Jiangsu Travel: Self-Drive Jiangnan Tour – Nanjing Journey (Photo)
For Nanjing, the capital of Jiangsu Province, I have visited many times, and each visit was different, but the one that left an unforgettable imprint was the self-drive tour “October Driving—Cruising Down to Jiangnan” organized by Beijing Aiche Yangguang during the 2005 National Day Golden Week, because the first stop of the trip was Nanjing. I was fortunate to accompany the convoy as a reporter, and thus documented the entire self-drive caravan’s Jiangnan tour and Nanjing journey.
Convoy Stuck in Traffic (Photo by Feng Ganyong)
At around 5:30 a.m. on October 1, 2005, the self-drive convoy of over 20 passenger cars began assembling at the first service area on the Beijing–Tianjin–Tanggu Expressway. By about 6:30 a.m., the convoy set off southward. Although the weather was uncooperative, with heavy, gloomy fog, the highway was exceptionally crowded with vehicles leaving Beijing as it was the Golden Week holiday.
Crowds at Sun Yat-sen Mausoleum (Photo by Feng Ganyong)
The convoy encountered its first problem when reaching the entrance to the Beijing–Shanghai Expressway. The expressway was closed due to fog. Stuck cars stretched for several kilometers. Fortunately, after waiting for about 20 minutes, the expressway began to be reopened in batches. Cars, having received their toll cards, filed out one after another, then shot forward like arrows loosed from a bow, racing along the Beijing–Shanghai Expressway.
The Fraternity Archway of Sun Yat-sen Mausoleum (Photo by Feng Ganyong)
The convoy passed through Hebei and Shandong before entering Jiangsu Province, encountering several traffic jams and heavy rain along the way. After about 16 hours and over 1,000 kilometers of driving, it arrived at its first stop, Nanjing, the provincial capital, around 11 p.m. that night.
The Gate of Sun Yat-sen Mausoleum (Photo by Feng Ganyong)
I had been to Nanjing several times, especially in November 2003, two years earlier, when I was a member of the “Splendid Nanjing, Dazzling Variety” special reporting team organized by the State Council Information Office for national online media, and I had a deep impression of the beautiful city. On October 2, it was still drizzly, but that did not dampen the holiday sightseeing enthusiasm. Nanjing was also about to host the 10th National Games, so the city was exceptionally lively. According to the plan, the convoy first visited Sun Yat-sen Mausoleum.
A Corner of the Scenic Area (Photo by Feng Ganyong)
As the convoy entered the Sun Yat-sen Mausoleum scenic area, there were traffic and crowds everywhere. Traffic police and staff were managing the flow. It was clear that Nanjing authorities had made thorough preparations for the National Day tourism peak.
Panoramic View from Sun Yat-sen Mausoleum (Photo by Feng Ganyong)
The solemn and stately Sun Yat-sen Mausoleum is situated in the Zhongshan Scenic Area on the eastern outskirts of Nanjing. As the tomb of the great democratic revolutionary pioneer Dr. Sun Yat-sen, it is a must-visit for anyone touring Nanjing. Renowned at home and abroad for its profound historical significance, high cultural value, and beautiful landscape gardens, it has now become a sacred place for Chinese around the world to pay homage.
Photo at Sun Yat-sen Mausoleum (Photo by Cao Qun)
On March 12, 1925, Sun Yat-sen died in Beijing. In accordance with his wish to be buried on Zhongshan Mountain in the eastern suburbs of Nanjing, the National Government of the Republic of China decided to construct the Sun Yat-sen Mausoleum. On May 13, 1925, the funeral preparatory committee announced a call for designs for the tomb, receiving more than 40 submissions. After review, ten designs with solemn styles won awards. Artists and architects from home and abroad displayed their talents, competing to draw up blueprints. The winning design was a bird’s-eye view shaped like an 'alarm bell' by Lu Yanzhi, a 31-year-old Chinese architect, who was also responsible for supervising construction.
Foreign Visitors Paying Respects (Photo by Feng Ganyong)
On March 12, 1926, the first anniversary of Sun Yat-sen’s death, the cemetery’s foundation stone was laid. Donations poured in from various provinces, and overseas Chinese generously contributed. The mausoleum took three years to build and was largely completed by the spring of 1929. A grand burial ceremony was held on June 1 of that year. From then on, Dr. Sun Yat-sen has rested here in eternal peace.
Viewing Historical Relics (Photo by Feng Ganyong)
The mausoleum faces a flat plain with green hills behind, shaped like an alarm bell. All its structures are roofed with blue glazed tiles. The archway, gate, tablet pavilion, sacrificial hall, and tomb chamber are aligned on a central axis, connected by broad granite steps, forming a compact and magnificent whole.
