Nanjing Botanical Garden, Memorial Sun Yat-Sen, Botanical garden in eastern Xuanwu District, Nanjing, China

Nanjing Botanical Garden, Memorial Sun Yat-Sen covers 186 hectares between Purple Mountain and Qian Lake, beside the Ming city wall. It holds about 3,000 species in 913 genera of 188 families, and ten featured garden sections are open to visitors.

Founded in 1929 as China's first national botanical garden, it was originally named the Botanical Garden Memorial Sun Yat-Sen, honouring the pioneer of the Chinese democratic revolution. In 1954 it was renamed the Nanjing Botanical Garden Mem. Sun Yat-Sen of the Chinese Academy of Sciences, uniting garden and institute. During the Cultural Revolution its research grounds were occupied by other units; a 1974 appeal by staff reached Deng Xiaoping, who ordered the case transferred to the Nanjing Military Region for return of the land if verified. Deng visited the garden on 3 February 1985.

The garden's original name, Botanical Garden Memorial Sun Yat-Sen, honored Sun Yat-sen, pioneer of the Chinese democratic revolution. It stands near his mausoleum, and its Chinese name, Zhongshan Botanical Garden, follows the pinyin spelling of his name. The garden is known as one of the New Forty-Eight Scenes of Jinling.

You can reach the garden by buses 20 and 315 at the main gate or by taking Metro Line 2 to Muxuyuan station. Since the grounds are large, wearing comfortable shoes and allowing plenty of time for exploring makes the visit more enjoyable.

The collection contains about 700,000 dried plant specimens that show researchers how plants once looked and where they grew. This extensive collection expands through worldwide exchanges with hundreds of botanical institutions.