Nanjing Things to Do

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WE went to Sun Yat Sen's Mausoleum on the Purple Mountain even though my leg was very painful and I didn't think I was going to make it.We took a subway to the nearest station and then got a taxi up to the site of the Mausoleum.The sight of the stairs leading up was a bit scary but after we got started it was fine.I took it gradually all the way up,resting on every bench,and watching the little Chinese schoolkids tearing up to the top. Then saw the view from the top (a bit misty) and staggered down,and by the time we reached the bottom my leg was cured! My university students assured me this was a miracle! Anyhow I strongly advise on going as it was a wonderful experience.

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The Presidential Palace was formerly home to Sun Yat-sen's provisional Chinese government and later Chiang Kai-shek used it as an office for the Nationalist Government. When the Japanese invaded during WWII, the building survived, as it was used by an ally of the Japanese. It was reoccupied by Chiang Kai-shek after the war, but when Mao Zedong became leader of China, he fled to Taiwan. Today you can visit the palace and see information and displays about its history. It also features a nice garden and a small replica of the stone boat in Beijing's Summer Palace.

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The Qinhuai area around the Confucius Temple was detroyed during the Japanese invasion in WWII but has since been rebuilt. While it is probably more of a tourist-trap, as it is extremely commercial, it does offer nice views from the bridge of the rebuilt Ming Dynasty buildings. Depending on where else you will visit in China or how long you will be in the area, it may still be worthwhile to walk around. It's free to browse, although you will have to pay if you want to enter the temple.

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The original Confucian Temple was built in 1034 but was continuously detroyed and rebuilt over the years. The temple you see today was rebuilt after being burnt down by the Japanese during WWII. Nevertheless, it is one of the most famous and most well-known Confucian temples in China. Despite the commercialism of the surrounding Qinhuai area, the temple is still a nice place to roam around. I was able to see a performance on traditional instruments inside.

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The mausoleum of Dr. Sun Yat-Sen is one of the most well-known places in Nanjing. Sun Yat-sen is an interesting figure, as he is one of the few revolutionaries who is regarded highly in both mainland China and Taiwan. For the Taiwanese, he is the founder of their nation. For the Chinese, he is a major figure in their revolution. The mausoleum rests a the top of a staircase that was built so that when you look up from the bottom you can only see steps, but when you look down from the top, you can only see the platforms. Inside the mausoleum, you can see Sun Yat-sen's coffin. Unlike Mao, his body is not visible. Many people feel that this is more respecftul and believe that Mao's body should be laid to rest in a similar manner.

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A museum and memorial dedicated to all those who who died in the Nanjing Massacre (also known as the Rape of Nanjing) during WWII, as well as survivors who were raped or attacked by the Japanese army. Although the exact number killed will never be known, it is estimated that 300,000 people were killed in eight weeks from the takeover in December 13, 1937, equalling one death every 12 seconds. Outside the museum, there are many monuments, as well as an excavated section of the city filled with human remains.

Inside the museum are exhibits of the attrocities committed here, particularly against civilians. Exhibits are written in Chinese, English, and Japanese, so visitors will be able to understand them. The images and information can be quite graphic, but unfortunately, it is all very real.

Although this event and the greater war surrounding it have strained relations between Chinese and Japanese, the museum does not actually depict the Japanese negatively. By no means does it sugar coat any part of the massacre, but it is focused more on the event as a tragedy of humanity. It includes accounts by Chinese survivors, as well as Japanese soldiers that were there and recorded their feelings, mostly of torment and shame about what happened here. These accounts were important for the trials and to censor those who attempted to say the event did not occur.

Upon leaving, the museum gives a similar message to that found in the Atomic Bomb Museum in Hiroshima; the need for peace.

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This was one of the most interesting and harrowing places I've ever visited. The memorial hall was built for the people killed in the Nanjing Massacre by the Japanese army in and around the then capital of China, Nanjing, after it fell to the Imperial Japanese Army on December 13, 1937. It is located near a site where thousands of bodies were buried, called a "pit of ten thousand corpses". It was built in 1985 by the Nanjing Municipal Government in memory of the 300,000 victims who lost their lives during the Nanjing Massacre. In 1995, it was enlarged and renovated. The memorial exhibits historical records and objects, and uses architecture, sculptures, and videos to illustrate what happened during the Nanjing Massacre. But some of the most vivid exhibits are those of the people who were executed in photographs taken by Japanese photographers as well as skeletal remains of victims.

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This palace in the west of the city within the city walls was originally established as a school for educating aristocratic children during the Ming dynasty. Most of the buildings today including the central Confucian Temple date from 1866 when the whole complex was rebuilt following the Taiping Rebellion. There's a museum inside (see next tip).

Admission: Y25.