Why is Sun Yat-sen Mausoleum special?
Situated at the foot of Purple Mountain in Nanjing, Sun Yat-sen Mausoleum is one of the must-see attractions in the city. With the unique and successful design, the mausoleum has been recognized as "the First Mausoleum in the History of Modern Architecture ". Meanwhile, it is also famous for its political, historical and cultural values.
Sun Yat-sen Mausoleum was built to commemorate Dr. Sun Yat-sen (1866-1925), who is often referred to as "Father of China" and a great pioneer of the Chinese democratic revolution. The Revolution of 1911, led by Dr. Sun Yat-sen, brought down the corrupt rule of the Qing Dynasty (1644-1911) and ended 2000 years of the feudal monarchy system, which gave birth to the Republic of China.
Sun Yat-sen Mausoleum Highlights
Magnificent Construction
The majestic mausoleum's construction was completed in 1929. Entering the mausoleum in sequence is the memorial archway, the pavement, the gate, the monument, the memorial hall, and finally the tomb. Traveling along the marble pavement, the visitors will come to the majestic gate, which is decorated with cyan tiles on its top. In Chinese culture, cyan represents the clear sky, which means fairness and justice. On the top front of the gate is the Dr. Sun Yat-sen's inscription of "The World is Commonwealth" which fully explains the aim he pursued all his life.
The Memorial Hall
There are 392 steps from the Memorial Archway as far as the Memorial Hall. The hall is built like the style of a palace; the outside wall is made of granite from Hong Kong. The golden words of Dr. Sun Yat-sen, "The Nation", "The Civil Right" and "The People's Livelihood" are carved on each of the three archways in the Memorial Hall. In the middle, it has a 4.6m white marble statue of Dr. Sun Yat-sen. At the foot of the statue, there are six bas-relief images that exhibit Dr. Sun's glorious life and struggles in his revolution of China.
The Tomb Hall
The tomb hall is a hemisphere in shape, the marble coffin of Dr. Sun Yat-sen set in the center. His white marble statue rests atop the coffin, under which the great founding father of modern China sleeps forever.