Nanjing

Sun Yat-sen Mausoleum is the tomb of Sun Yat-sen (1866–1925), pioneer of China's modern democratic revolution. After Sun died in Beijing in 1925, a worldwide design competition was held, and the first prize went to the architect Lu Yanzhi, then only in his thirties; construction began in March 1926, was largely complete by 1929, and the solemn interment ceremony was held on 1 June 1929. The whole tomb area rises step by step along an axis of about 700 meters from the Bo'ai Archway to the Memorial Hall, and the 392 steps symbolize the roughly 390 million compatriots of China at that time; from the platform, looking back, the forested slopes of Zhongshan and the outline of Nanjing fill the view. The Memorial Hall faces south and is built of granite and bluestone; inside stands a white marble seated statue of Sun Yat-sen, with the full text of the Outline of National Reconstruction carved on the four walls, and behind it is the circular burial chamber deep in the mountain. The open-air Music Stage in front of the mausoleum was built in the early 1930s; its semicircular seating and reflecting wall form a natural resonance, and pigeons still circle there. Highlights include the Bo'ai Archway and the "All under Heaven Is for All" gate, the 392 steps and the axis of the tomb path, the seated statue of Sun Yat-sen and the inscription of the Outline of National Reconstruction in the Memorial Hall, and the Sun Yat-sen Mausoleum Music Stage. Tip: admission is free but requires a real-name reservation, and the Memorial Hall is closed on Mondays. Practical info: located at 7 Shixiang Road, Xuanwu District, Nanjing, Jiangsu; admission free (reservation required); opening hours 08:30–17:00 (Memorial Hall closed on Mondays).

Tip: Admission is free but requires a real-name reservation, and the Memorial Hall is closed on Mondays.

• Address: 7 Shixiang Road, Xuanwu District, Nanjing, Jiangsu
• Ticket: Free (advance reservation required)
• Opening: 08:30–17:00 (Memorial Hall closed on Mondays)

The Nanjing Museum grew out of the National Central Museum proposed by Cai Yuanpei in 1933 and is one of China's three great museums, with more than 430,000 objects. The history galleries follow Jiangsu's archaeological finds, with the Western Han gold beast, the brick painting of the Seven Sages of the Bamboo Grove with Rong Qiqi, and a Ming underglaze-red plum vase among the treasures; the Republican-era gallery recreates old Nanjing street scenes, and the art and special exhibition galleries often host major shows. One of China's three great museums, it lays out 430,000 objects from prehistory to the Republic. The Han gold beast and Seven Sages brick painting in the history galleries and the reconstructed street in the Republican gallery are all photogenic, making it Nanjing's indoor sight most worth half a day. Highlights include the Republican-era street. Tip: after reserving, enter through the main gate, see the history galleries first, then go to the Republican gallery for photos; allow at least three hours. Practical info: located at 321 Zhongshan East Road, Xuanwu District, Nanjing; admission free (reservation required); opening hours 09:00–17:00 (closed Mondays, last entry 16:00).

Tip: After reserving, enter through the main gate, see the history galleries first, then go to the Republican galle…

• Address: 321 Zhongshan East Road, Xuanwu District, Nanjing
• Ticket: Free (reservation required)
• Opening: 09:00–17:00 (closed Mondays; last entry 16:00)

The memorial opened in 1985 on the site of the Jiangdongmen mass killing and the remains of the "mass grave" of December 1937. After China legislated 13 December as the National Memorial Day for the Victims of the Nanjing Massacre in 2014, the grounds were expanded in stages to form three sections: the site, the historical archives and the memorial. After Nanjing fell on 13 December 1937, Japanese invaders killed more than 300,000 Chinese civilians and captured soldiers within a few weeks; this figure, established by the postwar trials and running through the memorial's presentation, forms the basic framework of the exhibition. The archives hall corroborates the record with documents, film, third-party accounts such as the diaries of John Rabe and Minnie Vautrin, and survivor testimony; the bone-relic room and the "mass grave" site preserve the archaeological scene. At the exit, the Peace Plaza, sculpture groups and the "Wailing Wall" inscribed with the names of identified victims close the narrative on the theme "remember history, cherish peace." Highlights include the "mass grave" site and bone-relic room, the archives hall and survivor testimony, the Wailing Wall inscribed with victims' names, and the Peace Plaza and sculpture groups. Tip: admission is free but requires advance real-name reservation, and it is closed Mondays; keep quiet inside, photography is prohibited in most galleries, and dress should be sober. Practical info: located at 418 Shuiximen Street, Jianye District, Nanjing, Jiangsu; admission free (real-name reservation required); opening hours 08:30–17:30 (closed Mondays).

Tip: Admission is free but requires advance real-name reservation, and it is closed Mondays; keep quiet inside, pho…

• Address: 418 Shuiximen Street, Jianye District, Nanjing, Jiangsu
• Ticket: Free (real-name reservation required)
• Opening: 08:30–17:30 (closed Mondays)