Presidential Palace, Nanjing, China
The Presidential Palace (总统府) in Nanjing was the home of the Office of the President of the Republic of China before Chiang Kai-shek and the Chinese republican government fled to Taiwan in 1949. The palace is known renowned for its blend of imperial, Taiping-era, and Western-influenced Republican architecture.
On January 1, 1912, Dr. Sun Yat-sen took his oath of office here as the provisional president of the Republic of China. The vast site covers roughly 90,000 square meters and contains a wide variety of buildings. Visitors can walk through traditional Chinese gardens (such as the Qing-era Xu Yuan), ornate Taiping-style halls, and Renaissance-style yellow bungalows. Nowadays, the palace complex functions as a comprehensive museum showcasing 20th-century Chinese history. Visitors can view preserved presidential offices, historical artifacts, documents, and rare historical photography.