Zhongshan Scenic Area - Jiangsu Tourist Attraction

Zhongshan Scenic Area is located in Xuanwu District, Nanjing City, Jiangsu Province. It is one of China's famous scenic spots, a national 5A-level tourist attraction, and a city card of Nanjing. Centered on Zhongshan (Purple Mountain), the scenic area integrates mountains, water, cities, forests, temples, and mausoleums, boasting the dual charm of natural and cultural landscapes, and is known as "the top cultural mountain in Chinese cities". The total area of the scenic area is about 45 square kilometers, with the core scenic area covering about 31 square kilometers, including three core areas: Ming Xiaoling Mausoleum, Dr. Sun Yat-sen's Mausoleum, and Linggu Temple, as well as many attractions such as Purple Mountain Observatory, Music Platform, and Meiling Palace. The forest coverage rate in the area is over 70%, with rich animal and plant resources. At the same time, it preserves a large number of historical relics from the Three Kingdoms period to modern times, being a microcosm of Nanjing's history, culture, and natural ecology.

Historical Culture

The history of Zhongshan can be traced back to the Warring States Period, when it was called "Jinling Mountain". It was renamed "Zhongshan" in the Han Dynasty, and later "Purple Mountain" after the Eastern Jin Dynasty because the rocks of the mountain are purple-red. During the Three Kingdoms Period, the Eastern Wu regime built a royal temple at the southern foot of Zhongshan, starting the process of cultural construction of Zhongshan.

The Ming Dynasty was an important period for the development of Zhongshan's history and culture. In 1381, the construction of Ming Xiaoling Mausoleum began and was completed 25 years later. As the mausoleum of Emperor Zhu Yuanzhang and Empress Ma of the Ming Dynasty, its grand scale and unique architectural layout established Zhongshan's status as a royal mausoleum area and influenced the regulations of imperial mausoleums in later dynasties. Since then, many temples and pavilions have been built around Zhongshan, making it an important place for royal sacrifices and sightseeing.

In modern times, Zhongshan has witnessed major changes in Chinese history. In 1926, the construction of Dr. Sun Yat-sen's Mausoleum started and was completed in 1929. As the mausoleum of Dr. Sun Yat-sen, its design integrating Chinese and Western architectural styles has become a model of modern architecture. During the Republic of China, buildings such as Meiling Palace and Music Platform were also built around Zhongshan, further enriching the cultural connotation of the scenic area.

Zhongshan Scenic Area is not only a gathering place of historical relics but also a witness to China's modern revolutionary history. The tombs of Liao Zhongkai, He Xiangning, and Deng Yanda in the area record the course of the democratic revolution. In 1961, Ming Xiaoling Mausoleum was listed as a national key cultural relics protection unit; in 2003, Ming Xiaoling Mausoleum was included in the World Cultural Heritage as an extension project of "Imperial Mausoleums of the Ming and Qing Dynasties"; in 2010, Zhongshan Scenic Area was rated as a national 5A-level tourist attraction, and its profound historical and cultural heritage and unique landscape value have been widely recognized at home and abroad.

Main Attractions

Dr. Sun Yat-sen's Mausoleum

Dr. Sun Yat-sen's Mausoleum is located at the southern foot of Zhongshan, being the mausoleum of Dr. Sun Yat-sen, the great pioneer of China's modern democratic revolution. Designed by architect Lu Yanzhi, it was built in 1926 and completed in 1929, with a total area of about 80,000 square meters. The mausoleum is laid out along the central axis, successively including the Bo'ai Archway, the tomb passage, the mausoleum gate, the stele pavilion, the sacrificial hall, and the tomb chamber, with a total of 392 steps, symbolizing China's 392 million people at that time. There is a marble sitting statue of Dr. Sun Yat-sen in the sacrificial hall, and the full text of "The Outline of National Reconstruction" is engraved on the walls. Integrating the styles of traditional Chinese architecture and Western classical architecture, Dr. Sun Yat-sen's Mausoleum is magnificent and solemn. It was listed as a national key cultural relics protection unit in 1961 and is a national patriotism education demonstration base.

