1Highlights
Sun Yat-sen Mausoleum is the tomb of the man both the mainland and Taiwan, China regard as the founding figure of the modern Chinese republic, and it is built to be read as a single gesture: a 392-step granite stair climbing a forested slope of Purple Mountain, from the Boai Archway at the bottom to the memorial hall at the top, rising about 70 metres over 700 metres of ground. The step count is deliberate — one for every ten million people in China at the time it was designed. Looking up you see only steps; looking back down you see only landings, which is the architectural trick the whole thing is built around. Admission is free, but this is the single most mis-planned site in Nanjing: you need a booked slot, the mausoleum closes on Mondays, and the burial chamber opens only Tuesday to Friday — not at weekends, whatever older guides imply.
- Admission
- Free, booking required
- Booking
- 7 days ahead, 16:00 release
- Opening hours
- 8:30–17:00, last entry 16:00
- Steps
- 392
- Closed
- Mondays
- Burial chamber
- Tuesday to Friday only
2Tickets
Entry costs nothing, which is exactly why people underestimate it. There is no ticket counter and no walk-in — a real-name reservation is mandatory, slots are released seven days ahead at 16:00 through the scenic area's official channels, and they go quickly in peak season. Two further rules decide which day you should come, and between them they rule out three days of the week for anyone who wants to see inside.
| Mausoleum grounds | Free, with a booked slot | Real-name booking only. No counter sales — turning up without a slot means not getting in. |
|---|---|---|
| Burial chamber (behind the memorial hall) | Included, Tuesday to Friday | Closed Saturday, Sunday and Monday, and closed entirely during some holiday periods. |
| Scenic-area shuttle | ¥10 single, ¥30 all-day | The scenic area covers some 31 km²; the all-day pass is the sensible buy if you are also doing Ming Xiaoling. |
| Nearby paid sites (for budgeting) | Music Stage ¥10, Meiling Palace ¥30, Linggu ¥35 | All four sit inside the ¥100 Zhongshan combined ticket along with Ming Xiaoling. The mausoleum itself is not part of it — it is free. |
The burial chamber is not a Monday problem — it is a weekend problem too：Most English guides say the chamber is 'closed Mondays', which leaves readers assuming Saturday works. It does not. The chamber opens Tuesday to Friday, and during several 2026 holiday periods the scenic area published notices closing it entirely. If seeing inside matters to you, come midweek and check the official notice that morning.
The whole mausoleum closes on Mondays：Not just the chamber — the area above the 'Tianxia Weigong' gate shuts for maintenance on Mondays, with public holidays and the anniversaries of Sun Yat-sen's birth and death as the exceptions.
Book before you book the train：Slots open seven days ahead at 16:00 and peak-season releases clear fast. Because the site is free, there is no paid fallback — if the slot has gone, the day has gone.
3Getting There
The mausoleum sits inside the Purple Mountain scenic area, which is large enough that how you move around inside it matters as much as how you get there.
Exit 1 brings you out on the plane-tree avenue. About 20 minutes on foot to the archway, or take the shuttle.
The closer station to the mausoleum entrance — roughly a 5-minute walk from Exit 2.
Links the mausoleum, Ming Xiaoling, Linggu and Meiling Palace. Buy on board or at any stop — the ticket windows do not sell shuttle tickets.
Downtown to the scenic area in about 20 minutes. Parking inside requires its own advance booking, so this beats driving.
Buy the all-day shuttle pass if you are doing two sites：At ¥10 a ride, a mausoleum-to-Ming-Xiaoling-to-metro day costs the same as the ¥30 all-day pass without the flexibility. The scenic area is roughly 31 km²; walking between the main sites is further than the map suggests.
Driving needs a booked parking space：Parking inside the scenic area is reservation-controlled and tight at weekends and holidays. Taking Line 2 removes the problem.
4Route & Photos
Two to three hours including the climb. The single decision that improves the visit most is arriving at opening rather than mid-morning.
Recommended Route
- 1
Boai Archway, at 8:30
The entrance arch carries Sun Yat-sen's own calligraphy. Arriving at opening buys you the stairway almost to yourself; by 10:00 it is shoulder to shoulder.
- 2
The avenue and the gate
A long planted approach, then the gate inscribed 'Tianxia Weigong' — the world belongs to all.
- 3
The stele pavilion, then the 392 steps
Take the climb in sections. There are ten landings built in, and they exist precisely so you stop at them.
