NANJINGNOW

First, why is there a Mausoleum for this guy?

1. Sun Yat-sen is the father of modern China. Modern China came about because of the 1911 revolution. The revolution began on Oct 10, 1911 and resulted in the formation of the Republic of China on Feb 12, 1912. The imperial Qing dynasty had fallen from power, and a new republican government now sat in Nanjing, the future of China in its hands.

2. Sadly, Sun passed on not long after, and left the Communist and the Kuomintang to fight a civil war. Notwithstanding, he deserved a Mausoleum for his great work, and so it came to be.

Next, a simple tour of the Mausoleum:

1. Walk up the stairs toward the edifice at the top, and revel at its beauty.

2. While walking, you can stay focused by counting and checking it there really are exactly 392 steps leading up.

3. When you reach the top, look for the tri-arched marble gate that says 天下为共 [tian1xia4wei2gong4], which can be translated as “everything below heaven is for everyone.”

4. Also look for the Three Principles of the People written clearly for all to see: peace, freedom and equality.

5. After that you can proceed to the vault where he lies buried. In the vault, turn your gaze up toward the ceiling and be presented with a tiled version of the Kuomintang flag.

On the bell:

Ah, last of all, and very importantly, there is the architecture of the whole place that you must appreciate. A contest was organized to select a design for the tomb. The winning design envisioned the entire place in the shape of a bell. Here’s a peep at the blueprint, but nothing’s better than seeing it with your very own eyes!

How about a place just as nice, but much less crowded?