If you are an English speaker and can afford it, the best way to hit up a city in China is with a private, guided tour. A group of us had a day off from work and we were able to use this company for a tour of Nanjing. We were picked up from the high speed station by our driver and guide (Maggie). Per our research (on Tripadvisor) we ended up going to a bunch of sights, at our own pace, finishing the included lunch, ending up at the markets for some shopping. Maggie was a great help throughout - regaling us with stories, both historical and personal and even helping us negotiate prices at various tourist traps. Do your research, create an itinerary, have your host negotiate with the company on the phone and you should have a good experience.

That is a very interesting tour to see how people used to live (and still live) in this city with their houses located along the canals. You will travel on a boat through Shantang Street (Shantang canal) and will see that some of the houses look run down, especially in the part that is not preserved for the tourists, but that gives you a good impression of the life in the city.