Operator quotes boat at ¥120 pp, later adds "lantern fee" and "commentary fee."
🛡️ Avoid: Buy fixed-price QR (¥60) in 秦淮文旅 app; avoid side docks.
Salted-Duck "Heritage Shop"
Fuzimiao snack alleys
How it works: Vendor slaps famous-brand labels on ordinary birds and charges double.
🛡️ Avoid: Purchase vacuum-packs inside Guìhuā Duck flagship only; check cold-chain seal.
Taxi "Bridge Toll" Ruse
Nanjing South Station
How it works: Driver claims Yangtze-Bridge toll, adds ¥20–¥40 "night fee" to meter.
🛡️ Avoid: Use DiDi; legit bridge toll already in meter.
Brocade "Student Sale"
Ming–City-Wall exits
How it works: "Art student" invites you to Yunjin workshop, presses you to buy ¥2 000 scarf worth ¥200.
🛡️ Avoid: View demo, decline purchase; real boutique prices are posted.
Fake City-Wall Bike Deposit
Zhonghua Gate car-park
How it works: Street agent rents bike for ¥50 cash & ID; bike belongs to someone else—deposit never returned.
🛡️ Avoid: Reserve only through 南京城墙骑行 mini-program (QR-unlock).
Temple Fortune-Teller
Linggu Temple outer gate
How it works: Monk-impersonator offers free palm reading, then demands "good-luck" donation (¥300).
🛡️ Avoid: Politely refuse spiritual services; official monks do not solicit.
QR-Code Phishing
Xinjiekou & Fuzimiao stations
How it works: Sticker on metro turnstile offers "Metro Discount"; scans to fake WeChat Pay page and drains wallet.
🛡️ Avoid: Scan codes only printed on official signage; verify URL prefix.
2 Why It Matters
Free-ticket culture – Nanjing's free-ticket culture and dense snack alleys make small deceptions easy to hide.
Fake add-on fees – Most scams hinge on fake add-on fees or unofficial QR codes—both avoidable with the right apps and a moment's verification.
Cultural politeness – Scammers rely on tourists' politeness and rush to tick off sights—knowing the patterns means you keep your yuan for dumplings, not "tea tuition."
3 Pro Tips
1
Stick to mini-programs – Sun Yat-sen Mausoleum, Ming Xiaoling, Qinhuai boats and City-Wall bikes all have capped, fixed-price QR tickets.
2
Know the meter – Legal city taxis start at ¥9; no separate "bridge" or "night" surcharges.
3
Check vacuum seal – Authentic salted-duck packs list production plant "桂花鸭集团" and QR anti-counterfeit code.
4
Small cash only for snacks – Limit exposure by carrying ¥10–¥20 notes; refuse "premium" add-ons.
5
Emergency lines – Police 110 · Jiangsu tourist hotline 12301—store them in your phone.
✨ Stay Smart, Stay Safe
Stay alert and you'll keep your Nanjing trip focused on walls, lakes and lanterns — No Tourist Traps. No BS.