Dr. Sun Yat-sen's Tomb

Dr. Sun Yat-sen's Mausoleum is situated at the foot of the second peak of Mount Zijin in Nanjing, covering an area of 80,000 square meters (about 20 acres). The impressive memorial’s construction was started in 1926 and completed in 1929. The architectural style is the combination of Chinese and western elements, which is considered as a reflection of the personality of Dr. Sun, who dreams for China were based not only on its own traditions, but also the ideas from the West. It is regarded as the most outstanding mausoleum in Chinese modern architectural history.

Dr. Sun Yat-sen

Dr. Sun Yat-sen, forefather of the Chinese revolutions, led the Chinese people fought againstthe imperial Qing government and after the 1911 revolution ended the monarchy and founded the Republic of China. He was greatly respected by Chinese people and was honored as “Father of the Country”.

Attractions

The main buildings of the mausoleum include the Paifang, the mausoleum gate, the tablet pavilion, the sacrifice hall, 392 stone stairs and the coffin chamber.
Paifang (memorial archway)

At the entrance to the mausoleum, there stands a great marble Paifang (memorial archway) on which is written “Bo Ai” meaning “love”.

The Mausoleum Gate

The four Chinese characters written by Dr. Sun, “Tian Xia Wei Gong” are inscribed on the tri-arched marble gate.

The Tablet Pavilion

A great stele, 9 meters (about 29 feet) high and 4 meters (about 13 feet) wide, was erected by Kuomintang in memory of Dr. Sun Yat-sen. A three line gold-gilded tablet inscription on the stele was written by Tan Yan Kai, a famous calligrapher.

The Sacrifice Hall

The Sacrificial Hall is located in the center of this plateau chamber. The entrance to the main memorial hall is inscribed with the “Three Principles of the People”: Democracy, Nationalism, and People’s Livelihood, which were formulated by Dr. Sun.

392 Stone Stairs

The figure 392 represents the 392 million people from all nationalities in China at that time. The figure is a symbol that the 392 million people are paying respects to the forerunner who brought them the conception of democracy, freedom, and ruling by law. From the base of the stairs the top platform is not visible, an allusion to Sun’s belief that people should constantly strive to improve the country.

The Coffin Chamber

The whole tomb is a hemispherical in shape, with the marble coffin of Dr. Sun Yat-sen set in the center of the chamber.

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