Reflecting the building's layered history, the front gate of Nanjing Presidential Palace was destroyed by rebels during the Taiping Rebellion in the mid-1800s, then restored by the Nationalist Government in 1929.
Nanjing Presidential Palace —
Reflecting the building's layered history, the front gate of Nanjing Presidential Palace was destroyed by rebels during the Taiping Rebellion in the mid-1800s, then restored by the Nationalist Government in 1929.
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Some of the main attractions are packed with visitors, but there are also more secluded corners deep inside the palace grounds.
Quiet corners —
Some of the main attractions are packed with visitors, but there are also more secluded corners deep inside the palace grounds.
Elaine Yu/CNN
Bearing gilded designs, elaborate temples and dragon themes, Taiping Rebellion leader Hong Xiuquan's quarters are among the most extravagant sections of the palace.
The 'Heavenly King' —
Bearing gilded designs, elaborate temples and dragon themes, Taiping Rebellion leader Hong Xiuquan's quarters are among the most extravagant sections of the palace.
Elaine Yu/CNN
Meeting rooms for Chinese and foreign leaders, private offices for figures such as Chinese Nationalist Party leader Chiang Kai-shek, as well as Sun Yat-sen's nap room, have been preserved and restored.
Painstakingly preserved —
Meeting rooms for Chinese and foreign leaders, private offices for figures such as Chinese Nationalist Party leader Chiang Kai-shek, as well as Sun Yat-sen's nap room, have been preserved and restored.
Elaine Yu/CNN
The palace is one of the few places in China where the country's former symbol, a white sun, is publicly embraced.
Republican China —
The palace is one of the few places in China where the country's former symbol, a white sun, is publicly embraced.
Elaine Yu/CNN
A Qing-style atrium, built in 1870, leads down to hallways, courtyards and the Nationalist government's Western-style quarters.
Diverse architectural styles —
A Qing-style atrium, built in 1870, leads down to hallways, courtyards and the Nationalist government's Western-style quarters.
Elaine Yu/CNN
Quads, paved strips, pavilions and scenic waterways offer places to rest and quietly experience the former rulers' habitat.
Scenic strips —
Quads, paved strips, pavilions and scenic waterways offer places to rest and quietly experience the former rulers' habitat.
Elaine Yu/CNN
The complex of buildings and sculpted landscapes cover 120,000 square meters, with around 90,000 square meters now open to the public.
90,000 square meters to explore —
The complex of buildings and sculpted landscapes cover 120,000 square meters, with around 90,000 square meters now open to the public.
Elaine Yu/CNN
The courtyard outside Sun Yat-sen's bedroom, pictured here, is beautiful but understated. November 12, 2016 was the 150th anniversary of his birth.
Sun's private quarters —
The courtyard outside Sun Yat-sen's bedroom, pictured here, is beautiful but understated. November 12, 2016 was the 150th anniversary of his birth.
Elaine Yu/CNN
Gardens and pavilions from the imperial eras are only steps away from Western-influenced Republican-era architecture.
Mixed styles —
Gardens and pavilions from the imperial eras are only steps away from Western-influenced Republican-era architecture.
Elaine Yu/CNN
In a commercial and nightlife district next to the palace, named after the year the Republic of China was established, major foreign chains like Starbucks and KFC are housed in historic, gray-brick Republican-era buildings.
'1912' district —
In a commercial and nightlife district next to the palace, named after the year the Republic of China was established, major foreign chains like Starbucks and KFC are housed in historic, gray-brick Republican-era buildings.
Elaine Yu/CNN
Bars and nightclubs dot the commercial district next to the palace.
Nightlife —
Bars and nightclubs dot the commercial district next to the palace.
Elaine Yu/CNN
Nanjing's Presidential Palace offers rare insights into China's modern history

Story highlights

Nanjing Presidential Palace showcases ancient city's tumultuous history

Highlights include former living quarters of Sun Yat-sen, Republic of China's first president

Nanjing, China CNN  — 

“This would be a rich person’s residence today,” says Zhou Hong-ling, a 22-year-old recent college graduate from Hubui province.

“It’s beautiful.”

Hong-ling, visiting Nanjing to learn more about the history she studied in high school, is admiring the private quarters of Sun Yat-sen, the first president of the Republic of China and a key player in the toppling of the Qing dynasty in 1912.

It’s a fitting time to visit.

November 12, 2016 was the 150th anniversary of Sun’s birth.

Widely recognized as the father of the nation, his beautiful rooms are just one of many intriguing displays inside the Nanjing Presidential Palace, a 120,000-square-meter museum of modern history made up of buildings and sculpted landscapes.

MORE: Unseen Nanjing: The hidden side of China’s ancient capital

Diverse architectural styles

The palace, which dates back over 600 years, showcases the complex past of China’s ancient capital.

Inside, Western-influenced Republican-era architecture seamlessly rolls into the gilded designs of the Taiping Heavenly Kingdom era and the gardens and pavilions of China’s Imperial eras.

Some of the main attractions are packed with visitors, like the Qing-style atrium, which was built in 1870.

A beautiful 600-meter space, it leads to hallways, courtyards and the Western-style quarters used by the Republic of China’s Nationalist government (1925-1948).

There are more secluded corners deep inside the palace.

Quads, paved strips, pavilions and scenic waterways offer visitors areas to rest and quietly experience the former rulers’ habitat.

MORE: How to explore the other ‘great wall’ of China

Former residents include China’s ‘Heavenly King’

Serene as it appears now, the palace has experienced its share of tumult and reconstruction.

The front gate was destroyed by rebels during the Taiping Rebellion in the mid-1800s, then restored during the Republican years in 1929.

The palace was later occupied by the People’s Liberation Army in 1949. It housed provincial office units until 2000.

Its overall modest atmosphere is in striking contrast to the extravagance of Taiping Rebellion (1850-1864) leader Hong Xiuquan’s quarters, where gilded temples and dragon themes abound.

The self-dubbed “Heavenly King” liked to read and spent a lot of time in his study, which was reconstructed in 2003, a tour guide explains.

Meeting rooms for Chinese and foreign leaders, private offices for figures such as Republican political leader Chiang Kai-shek and Sun Yat-sen’s nap room have all been preserved and restored for the public to view.

MORE: Nanjing’s Porcelain Tower: Ancient ‘world wonder’ brought back to life

’1912’

Outside the gates of the Presidential Palace, vendors sell pins bearing the white sun of the Republic of China flag – a rare public embrace for the country’s former symbol, which today appears on the flag of Taiwan.

The surrounding neighborhood next to the palace also adds a curious flavor to the city.

Called 1912 – the year the Republic of China was established – this commercial and nightlife district aims to emulate Shanghai’s Xintiandi or Hong Kong’s Lan Kwai Fong zones.

Major foreign chains like Starbucks and KFC have set up shop in historic, brick Republican-era buildings.

Korean barbecue and pseudo-Italian restaurants advertising pizza and pasta share another building.

There are also a number of nightclubs with dizzying light displays on their fa?ades.

Some Chinese restaurants hang a large portrait of Sun at the entrance – another reminder that the historic figure is a proud face of the area.

MORE: 8 must-eats in Nanjing

Getting there

Nanjing Presidential Palace is located at 292 Changjiang Road in the Xuanwu District of Nanjing. Nanjing, the provincial capital of Jiangsu, is less than two hours by train from Shanghai.