Nanjing, China

          My first night in Shanghai was only a pit stop before heading out on an overnight excursion the next day to visit the Sun Yatsen Mausoleum in Nanjing a few hours to the north.  Joining a rush of commuters I set out for the short train trip to Nanjing early in the morning and had no difficulty in finding a hotel straight away.  I quickly set out on foot to find the mausoleum, only to discover that Nanjing is another huge city in China.

          I try to walk as much as I can when I’m traveling, but after encountering several people along the way who said it was not possible to walk to the monument, I finally gave in and decided to take the bus.  Figuring out which bus to take would be a challenge.  Not wanting to waste any time, I decided to go into a bank and ask directions.  An attractive young lady who worked there gave me directions in English and then literally took me by the hand and led me outside and down the large boulevard for nearly a block to a bus stop.  There she pointed to a line on a sign with a confusing list of entries in Chinese characters, indicating the bus I should take.  After thanking her I waited in a large crowd hoping I would know when my bus arrived.  I needn’t have worried, because when it did arrive a woman in the crowd reached out and motioned for me that this was the bus I wanted.  She had evidently heard the bank lady give me directions and was kind enough to point out the correct bus for me.  Amazing people!

The Sun Yatsen Mausoleum

          The Sun Yatsen Mausolum is set near the top of Zijin Mountain at the eastern side of Nanjing.  The 392 steps to the top where the crypt is located were a good workout, but it was well worth the climb.  There were crowds of people making the pilgrimage and it seemed to me almost more than those visiting Mao in Beijing.  The crypt is located in the center of a huge rotunda and a continuous line of visitors wound solemnly and reverently around it.  Emerging from the rotunda you get a beautiful view looking down from the mountain and are reminded of just how far you climbed to get there.  Nearby were many interesting displays and photographs chronicling the history of modern China and Dr. Sun’s role in shaping it.  The Ming Xiaoling Scenic Area which surrounds the mausoleum is a large park like area with many other sights to see, including temples and pagodas.  All in all it was definitely worth the side trip to Nanjing to see this interesting spot.