Sun Yat-sen Mausoleum

Reclining on mountain slope, the mausoleum looks majesty and sublime. Lying at the mountainside, the vault is more than 700 hundred meters away from the Paifang on the square below, which is the entrance of the mausoleum. There is a three-tier stone stand on which a huge bronze Ding, an ancient Chinese vessel symbolizing power perches. To the north of the square, the Paifang towers high. Beyond is the 480- meter-long and 50-meter-wide stairway which has 392 stairs, leading to the vault. On both sides, high pine trees, cypress trees and gingko trees guards the way alongside. At the end of the stairway is a gate which is 16-meter-high and 27-meter-wide. The tri-arched marble gate is inscribed with four Chinese characters written by Dr. Sun, which means "the nation is people's nation and everyone shall serve the nation selflessly". Inside of the gate, there is a pavilion in which a 9-meter-high stele is set, which is a memorial monument set by Kuomintang. A few stairs up, is the sacrificial hall and the vault. In front of the sacrificial hall there stands a pair of Huabiao, ancient Chinese ornamental column, which is 12.6-meter-high. The sacrificial hall is actually a palace of 30 meters in length, 25 meters in width and 29 meters in height. In the center of the hall a 4.6-meter-high statue of Mr. Sun sits. The statue was sculptured out of white marble produced in Italy. Visitors will learn Mr. Sun's glorious life in the hall. North of the hall lies the vault. In the bell shaped vault, Dr. Sun falls asleep. A statue of him rests in a white marble coffin, under which the great man lies.