Short answer
Four sites carry most of Nanjing's story. The Ming Xiaoling Mausoleum is the tomb of Zhu Yuanzhang, founding emperor of the Ming dynasty, and the model later imperial tombs followed. The Sun Yat-sen Mausoleum is the burial place of the first president of the Republic of China, on the same mountain, built in the 1920s.
The Presidential Palace is a walled compound in the city centre that holds a Qing office, the palace of the Taiping Heavenly Kingdom, and the seat of the Republic of China government until 1949. The Memorial Hall of the Victims in Nanjing Massacre by Japanese Invaders stands on the site of the 1937 massacre.
Two of these are on Purple Mountain, one is in the centre, and one is southwest of the river. Three of the four need an advance booking, and three close on Mondays.
The four sites at a glance
| Site | Period | Ticket | Booking |
|---|---|---|---|
| Ming Xiaoling Mausoleum | Begun 1381, Ming dynasty | ¥70 | Gate or online |
| Sun Yat-sen Mausoleum | Built 1926 to 1929 | Free | Required in advance |
| Presidential Palace | 1850s to 1949 | ¥35 full price | Real-name timed booking |
| Massacre Memorial Hall | 1937 | Free | Required, 1 to 7 days ahead |
Purple Mountain, where the first two sit, is 31 square kilometres with more than 200 recorded historical sites. Both mausoleums are on the same hill and can be done in one long day.
Ming Xiaoling: the tomb that set the pattern
Zhu Yuanzhang founded the Ming dynasty in 1368 and moved the capital to Nanjing. Work on his tomb began in 1381 on the south slope of Purple Mountain and continued in stages for decades. He is buried there with Empress Ma.
What makes it more than a tomb is that it broke from earlier imperial burial design. The approach is not a straight ceremonial axis but a winding path across the slope, laid out so the visitor loses sight of the tomb and then finds it. The Sacred Way, roughly 600 metres lined with pairs of stone animals and officials, is the part most visitors photograph, and it is only the start of the sequence.
UNESCO inscribed it in 2003 as part of the Imperial Tombs of the Ming and Qing Dynasties, recognising its influence on burial architecture for the next five centuries. It was Nanjing's first World Heritage listing.
Visiting
- Ticket: ¥70 at the gate. The combined Purple Mountain ticket at ¥100 also covers Linggu, Meiling Palace and the Music Hall.
- Hours: ticketing runs 06:30 to 18:30 from February to November, 07:00 to 17:30 from December to January.
- Getting there: Metro Line 2 to Muxuyuan, then the sightseeing bus or a walk.
- Time needed: two to three hours.
The tomb itself, like almost every imperial tomb in China, has not been excavated. You are looking at the ceremonial surface, not a burial chamber.
Sun Yat-sen Mausoleum: a modern tomb on an imperial mountain
Sun Yat-sen died in 1925, having led the movement that ended the imperial system. His body was moved to Nanjing in 1929, and the mausoleum on Purple Mountain was finished that spring. The architect was Lü Yanzhi, who died shortly after the work was completed.
The design is deliberately different from the Ming tomb below it. Instead of a winding approach it runs straight up the slope: an archway, a stairway of 392 steps across eight terraces, a gate, a memorial hall and the vault. The climb is composed so that from the bottom you see only steps, and from the top only platforms, with the Yangtze delta plain opening behind you.
In 2024 the mausoleum and its associated buildings were added to China's Tentative List for UNESCO World Heritage, as representative works of early modern Chinese architecture.
Visiting
- Ticket: free.
- Booking: required. This is the one Purple Mountain sight with a mandatory real-name reservation. Book through the official Zhongshan scenic area channels, or use the on-site self-service machines with your passport.
- Hours: 08:30 to 17:00, closed Mondays except on national holidays and Sun Yat-sen's birth and death anniversaries.
- Getting there: Metro Line 2 to Muxuyuan or Xiamafang, then the sightseeing bus or a walk.
- Time needed: 90 minutes to two hours, and the 392 steps are real stairs.
Free admission makes this the most popular site on the mountain. Weekday mornings are calmer than weekends.
The Presidential Palace: three histories in one wall
This compound at 292 Changjiang Road is the most efficient single stop in Nanjing, because it stacks three separate periods inside one boundary.
The earliest layer is a Qing-era administrative office with a garden, the Xu Garden. In 1853 the Taiping Heavenly Kingdom took Nanjing and made the site its palace, holding the city until 1864. The Qing then rebuilt on the ruins. From 1927 the compound became the seat of the Republic of China government, and stayed so until the capital moved in 1949. Sun Yat-sen was sworn in as provisional president here on 1 January 1912.
The site is now the China Modern History Museum.