- 4
The memorial hall
A seated marble figure under the dome, with the text of the Fundamentals of National Reconstruction carved on the walls. Photography is not permitted inside.
- 5
The burial chamber — Tuesday to Friday
Behind the hall, and the part most visitors miss by coming at the weekend. Check the day's notice before you climb.
- 6
Look back, then shuttle to Ming Xiaoling
The view down the stair over the forest is the reason to turn round. Then take the shuttle — the two tombs belong in the same day.
Best Photo Spots
Looking down from the memorial hall terrace
The full flight of steps falling away into forest, with the city beyond. The classic frame, and best in morning light.
Up the stair from the stele pavilion
Wide angle from the bottom turns the stair into a single unbroken climb — the effect the designers intended.
The plane-tree avenue from Muxuyuan
Free, outside the booking system, and in late autumn the best photograph of the day is often here rather than at the top.
5Food & Stay
| Inside the scenic areaLight meals, tea houses | ¥40–80 per person | Thin choice and scenic-area pricing. Fine for a drink, not worth planning a meal around. |
|---|---|---|
| Muxuyuan and XiamafangDuck blood and vermicelli soup, salted duck | ¥25–60 per person | Right by the metro exits and priced like a normal neighbourhood, not a scenic area. |
Nanjing duck is not Beijing duck：The local version is cold-served and subtle — salted duck, duck blood and vermicelli soup, duck-oil pastry. A bowl of the soup runs about ¥15–30 and is the thing to eat coming down the hill.
Where to Stay
- Xinjiekou: Metro Line 2 runs straight to the scenic area, and it is the city's commercial centre with the widest hotel choice. Roughly ¥300–600 a night.
6Tips & Pitfalls
- Book the slot seven days out at 16:00. There is no paid alternative and no walk-in — this is the one booking in Nanjing you cannot improvise around.
- Come Tuesday to Friday if the burial chamber matters. Monday closes the whole site; weekends close the chamber.
- Arrive at 8:30. By mid-morning the stair is crowded enough that the architectural effect is lost entirely.
- Wear proper shoes. 392 steps up is only half of it — the walk between scenic-area sites adds a few kilometres.
- Pair it with Ming Xiaoling on the same day. They are a shuttle ride apart and splitting them across two days wastes hours in transit.
7Frequently Asked Questions
Is Sun Yat-sen Mausoleum free?
Yes, admission is free — but a real-name reservation is mandatory and there is no walk-in or counter sale. Slots are released seven days ahead at 16:00 through the scenic area's official channels and sell out in peak season.
Is the burial chamber open at weekends?
No. The burial chamber opens Tuesday to Friday only — not Saturday, Sunday or Monday. Guides that describe it as merely 'closed Mondays' are wrong, and it is the most common wasted journey here. During some holiday periods the chamber is closed entirely, so check the official notice on the day.
What are the opening hours?
8:30 to 17:00, with last entry at 16:00. The area above the gate closes on Mondays for maintenance, with public holidays and the anniversaries of Sun Yat-sen's birth and death as exceptions.
How many steps are there?
392, with ten landings built in. The number was chosen to represent China's population at the time of design — one step per ten million people. The rise is about 70 metres over 700 metres of ground.
How do I get to Sun Yat-sen Mausoleum?
Metro Line 2 to Xiamafang (Exit 2, about 5 minutes' walk) or Muxuyuan (Exit 1, about 20 minutes on foot or take the shuttle). Inside the scenic area the shuttle costs ¥10 a ride or ¥30 for an all-day pass.
Can I do Sun Yat-sen Mausoleum and Ming Xiaoling in one day?
Yes, and you should — they sit in the same scenic area linked by shuttle. Note the mausoleum is free but needs a slot, while Ming Xiaoling is ¥70 or sits inside the ¥100 Zhongshan combined ticket. Two separate booking systems, one day.
Combine With
Other Nanjing sights that genuinely pair well with this one
Ming Xiaoling Mausoleum
A shuttle ride away in the same scenic area, and the two tombs belong in one day — 1920s republic and 14th-century empire on the same hillside.
Nanjing Museum
Just inside Zhongshan Gate on the way back to town, though its booking is a separate scramble — plan them on different days.
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Our team of China travel researchers combines on-the-ground contributor insights, official government sources, and traveler community feedback to create the most detailed English-language China guides available. Every guide is fact-checked against primary sources (NIA, 12367, official attraction websites, Railway 12306) before publication.