The Monument in the Tablet Hall (Photo by Feng Ganyong)
Inside the sacrificial hall, there are inscriptions of Sun Yat-sen’s handwriting of the 'Fundamentals of National Reconstruction,' with a seated statue of Sun Yat-sen at the center; in the tomb chamber lies a reclining statue of him. The complex takes full advantage of the mountain setting, using natural barriers, expanses of green lawns, and wide stone steps to link solitary small buildings into a cohesive whole. Verdant pines and cypresses blanket the hill, blending modern sensibilities with national style, making it a masterpiece of large-scale modern Chinese architecture.
The Gate Inscribed 'The World Belongs to All' (Photo by Feng Ganyong)
The Sun Yat-sen Mausoleum has gone through vicissitudes. During the Japanese invasion of China, many structures were destroyed by shelling. After the founding of the People’s Republic of China, the government attached great importance to the protection of the mausoleum. When Liu Bocheng was mayor of Nanjing, he had 20,000 fir and plane trees specially transported from Hunan and planted around the site. In 1961, the mausoleum was designated a National Key Cultural Relic Protection Unit.
Blooms in Abundance (Photo by Feng Ganyong)
Over the past four decades, the mausoleum park has been continuously renovated and expanded, with the total area now exceeding 3,000 hectares. The surroundings are lush and beautiful. Since the reform and opening-up, the management department has carried out several large-scale afforestation projects on Purple Mountain, replanting hundreds of thousands of cedar trees alone. At the same time, new technology and advanced management methods have been adopted to strengthen forest protection, pest control, and fire prevention. Today, the area is a vast forest of boundless greenery, with flowers blooming in profusion, offering splendid scenery in all four seasons.
Tree-lined Avenues (Photo by Feng Ganyong)
In spring, tens of thousands of plum blossoms on Plum Blossom Hill compete in dazzling beauty, their subtle fragrance floating over more than 250 acres of the hill, drawing throngs of visitors. In summer, wisteria hangs over the Music Stage, comforting the souls of heroes; Liuhui Pavilion and Purple Cloud Lake offer refreshing coolness, and the tree-lined boulevard becomes a green corridor, creating a cool oasis. In autumn, the Pine Wind Pavilion and Baogong Pagoda peek through golden leaves and yellow flowers, while the Spirit Valley Park is filled with the scent of thousands of osmanthus blossoms. In winter, Purple Mountain looks even more majestic, and the cedar trees around the mausoleum stand especially verdant and upright.
In Front of the Presidential Palace Gate (Photo by Feng Ganyong)
Despite the drizzle, the car club members paid their respects at Sun Yat-sen Mausoleum with great interest. Since Nanjing has so many renowned scenic spots and time was limited, the originally scheduled group visit to the Nanjing Massacre Memorial Hall in the afternoon was changed to free time. So I joined some fellow travelers to visit the famous Presidential Palace.
Pavilions and Waterside Terraces (Photo by Feng Ganyong)
Located at No. 292 Changjiang Road in Nanjing, the Presidential Palace has a history of over 600 years, according to records. In the early Ming Dynasty, it was the residence of the Marquis of Guide and the Prince of Han. During the Qing Dynasty, it served as the Jiangning Textile Bureau, the Jiangnan Viceroy Office, and the Liangjiang Governor-General’s Office. When Emperors Kangxi and Qianlong toured Jiangnan, they used it as a temporary imperial palace.
Scenery Inside the Presidential Palace (Photo by Feng Ganyong)
In March 1853, the Taiping army occupied Nanjing, established its capital Tianjing, and Hong Xiuquan built the grand Heavenly Palace (Tian Wang Fu) here. After Qing forces recaptured Nanjing, they burned down the palace and rebuilt the Liangjiang Governor-General’s Office in the ninth year of the Tongzhi reign (1870). Many famous officials, including Lin Zexu, Zeng Guofan, Li Hongzhang, Liu Kunyi, Shen Baozhen, Zuo Zongtang, Zhang Zhidong, and Duan Fang, served as Liangjiang governor-general.
Corridor Inside the Presidential Palace (Photo by Feng Ganyong)
After the Revolution of 1911 broke out in October, on January 1, 1912, Sun Yat-sen was sworn in here as the provisional president of the Republic of China, establishing the first republican regime in Chinese history—the Provisional Government of the Republic of China. In April 1912, the provisional government ended, and the Nanjing Garrison Office was set up here, with Huang Xing as the garrison commander. During the 'Second Revolution' in 1913, this became the headquarters of the Anti-Yuan Shikai Army, with Huang Xing and later He Haiming serving as commander. Between 1913 and 1927, it successively housed the Jiangsu Military Governor’s Office, the Jiangsu Superintendent’s Office, the Jiangsu General’s Office, the Jiangsu Supervisory Office, the Vice President’s Office, the Pacification Commissioner’s Office, the General Headquarters of the Five-Province Allied Forces, and the Joint Office of the Zhili-Shandong Allied Forces. Military and political leaders during this period included Cheng Dequan, Zhang Xun, Li Chun, Qi Xieyuan, Lu Yongxiang, Feng Guozhang, Sun Chuanfang, Yang Yuting, and Zhang Zongchang.