Visiting
- Ticket: ¥35 at full price, half price for students and visitors aged 60 to 69. Confirm the current discount list at the gate.
- Hours: 08:30 to 18:00 with last entry at 17:00 in the longer season, 08:30 to 17:00 with last entry at 16:00 in the shorter one. Closed Mondays except statutory holidays.
- Booking: real-name timed entry through the official WeChat account. A passport works as the ID.
- Getting there: Metro Lines 2 or 3 to Daxinggong, Exit 5, then five minutes on foot.
- Time needed: two hours.
The Massacre Memorial Hall
On 13 December 1937, Japanese forces captured Nanjing. In the weeks that followed, a mass killing took place across the city; the figure of more than 300,000 victims is the one recorded at the memorial. December 13 is now a national day of commemoration in China.
The memorial hall stands at 418 Shuiximen Street in Jianye District, on the site of the Jiangdongmen massacre and the mass graves. It opened in 1985 and is both a museum and a burial ground: the displays include excavated remains, victims' names and testimony. A separate museum at Liji Lane documents the sexual violence of the same period.
Allow two to three hours, and expect the exhibition to be grim and direct.
| Detail | Information |
|---|---|
| Address | 418 Shuiximen Street, Jianye District |
| Ticket | Free |
| Booking | Required, 1 to 7 days ahead, official WeChat account or phone |
| Hours | Closed Mondays except national holidays; check the official notice |
| Getting there | Metro Line 2 to Yunjin Road, Exit 2, Gate 1 |
| ID | Passport accepted |
Putting them in order
The two mausoleums share Purple Mountain and pair naturally. The Presidential Palace is in the centre and pairs with Nanjing Museum. The memorial hall is southwest and deserves its own half day.
| If you have | Do this |
|---|---|
| Half a day | Presidential Palace, or the memorial hall alone |
| One day | Purple Mountain: both mausoleums |
| Two days | Purple Mountain, then the Presidential Palace and museum |
| Three days | Add the memorial hall and Xuanwu Lake |
The full two-day sequence, with metro routes and timings, is in the 2-day itinerary. For transport, payment and where to stay, see the Nanjing travel guide.
Frequently asked questions
Which Nanjing history site should I see if I only have time for one?
The Presidential Palace, for the widest sweep in the shortest time: a Qing office, the Taiping palace and the Republic of China government sit inside one compound, and it takes about two hours. Purple Mountain needs a full day.
Is the Sun Yat-sen Mausoleum free?
Yes, admission is free, but entry requires an advance real-name reservation through the official Zhongshan scenic area channels or the on-site machines. The tomb chamber is not open to the public. It closes on Mondays for maintenance, except on national holidays and Sun Yat-sen's anniversaries.
How much is Ming Xiaoling and is it worth it?
It is ¥70, or ¥100 for a combined ticket covering Linggu, Meiling Palace and the Music Hall. It is worth it if you care about imperial architecture: this tomb set the pattern Ming and Qing imperial burials followed for five centuries, and the Sacred Way is the highlight.
What is the difference between the Ming Xiaoling and the Sun Yat-sen Mausoleum?
Ming Xiaoling is the 14th-century tomb of the Ming dynasty's founding emperor, with a winding approach and a stone-lined Sacred Way. Sun Yat-sen Mausoleum is a 1920s tomb for the first president of the Republic of China, with a straight stairway of 392 steps.
Do I need to book the Presidential Palace in advance?
Yes. It runs a real-name timed-entry system through its official WeChat account, and a passport works as the ID. Full price is ¥35. It closes on Mondays except statutory holidays, and the palace states that it has authorised no third-party ticket sellers.
Can I visit the Nanjing Massacre Memorial Hall as a foreigner?
Yes. Entry is free, a passport is accepted as real-name ID, and the memorial hall publishes an English visitor guide. Booking is required one to seven days ahead through the official WeChat account, or by phone.
How much time should I allow at the memorial hall?
Two to three hours. It is a large site with several exhibition halls and covers a mass grave. Most visitors find it emotionally heavy, so place it as the only major stop of a half day.
What is closed on Mondays?
The Sun Yat-sen Mausoleum, the Presidential Palace and the Massacre Memorial Hall all close on Mondays, except on national holidays. Ming Xiaoling's outdoor area remains open, and the city wall and Fuzimiao are unaffected.
Related reading
Dates, ticket prices and opening hours follow the published guides from the Zhongshan Mountain National Park administration, the Nanjing municipal government, the Presidential Palace and the Memorial Hall of the Victims in Nanjing Massacre by Japanese Invaders, and are current as of September 2026. Reservation rules and seasonal hours change; confirm on the official channel before you travel.