Sun Yat-sen Mausoleum

The Sun Yat-sen Mausoleum is a memorial complex on Purple Mountain in Nanjing, Jiangsu province, honoring Dr. Sun Yat-sen, a founding figure of modern China. It is a formally designed mausoleum and memorial built in the Republican era.

The complex is approached by a long axial stairway and contains a memorial hall and tomb chamber. Architectural details reflect a blend of traditional and modern design elements typical of the period, and the site is one of the principal modern monuments on Purple Mountain.

Construction of the mausoleum took place in the late 1920s under architects commonly associated with the Republican government; the complex was completed before the 1930s and became an important national memorial site. The tomb chamber houses Sun Yat-sen’s cenotaph and the memorial hall contains inscriptions and displays commemorating his role.

Located on Purple Mountain, the mausoleum is a few kilometres east of central Nanjing and is accessed by a stepped approach through landscaped parkland. It is often visited in combination with nearby historic sites on the mountain.

• Construction period and architect: Construction occurred in the late 1920s and the complex is associated with the Republican-era memorialization of Sun Yat-sen; the architect commonly credited is Lu Yanzhi.
• Close to other Purple Mountain sites: The site is on Purple Mountain in Nanjing and is commonly visited together with other Purple Mountain monuments such as Ming Xiaoling Mausoleum which lie nearby.

What to See #

• Main stairway and approach: The main stepped approach and stairway that leads up Purple Mountain to the tomb chamber and memorial hall, forming the principal axis of the complex.
• Tomb chamber and memorial hall: The tomb chamber and memorial hall constructed as part of the mausoleum complex, designed to house the cenotaph and memorial displays.
• Terraces and approaches: The surrounding landscaped terraces and approaches on Purple Mountain that connect the mausoleum with nearby paths and parks.