One of Nanjing's top attraction, the Presidential Palace, is only a short walk from our hotel.
1. On the way walking to the Presidential Palace in the morning, we saw people cleaning windows of a skyscraper by hanging on some ropes. They were probably 20 - 25 floors above the ground, and it was raining at the time.
2. The Presidential Palace. It has a much longer history than I thought. The site was the location of some kind of palace starting in the Ming Dynasty. In 1853, Taiping Revolution forces occupied Nanjing. The place was expanded and converted into a palace for Hong Xiuquan, who claimed to be the Heavenly King. In 1912, Sun Yat-sen was sworn in here as the provisional President of the Republic of China. Later, it was the Headquarters of the Nationalist Government before 1949.
3. Inside the Presidential Palace.
4. Chiang Kai-shek's office.
5. Meeting room, where the tables were arranged like the Chinese character "山" (meaning mountain). Chiang Kai-shek used to sit in the base of the "山" (at the far end of the middle table), suggesting stable control of power.
6. Chinese style entryway: two chairs placed on the left and right sides of a square table, an altar table placed behind. A dui lian, vertical written couplet, and a painting of some sort, are hanging above the altar table.
7. Old style room divider.
(To be continued)