Ming Xiaoling Mausoleum

Ming Xiaoling Mausoleum is located at the foot of Dulongfuwan Pearl Peak at the southern foot of Zhongshan, being the joint mausoleum of Emperor Zhu Yuanzhang and Empress Ma of the Ming Dynasty. It was built in 1381 and completed in 1405, taking 25 years, with a total area of about 1.7 million square meters. It is the first of the imperial mausoleums of the Ming and Qing Dynasties in China and the only World Cultural Heritage in Nanjing. The layout of the mausoleum is divided into two parts: the sacred way part includes stone statues of animals, Wengzhong Road, etc., with 12 pairs of stone animals and 6 pairs of stone statues of civil and military officials arranged, which are lifelike and magnificent; the main part has buildings such as the Golden Water Bridge, the Wenwu Square Gate, the Xiangdian Hall, and the Fangcheng Minglou, among which the Fangcheng Minglou is the landmark building of Ming Xiaoling Mausoleum. The architectural style of Ming Xiaoling Mausoleum broke the tradition of the straight arrangement of the sacred way of imperial mausoleums in previous dynasties and adopted a curved sacred way design, thus being known as "the blueprint of imperial mausoleums of the Ming and Qing Dynasties".

Linggu Temple

Linggu Temple is located at the northern foot of Zhongshan, first built in the 13th year of Tianjian in the Liang Dynasty of the Southern Dynasties (514 AD), initially named "Kaishan Temple". In the Ming Dynasty, due to the construction of Ming Xiaoling Mausoleum, the temple was moved to its current location and given the name "Linggu Temple", being one of the three major Buddhist temples in the Ming Dynasty. Most of the existing buildings were rebuilt in the Qing Dynasty, mainly including the Red Mountain Gate, the Wuliang Hall (Beamless Hall), the Songfeng Pavilion, and the Linggu Tower. The Wuliang Hall is the landmark building of Linggu Temple, built during the Hongwu period of the Ming Dynasty. The whole hall is made of bricks without a single beam or column, with a height of 22 meters, a width of 53.8 meters, and a depth of 37.85 meters, being the largest existing beamless hall building in China. The Linggu Tower was built in 1931, with a height of 66.8 meters and 9 floors. Climbing the tower, you can overlook the whole view of Zhongshan. Linggu Temple is surrounded by quiet environment and ancient trees, known as "Linggu Deep Pines", and is an important Buddhist cultural resort in Zhongshan.

Purple Mountain Observatory

Purple Mountain Observatory is located at Tianbao Peak, the third peak of Zhongshan. Built in 1934, it is the first modern observatory designed and built by China itself, known as "the cradle of modern Chinese astronomy". The observatory covers an area of about 7,000 square meters, with large astronomical instruments such as a 60cm reflecting telescope and a 20cm refracting telescope, as well as an ancient astronomical instrument exhibition hall. The hall displays precious cultural relics such as armillary spheres, abridged armillary spheres, and gnomons moved from the ancient Beijing Observatory, among which the armillary spheres and abridged armillary spheres, cast in the Ming Dynasty, are outstanding representatives of ancient Chinese astronomical instruments. Purple Mountain Observatory has made many achievements in modern astronomical research. Now it is an important scientific research institution under the Chinese Academy of Sciences and is open to the public, being an important base for popular science education.

Meiling Palace

Meiling Palace is located on Xiaohong Mountain in Zhongshan Scenic Area. Completed in 1934, it was originally named "Official Residence of the President of the National Government". It is called "Meiling Palace" because Chiang Kai-shek and his wife Soong Mei-ling often lived here. The building is a three-story palace-style building, covering an area of about 3,000 square meters. The main body is made of reinforced concrete, with green glazed tiles on the roof and Mount Tai face bricks on the outer wall. The interior decoration is luxurious, integrating Chinese and Western architectural styles. Meiling Palace is surrounded by a sycamore avenue. Overlooking from the air, the road is in the shape of a necklace, and Meiling Palace is like a gem on the necklace, thus being known as "the most beautiful necklace". The palace now displays Soong Mei-ling's daily necessities, calligraphy, and paintings, reflecting the historical features of the Republic of China period.

