ARTS / CULTURE & LEISURE
Sun Yat-sen Mausoleum combines Eastern, Western elements from century ago
Aiming for World Cultural Heritage status
Published: Jan 22, 2025 11:52 PM
Photo: VCG

Photo: VCG

The Mausoleum of Sun Yat-sen, a prominent pioneer of China's democratic revolution, along with its associated structures in Nanjing, East China's Jiangsu Province, has been added to China's tentative list for World Cultural Heritage status. In light of this inclusion, a series of preparatory efforts for the World Cultural Heritage application have been initiated, the management office of the mausoleum scenic area confirmed with the Global Times on Wednesday. 

In the list that was recently updated by the National Cultural Heritage Administration, the mausoleum and its affiliated buildings are referred to as "representative works of the pioneers in modern Chinese architecture."

"The move means a lot for understanding and protecting the value of modern Chinese architecture," Liu Zheng, a member of the China Cultural Relics Academy, told the Global Times on Wednesday.

Liu noted that the mausoleum has three significant aspects: Firstly, the person buried here was important. Sun was a great revolutionary pioneer in China's modern history, and his legacy holds significance for strengthening cross-Straits identity. Secondly, the designer Lu Yanzhi was a renowned architect in modern China, and the mausoleum is one of his masterpieces. Thirdly, in the 1920s and 1930s, a trend emerged in Chinese architecture that combined Eastern and Western elements while showcasing unique national characteristics. The mausoleum is a representative work of this style.

As 2025 marks the 100th year since Sun's death, conservation and restoration projects for architecture, including the Hall of Offering Sacrifices and the Hall of Classics Storage, have begun to be carried out as part of preparations for application of World Cultural Heritage status.

According to the management department, the renovation of the Hall of Offering Sacrifices at Sun's mausoleum has been completed. The centerpiece of the mausoleum, the hall leads to a chamber behind it where Sun's coffin is laid to rest. However, decades of nature's erosion has caused parts of the hall's structure to deteriorate, with problems such as water seepage, roof leaks, and inadequate drainage.

The purpose of this restoration is to address the long-standing issue of water leaks in the roof of the Hall of Offering Sacrifices, ensuring the safety of the cultural heritage site. During the initial design phase, it was not possible to extensively open the roof tiles for a precise diagnosis. Therefore, after the project commenced, the restoration team conducted a second inspection of the roof and implemented "research-based restoration." This approach involved exploring, studying, experimenting, and verification to determine the causes of the leaks, ultimately leading to a detailed construction plan. 

Additionally, during this restoration, a previously uncovered artificial stone wall was rediscovered and restored. For the damaged sections of this wall, thorough repairs were made using original materials and techniques in accordance with historical records.

In order to avoid impacting the visitations by tourists and residents, the scenic area management department came up with measures to ensure that the hall remained open to the public during the restoration work while ensuring construction safety and progress. To compensate for the disappointment of visitors who could not see the hall, a "wind-resistant fabric with a high-definition printed image of the hall" was used, covering an area of around 1,300 square meters to closely replicate the original appearance of the sacrificial hall. During the restoration period, the number of visitors actually increased rather than decreased.

In the next steps, the historical and cultural connotations as well as more heritage will be further explored in line with the criteria for World Heritage Site designation. At the same time, throughout the important milestone that is 2025, a series of events such as academic forums will be conducted to lay a solid foundation for the ongoing efforts in the application for World Cultural Heritage status.

Besides the mausoleum, some cultural ruins of great significance were also newly included in the tentative list of World Cultural Heritage, launching their journey to world status.