Swallow Rock, Natural landmark in Jiangsu Province, China

Swallow Rock is a natural rock formation on the bank of the Yangtze River in Jiangsu Province, China, rising sharply above the water. It sits at the edge of the river and offers an open view across the wide channel and the land on either side.

Swallow Rock was a Yangtze ferry crossing and military site, and legend holds that Zhu Yuanzhang, the Ming founder, landed here on his way south to Jinling. On a Jiangnan inspection tour, the Qianlong Emperor passed the rock and left a poem now displayed there; the pavilion on top holds a stone tablet inscribed with the characters "Swallow Rock" in his hand. A monument in the park commemorates the over 50,000 people killed by Japanese troops on the riverbank in December 1937.

The name comes from the rock's shape, not from birds: the cliff plunges into the Yangtze like a swallow about to take flight. The site is one of the 48 scenic spots of Nanjing, and Li Bai is thought to have visited and written a poem about it. A pavilion on the summit holds a stone tablet inscribed with the characters 燕子矶, written by the Qianlong Emperor.

The site is easy to reach from Nanjing and works well as a day trip. Spring and autumn bring the most comfortable conditions for a visit, and going early in the morning means fewer people at the rock itself.

The name comes from the rock's shape, not from birds: the cliff juts into the Yangtze so that it resembles a swallow about to take flight. The Chinese name Yànzi Jī means "Swallow Rock". A pavilion with a stone tablet stands on the summit, and the three characters "燕子矶" on the tablet are in the hand of the Qianlong Emperor.