Site of Whampoa Military Academy

The Site of Whampoa Military Academy is a museum and heritage complex in Huangpu District that spans 57,000 square meters (613,542 square feet) and includes the main building, Sun Yat-sen Memorial Hall, swimming pool, and club facilities. The complex sits on Changzhou Island in the Pearl River and is accessible by ferry or bridge connections.

Sun Yat-sen established this military academy in 1924 as China's first modern military institution to train officers during a period of national transformation. Over 23,000 officers trained here went on to hold key positions in the decades that followed across both major political camps of the country.

The academy buildings combine European architectural elements with Chinese design principles, featuring two-column entrance gates and traditional wooden structures. Visitors today can see classrooms and dormitories that help them understand the daily life of the cadets.

Visitors need advance online reservations to enter the museum, which permits 2000 daily guests and requires valid identification documents. Plan at least two hours to tour the entire grounds, including memorial sites and outdoor areas.

The site contains the Eastern Expedition Memorial Cemetery, where 516 soldiers who died during the 1925 military campaigns are buried. Several academy commanders later switched sides and fought on different fronts during the Chinese Civil War.