Music Platform

The Music Platform is located on the southeast side of Dr. Sun Yat-sen's Mausoleum. Built in 1932, it is an open-air performance venue constructed to commemorate Dr. Sun Yat-sen. Designed by architect Yang Tingbao, it covers an area of approximately 4,200 square meters. The Music Platform is overall semicircular, with a stage at the center of the circle, having a radius of about 25 meters. Behind the stage, there is a curved screen wall that can enhance the acoustic effect. The audience seats are a fan-shaped lawn, which can accommodate more than 3,000 people. The design of the Music Platform integrates Western classical architecture with traditional Chinese elements. The screen wall is carved with patterns of interlocking peonies, presenting an elegant style. Nowadays, the Music Platform has become a place for tourists to rest, and white doves often inhabit here, forming a landscape of harmonious coexistence between people and white doves.

Cuisine

Nanjing Da Pai Dang (Dr. Sun Yat-sen's Mausoleum Branch)

Nanjing Da Pai Dang is a characteristic catering brand in Nanjing. The Dr. Sun Yat-sen's Mausoleum Branch is located near the scenic area, focusing on traditional Nanjing snacks. Among them, duck blood vermicelli soup is a must-order dish, which is made of duck offal such as duck blood, duck liver, and duck intestines, together with vermicelli and high soup, with a delicious taste; salted duck has white skin and tender meat, with a salty and fresh taste, being a representative of Nanjing's "vegetable basket"; Meiling porridge is made of soybean milk, yam, and glutinous rice, with a dense texture and a sweet taste, which is said to be a favorite porridge of Soong Mei-ling. The interior of the restaurant is decorated in an antique style, with pingtan performances, allowing you to experience Nanjing's food culture.

Linggu Temple Vegetarian Noodles

Linggu Temple Vegetarian Noodles are a characteristic vegetarian food in Zhongshan. They are made of bamboo shoots, mushrooms, bean products, and other ingredients around the temple, together with vegetarian high soup. The noodles are chewy, the soup is delicious, and the taste is fresh and refreshing. Vegetarian noodles have a long history, which is said to have been created by monks in the temple during the Ming Dynasty. Now they are a must-try food for tourists when visiting Linggu Temple, reflecting the characteristics of Buddhist food culture.

Duck Blood Vermicelli Soup

In addition to Nanjing Da Pai Dang, there are authentic duck blood vermicelli soups in snack bars around the scenic area. This delicacy is made of duck blood, duck gizzard, duck intestine, and other raw materials, which are put into the soup made of duck bones together with vermicelli, and seasoned with coriander, chili oil, etc., with a rich taste and rich nutrition. You can taste this classic Nanjing snack in the "Jinling Snack City" at the exit of Dr. Sun Yat-sen's Mausoleum Scenic Area.

Osmanthus Sugar Taro

Osmanthus Sugar Taro is a traditional dessert in Nanjing. It is made of taro steamed, then boiled with brown sugar, lotus root starch, and osmanthus sugar. It has a soft and glutinous taste, is sweet but not greasy, and has a strong osmanthus fragrance. It is sold in dessert shops and time-honored restaurants around the scenic area (such as the branch of "Lianhu Cake Shop"), which is suitable as a dessert during the tour.

Tickets

A separate ticketing system is implemented for each scenic spot, with single scenic spot tickets starting from 10 yuan. You can also buy a combined ticket starting from 90 yuan.

You can search for the official WeChat public account "南京钟山风景区" on WeChat to get the latest news or buy tickets online.

