History springs to life in Nanjing, China's 'southern capital' (4)

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The Presidential Palace (file photo)

The Presidential Palace

The Presidential Palace in Nanjing is a unique place in China’s mainland where the history of Republic of China and Kuomintang is displayed. Entering the palace is also like entering a special time capsule, in which a very long and turbulent time in Chinese history is preserved.

In the Ming Dynasty, two dukes’ palaces were built on the location of the palace, then in the Qing Dynasty, the palace was used as the official government building of Liangjiang Zongdu, or the governor of Liangjiang, who was in charge of today’s Jiangsu, Anhui and Jiangxi provinces — the richest part in China. When the Taiping rebels captured Nanjing in 1853, the palace was made into the Palace of Heavenly King Hong Xiuquan. After the Xinhai Revolution in 1911, Dr Sun Yat-sen was sworn in here as the provisional president of the Republic of China. He and Chiang Kai-shek both worked here as president.

With all the changes the palace has witnessed in more than 600 years, every spot there has a story to tell. The central area covers 90,000 square meters, including the government office building, the presidential office, the residential area of the president and the gardens. You can easily spend a whole day wandering in the palace if you want to see everything here.

The palace, with its large square structure, light color and simple decoration, exudes an elegant vibe. Its appearance during the Ming and Qing dynasties cannot be seen since almost everything in the palace is kept in a strong minguo (Republic of China) style. The wide stone stairs in the building, the old elevator, the large meeting rooms decorated with old-style armchairs, even the tea cups on the tables are true to the way they were almost 100 years ago. The Flag of the Republic of China is displayed in many rooms, which is rare in China’s mainland.

Since it was the last time Nanjing was the capital city of China, the Republic of China period has greater influence on this city than any other in China’s mainland. It has many republic period buildings and some of its main streets were built during that time. The Presidential Palace is the best representative of the period.

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