Presidential Palace, Nanjing, China

Palace Front Gate (note lions)

The Presidential Palace housed the Office of the President of the Republic of China before it fled to Formosa (Taiwan) in 1949.  Sun Yat-sen was sworn in in 1911, but did not occupy the Palace until 1927 (Warlord era).  Chiang Kai-shek had his office here until the Japanese Imperial Army captured Nanking in 1937 (CKS reoccupied in 1947).  Interestingly, Taiwan still considers Nanjing it's capitol as the Constitution was never altered.  This may be the only place in China where the ROC flag is displayed.

opium pipes

snuff bottles

may be only Public Display of ROC flag

gardens

Sun Yat-sen's residence

SYS Provisional President Office

Gardens, Nanking University, Nanjing, China

Quad, Nanking University, Nanjing, China

This visit to Nanjing was of special interest to me as I have a great-uncle, John Henry Reisner (1887-1965), who was a Presbyterian missionary in Nanking and Dean of the College of Agriculture and Forestry of Nanking Univ. from 1914-1931. He left China 6 years before the Japanese invasion. His family legacy was ever present in my childhood home, filled with Chinese lamps and rugs as he couldn't bring cash out of China.  The European style buildings around the grassy quad (ca. 1919) are among the finest architectural visions in China.

IWA Symp. Environmental Nanotechnology 2013

John H. Reisner, Dean (1914-1931) College of Agriculture & Forestry, Nanking Univ.

"Nanking China April 1919"

Zifeng Tower in background

Tower Interior

Possible location of College Agriculture & Forestry

bronze floor plaque

Zhonghua Gate, City Wall, Nanjing, China

The Wall of Nanking was built in 1386 over 21 years under Emperor Zhu Yuanzhang after he founded the Ming Dynasty (1368-1644).  It took 200,000 laborers.  Originally 13 gates were built.  Unlike Beijing, much of Nanjing's Wall is still standing.

 

Zhonghua Gate

caves housed soldiers

courtyard

Nanjing Massacre Memorial Hall, Nanjing, China

The Memorial Hall was built in 1985 near the site of a mass burial.  It is a tribute to the 300,000 lost during the Japanese Imperial Army invasion of 1937.

 

boy carries the dead

infant atop dead mother

Nanking Univ. in Safety Zone

records

300,000 killed