Opening Hours

The opening hours of each scenic spot are as follows:

Dr. Sun Yat-sen's Mausoleum: 8:30-17:00 daily (closed for maintenance every Monday, except legal holidays and the anniversary of Dr. Sun Yat-sen's birth and death), and admission stops at 16:30.
Ming Xiaoling Mausoleum: 6:30-18:30 daily (March 1 - October 31); 7:00-17:30 (November 1 - February 28 of the next year).
Linggu Temple: 6:30-18:00 daily (March 1 - October 31); 7:00-17:30 (November 1 - February 28 of the next year).
Meiling Palace: 8:30-17:00 daily (same as the opening hours of Dr. Sun Yat-sen's Mausoleum).
Music Platform: 8:30-17:00 daily (March 1 - October 31); 9:00-16:30 (November 1 - February 28 of the next year).
Purple Mountain Observatory: 9:00-16:30 daily (admission stops at 16:00), closed every Monday (except legal holidays).

The peripheral areas of the scenic spot (such as Lingyuan Road and Indus Avenue) are open 24 hours a day.

Tour Routes

Zhongshan Scenic Area is large in area, and it is recommended to visit for 1-2 days.

One-day tour route: Arrive at Dr. Sun Yat-sen's Mausoleum before 8:30 a.m., visit the core areas such as Bo'ai Archway and sacrificial hall (about 1.5 hours), then walk to the nearby Music Platform (about 20 minutes) to enjoy the white doves and architectural landscape (about 1 hour); have lunch at Nanjing Da Pai Dang near the scenic area at noon. In the afternoon, go to Ming Xiaoling Mausoleum, start the tour from the sacred way, and enjoy the stone statues of animals, Fangcheng Minglou, etc. (about 2.5 hours), then walk to Meiling Palace (about 15 minutes) to visit the interior of the building and the surrounding Indus Avenue (about 1 hour); go to Linggu Temple before evening, visit Wuliang Hall and Linggu Tower (about 2 hours), climb the tower to overlook the sunset of Zhongshan, and end the trip.

Two-day tour route: Visit Dr. Sun Yat-sen's Mausoleum, Ming Xiaoling Mausoleum, Meiling Palace, and Music Platform according to the one-day tour route on the first day; go to Purple Mountain Observatory on the morning of the second day to visit ancient astronomical instruments and modern observation equipment (about 2 hours), then hike or take a sightseeing bus to Toutuo Ridge Scenic Area to enjoy the natural scenery of Zhongshan (about 1.5 hours); taste vegetarian noodles near Linggu Temple at noon; visit historical relics such as Deng Yanda's Tomb and Tan Yankai's Tomb around Linggu Temple in the afternoon (about 2 hours), then end the trip.

Transportation

Subway: Nanjing Metro Line 2 can directly reach the scenic area. Among them, "Dr. Sun Yat-sen's Mausoleum · Xiamafang Station" is about 1 kilometer from the entrance of Dr. Sun Yat-sen's Mausoleum; "Ming Xiaoling Mausoleum · Muxuyuan Station" is about 500 meters from the entrance of Ming Xiaoling Mausoleum; "Linggu Temple Station" is about 800 meters from Linggu Temple; "Wangjiawan Station" of Metro Line 4 is about 2 kilometers from Purple Mountain Observatory.
Bus: Multiple bus routes can reach the scenic area, such as Tourist Route 1, Tourist Route 2, and Tourist Route 3, which cover major attractions like Dr. Sun Yat-sen's Mausoleum, Ming Xiaoling Mausoleum, and Linggu Temple, with a fare of 2 yuan per person; bus routes such as Route 20 and Route 315 can reach stops around the scenic area.
Sightseeing Bus: There are sightseeing buses in the scenic area connecting major attractions, divided into the East Line (Dr. Sun Yat-sen's Mausoleum - Ming Xiaoling Mausoleum - Meiling Palace) and the West Line (Linggu Temple - Dr. Sun Yat-sen's Mausoleum). The one-way fare is 10 yuan per person, and the one-day pass is 50 yuan per person, allowing unlimited rides.
Self-driving: There are multiple parking lots around the scenic area, such as Dr. Sun Yat-sen's Mausoleum Parking Lot and Ming Xiaoling Mausoleum Parking Lot, with a charging standard of 10 yuan per hour. It is recommended to arrive early during peak seasons to avoid parking shortages.
Walking/Cycling: The roads in the scenic area are flat, suitable for walking or cycling. Shared bikes are available for rent in some areas, with a fee of about 2 yuan per 30 minutes. Cycling to visit landscapes like Lingyuan Road and Indus Avenue is particularly pleasant.

