Presidential Palace



The Presidential Palace in Nanjing, China, housed the Office of the President of the Republic of China
before moving to Taiwan in 1949. It is now a museum, the China Modern History Museum.

Nanjing's Presidential Palace is a beautiful historic site. Nanjing was the capital of China for a long
time, and so of course its seat of power is the location of many historic events.

In 1853, Taiping Revolution forces led by Hong Xiuquan occupied Nanjing. The palace was expanded
and converted into a palace for Hong, the Palace of the Heavenly King, The grounds feature ponds and
gardens, and there are many small shops throughout which sell polished stones, jewelry and
memorabilia.

After the Xinhai Revolution in 1911, Sun Yat-sen was sworn in at the Presidential Palace as the provisional President of the Republic of China.
The buildings were occupied by the Japanese during the Anti-Japanese War. In 1946 the Guomingdang Government returned to Nanjing and the
compound became the Presidential Palace in 1948. On April 23, 1949, the People’s Liberation Army occupied the Presidential Palace, from which
a new age in Chinese history started.

In 1998, based on the former site of Presidential Palace, Nanjing Museum for the Site of Chinese Modern History was prepared to construct and
took a shape in 2003 after five years meticulous planning and painstaking constructing.

This museum covers an area of ninety thousand square meters totally and it is divided three areas. There are
sites of the Nationalist Government and the Presidential Palace in the central area. The office of the Provisional
President, its secretariat, the Department of Staffs and West Garden are located in the west. The site of the
building of Executive Yuan, Stable and East Garden are situated in the east.