hkskyline's 2012 in NANJING

[hkskyline]

Having enjoyed wonderful weather in Shanghai during the week, payback time came during the weekend with clouds and rain. Struggling to find a dry place to visit so the whole weekend would not be a write-off, my only option was to head west. Nanjing was only about an hour away from Shanghai by high-speed train, and sun was forecasted to peek out during the day while the rest of the Yangtze River Delta would continue to rain. 135 yuan later, I was all set for the 300km day trip!

The Presidential Palace dates from the Taiping Rebellion during the Qing Dynasty. The facility was used as the presidential ofices by the republic government after the Qing was overthrown. While the architecture is fairly basic, it has historic significance as this is probably the only place in mainland China where the Nationalist colours and logos are freely on display.













The palace is roughly divided into 3 vertical axes, with this section being the central axis.



The interior decorations have been kept to resemble the early days of Nationalist China, including the portrait of Dr. Sun Yat-sen on the wall.



Historic relics are on display in the various buildings that make up the palace.





















This is a bond that was issued to help with the war effort. The coupons below would be exchangeable for money.































The architecture is nothing interesting, but the artifacts and exhibits more than compensate.



The government offices in those days were quite spacious.







Nanjing's first elevator was installed in this building.





































Dr. Sun Yat-sen is the founding father of modern China, leading the rebellion against the imperial Qing dynasty. Being such a famous person, I was not surprised to find his face on a number of products.







The Taiping rebellion in the mid-19th century highlighted instability within the Qing dynasty. The rebellion was organized by Christian rebels, who believed their leader was chosen by God to replace the corrupt Qing. They took control of Nanjing and redecorated the palace.







For a Christian rebellion, this doesn't look anything like it.



















Leaving the Taiping times, there are more modern buildings with restored rooms.











The guards' room.





The full set : http://www.globalphotos.org/nanjing.htm