shown on ceramic, 12-inch tilePeople's Republic of China

on Purple Mountain east of Nanjing

Sun Yat-sen Mausoleum

Name: Sun Yat-sen Mausoleum — on ceramic tile, by WenderVista
Brand: WenderVista

— — three hundred and ninety-two steps up the green slope.

— Where it lives

Not only on a wall.

A small tile on the nightstand catching the morning. A larger one above the fire. Yours, wherever you spend the slow hours.

— On the nightstand, a 6-inch on a walnut stand

— Among the books, a 6-inch leaning into the spines

— Down a quiet hall, an 18-inch floating off the wall

— Above the fire, the 24-inch in a walnut surround

— a note from the studio

“The tomb of Sun Yat-sen, founder of the Republic of China, on the southern slope of Purple Mountain east of Nanjing. The complex was built between 1926 and 1929, designed by the young architect Lü Yanzhi as a granite-and-marble bell laid against the hillside. Three hundred and ninety-two stone steps climb from the memorial archway through pines to the mausoleum hall above the trees. From the studio.

from the studio

— bring it home

Sun Yat-sen Mausoleum, on ceramic.

Each tile is finished by hand in our Knoxville studio. Artwork is slowly infused into the ceramic surface under high heat and pressure, and rests beneath a thin glossy finish. The colour lives in the surface, not on top of it.

What kind of piece?

One tile — square or rectangle.

How big?

the popular one — counter, shelf, nightstand

6 × 6 in · 15 cm · 1.6 lb

Surface finish

A clear glossy finish — the artwork reads as if under resin. Ideal for show-pieces and framed wall art.

How it sits

A hidden cleat — sits ¼″ proud of the wall.

$58

Hand-finished and shipped from our studio at the foot of the Smokies. On your wall in about ten days.

— size

6 × 6 in

15 cm

— weighs

1.6 lb

solid in the hand

— surface

ceramic, hand-finished

art rests beneath a thin glossy finish

— from

Knoxville, TN

our family studio, at the foot of the Smokies

— start a Coaster Set

Pick any four 4-inch tiles — National Parks you've been to, a Smokies set, the four seasons of one place. $ for a set of , cork-backed, ready to live on the table.

— about Sun Yat-sen Mausoleum

The place, in three passes.

A little of what's known, in case you fall down the rabbit hole — or want to go see it yourself.

— the place

The Sun Yat-sen Mausoleum sits on the southern foot of Zijin Shan, Purple Mountain, in Xuanwu District east of central Nanjing. The complex covers about eighty thousand square metres on a north-south axis, climbing 158 metres from the entrance archway at the base to the burial chamber at the top. Sun Yat-sen, who died in Beijing in March 1925, was reinterred here on 1 June 1929 after the mausoleum's completion under the Nationalist government, which had restored Nanjing as the Republic's capital two years earlier.

— informed by Wikipedia · Sun Yat-sen Mausoleum

— the stone

Architect Lü Yanzhi, Cornell-trained, won the open design competition in 1925 and shaped the mausoleum as a stylised bell, the Chinese character zhong meaning alarm and awakening — fitting for a man who called himself a wakener of the nation. The roof is laid with blue glazed tiles and the walls faced with Suzhou white granite. Three hundred and ninety-two stone steps span the climb, set across twelve platforms and a final terrace, the number often read as one for each million people in China at the time.

— informed by Wikipedia · Lü Yanzhi

— the visit

The mausoleum is open daily except Mondays, free with timed registration. Lines lengthen from the Nanjing Metro Line 2 stop at Muxuyuan; a shuttle runs from the scenic-area gate up to the Bo'ai archway at the foot of the steps. The climb takes about fifteen minutes at a steady pace. Within a short walk lie the Linggu Temple and pagoda, the Ming Xiaoling Mausoleum, and the Meiling Palace, all within the Zhongshan scenic area on Purple Mountain's southern slope.

— informed by Wikipedia · Zhongshan Scenic Area

— where

People's Republic of China · Nanjing, Jiangsu

— within

Zhongshan Scenic Area

— position

32.0608° N · 118.8528° E

— the neighborhood

What's nearby.

A handful of named places within an hour's walk or short drive. Some we've already painted; some we will.

2 km W

Ming Xiaoling Mausoleum

Ming imperial tomb (UNESCO)

2 km E

Linggu Temple and Pagoda

Buddhist temple and Republican-era pagoda

2 km SW

Meiling Palace

Chiang Kai-shek presidential villa

1 km N

Zijin Shan (Purple Mountain)

forested mountain ridge

Sun Yat-sen Mausoleum

Ming Xiaoling Mausoleum

Linggu Temple and Pagoda

Meiling Palace

Zijin Shan (Purple Mountain)

— common questions

What people ask.

A few questions we get about Sun Yat-sen Mausoleum — and about bringing the piece home.

— about the place

Construction ran from 1926 to 1929. Sun Yat-sen died in Beijing in March 1925 and was reinterred here on 1 June 1929, the day the Nationalist government held the state funeral and procession from the capital.

Three hundred and ninety-two stone steps climb from the Bo'ai archway at the base to the burial hall, set across twelve platforms with a final terrace. The number is often read as China's population in millions at the time.

Lü Yanzhi, a Chinese architect trained at Cornell, won the international design competition in 1925. He oversaw the work but died of liver disease in 1929, weeks before the dedication, at thirty-five.

The blue glazed tiles and white granite reflect the colours of the Kuomintang flag, a white sun on a blue field, rather than the imperial yellow of Ming and Qing tombs. The choice signals a republican break from dynastic tradition.

Take Nanjing Metro Line 2 to Muxuyuan station, then a short walk or shuttle to the scenic-area entrance. From Xinjiekou in the city centre, the trip takes about twenty-five minutes door to door.

— about the piece in your home

Yes. The mausoleum carries weight across the Chinese-speaking world, from mainland families with Nanjing roots to Taiwanese readers of Republican history. A Medium with a studio note settles well in a study.

The cobalt-tile blues and granite whites sit well with Modern Asian, Scholar-Study, and Minimalist Heritage rooms. It pairs with dark teak, pale paper screens, and a single brass lamp.

Yes. Restrained Modern Asian interiors continue to grow in studies, libraries, and tea rooms. A Medium above a reading chair carries the place without competing with calligraphy or scroll work.

A single Large covers most sofas. For a long wall, the 4-tile Mural reads as one composition, and the 9-tile Mural anchors a great-room above a console.

Yes, ordered in Dura Satin or Matte. Both finishes are scratch-resistant and steam-tolerant for backsplashes, shower walls, and powder rooms.

A soft microfibre cloth and water. No abrasive pads or solvents. The colour lives in the surface beneath a thin protective layer.

Yes. Every WenderVista piece is curated by Reid Wender at the studio in Knoxville, Tennessee. Nothing is licensed in or sold through third parties.

— if this one stayed with you