The Central Axis Exhibition Area of the Presidential Palace (Photo by Feng Ganyong)
Soon after the Nanjing National Government was established in April 1927, it moved its offices here in September of the same year. In October 1928, when the government adopted the 'Five Yuan' system, the east compound (East Garden) became the Executive Yuan office, and the west compound (West Garden) housed the General Staff Headquarters and the Directorate-General of Budget, Accounting and Statistics.
Garden of the Presidential Palace (Photo by Feng Ganyong)
By November 1937, Tan Yankai, Chiang Kai-shek, and Lin Sen successively served as president of the National Government; Tan Yankai, T.V. Soong, Chiang Kai-shek, Chen Mingshu (acting), Sun Ke, and Wang Jingwei served as president of the Executive Yuan; Li Jishen, He Yingqin, Zhu Peide, Chiang Kai-shek, and Cheng Qian served as chief of the general staff; and Chen Qicai served as director-general of budget, accounting and statistics.
The Fuyuan Garden of the Presidential Palace (Photo by Feng Ganyong)
After Nanjing fell in December 1937, the National Government compound became first the headquarters of the Japanese 16th Division, then the Executive Yuan of the puppet Reformed Government, and later the Legislative Yuan, Control Yuan, and Examination Yuan of Wang Jingwei’s puppet regime. The east compound housed the puppet Ministry of Communications, Ministry of Railways, and other agencies, while the west compound became the puppet Military Advisory Council.
The Executive Yuan Building of the Presidential Palace (Photo by Feng Ganyong)
After the National Government returned the capital to Nanjing in May 1946, it remained here. The east garden housed the Ministry of Social Affairs, Ministry of Land Administration, Ministry of Water Resources, and Overseas Chinese Affairs Commission. The west garden housed the Directorate-General of Budget, Accounting and Statistics, the Ministry of Military Orders, the Military Affairs Bureau of the Presidential Office, and the Capital Garrison Headquarters.
Stone Window Latticing in the Courtyard (Photo by Feng Ganyong)
On May 20, 1948, after Chiang Kai-shek and Li Zongren were elected president and vice president at the 'Constitutional National Assembly,' the National Government was renamed the Presidential Palace. On April 23, 1949, Nanjing was liberated, and on April 24, the People’s Liberation Army occupied the Presidential Palace, opening a new chapter in Chinese history.
Historical Archives Exhibition Hall (Photo by Feng Ganyong)
For nearly 50 years after the liberation of Nanjing, the Presidential Palace remained a government office compound. Since the 1980s, government agencies have gradually moved out, and in 1998, the site began to be transformed into the Nanjing Museum of Modern Chinese History. After careful planning and five years of construction, the museum took initial shape by 2003. Today, it covers 90,000 square meters and is divided into three visiting zones.
Stone Boat in the Garden (Photo by Feng Ganyong)
The central area (central axis) mainly displays the National Government, the Presidential Palace, and affiliated institutions. The west area features Sun Yat-sen’s provisional presidential office, secretariat, the West Garden, and the general staff headquarters. The east area primarily contains the old Executive Yuan site, the stables, and the East Garden. A series of exhibition halls and historical displays are spread across these three zones.
Convoy Passing Through a Tunnel (Photo by Feng Ganyong)
Entering the Presidential Palace, I saw that the museum has set up eleven exhibition halls of varying sizes along the three axes, using a wealth of artifacts, historical documents, and restored settings to illustrate the evolution of modern Chinese history. Among the many rare and precious photos and objects were the wedding photo of Chiang Kai-shek and Soong May-ling, Chiang’s bronze seal reading 'Chiang Chung-cheng' used during the War of Resistance Against Japan, the official directive on relocating the capital to Chongqing, the design drafts for the Blue Sky with a White Sun flag, a personal letter from Soong May-ling to Chiang during the Xi’an Incident, and the ceremonial sword Wang Jingwei carried when he took office as puppet president—all attracting large crowds of visitors.
Night View of Fuzimiao (Confucius Temple) (Photo by Feng Ganyong)
Nanjing’s night is beautiful, especially the enchanting nightscape along the Qinhuai River by Fuzimiao. Candle-lit boats sway gently on the water, while on the shore, brilliant lights create a kaleidoscope of colors.
Night View of Qinhuai River (Photo by Feng Ganyong)
The area bustles with a never-ending stream of people, countless Qinhuai-style snacks and dishes, and brand-name clothing stores of various styles. In the evening, our car club members gathered here, spending our first wonderful night in Nanjing after setting off on the trip. (Text and photos: Feng Ganyong)