Must-visit Attractions

Dr. Sun Yat-sen's Mausoleum: A model of modern Chinese architecture, with 392 steps and a symmetrical layout that is magnificent. It is open for free and is an important place to understand Dr. Sun Yat-sen's revolutionary ideas.
Ming Xiaoling Mausoleum: A World Cultural Heritage site covering an area of 1.7 million square meters. It features a curved sacred way and stone statues of animals, demonstrating the grandeur and wisdom of imperial mausoleums in the Ming Dynasty.
Linggu Temple: One of the three major Buddhist temples in the Ming Dynasty, with China's largest beamless hall (22 meters high) and the 66.8-meter-high Linggu Tower. It has a quiet environment and profound cultural heritage.
Purple Mountain Observatory: China's first modern observatory, housing precious cultural relics such as armillary spheres and abridged armillary spheres from the Ming Dynasty. It is a must-visit for astronomy enthusiasts.

Travel Tips

The best seasons to visit are spring and autumn (March-May, September-November). In spring, plum blossoms bloom on Plum Blossom Mountain (March), and in autumn, the weather is cool, suitable for hiking and sightseeing; it is hot in summer, so it is recommended to avoid the noon hours, and some attractions may adjust their opening hours due to weather in winter.
The scenic area is large with scattered attractions, so it is recommended to wear comfortable sports shoes. The daily walking distance is about 15-20 kilometers; you can choose to take a sightseeing bus for transportation according to your physical strength.
Popular attractions such as Dr. Sun Yat-sen's Mausoleum and Ming Xiaoling Mausoleum have a large number of visitors during peak seasons (holidays, weekends). It is recommended to arrive before 8:00 a.m. to avoid crowds; reservations for Dr. Sun Yat-sen's Mausoleum need to be made 1-3 days in advance through the official WeChat account of "Zhongshan Culture and Tourism Bureau".
Bring an appropriate amount of drinking water and snacks. Catering in the scenic area is relatively expensive. There are convenience stores and restaurants near Ming Xiaoling Mausoleum and Dr. Sun Yat-sen's Mausoleum, while there are fewer catering options in the Linggu Temple area.
If planning to climb Purple Mountain (Toutuo Ridge), you can choose to hike or take the cable car. The one-way cable car fare is 50 yuan per person, and the round-trip fare is 80 yuan per person. Hiking up the mountain takes about 1.5-2 hours.

Notes

Smoking and littering are prohibited in the scenic area. Please protect cultural relics and historic sites and do not climb or carve on buildings or sculptures.
There are many steps in areas such as Dr. Sun Yat-sen's Mausoleum and Ming Xiaoling Mausoleum. Please pay attention to safety during the visit, take good care of the elderly and children, and be cautious when the road is slippery on rainy days.
When taking the scenic area's sightseeing bus, get on and off at designated stops, keep your personal belongings safe, and abide by the riding order.
Attractions such as Purple Mountain Observatory and Linggu Tower have high-altitude areas; those with acrophobia should proceed with caution. Do not stay or play in the stairwells when climbing the tower.
Mobile phone signals are weak in some areas of the scenic area (such as the sacred way of Ming Xiaoling Mausoleum and the bamboo forest in Linggu Temple). It is recommended to download an offline map in advance and keep in touch with your companions.
Respect the religious beliefs and cultural customs of the scenic area. Keep quiet in religious places such as Linggu Temple and abide by relevant regulations.