In this picture, taken from the 37th floor of the Sheraton Nanjing Kingsley Hotel, the Qinhuai River, a tributary, may be seen flowing from left to right to where it merges nearby with the great Yangtze (out-of-frame). At left, center, is a restored section of the old wall that hundreds of years ago was the rampart. The restoration appears as a low-lying, ivy-covered, blockhouse-like structure with a single round gateway. In the very center of the photo is a tall, beige building that houses the cement research institute.

Next, we leave the top floor of the hotel and enter a swiftly descending elevator that makes my ears pop from changes in air pressure. A pretty young woman is another passenger and she makes the fall enjoyable.

Here you see the hostess of one of the hotel's restaurants, where all the waiters and waitresses appear in a splendid blue and silver costume. The predictably drab attire of the men makes the dress of the hostess even more striking.