In October 1924, Feng Yuxiang invited Dr Sun to Beijing to discuss national affairs. He fell ill on reaching Tianjin and, after arriving in Beijing, was admitted to Peking Union Medical College Hospital on December 31. He was diagnosed with liver cancer and although both Western and Chinese medical treatment was administered Dr Sun passed away on March 12th 1925 at his residence in Tieshizi Alley in Beijing.
On March 19th his coffin was moved from the hospital to Beijing's Central Park for a public memorial service. Records show that from March 24th to April 1st over 740,000 visitors and 1,254 organisations came to pay tribute to him. At the same time memorial services were held all over China and in other countries. On April 2nd Dr Sun’s coffin was moved to Biyun Temple in Xiangshan, Beijing where it stayed until his grand funeral in 1929. In July 1928 when the Northern Warlords had surrendered and China was reunited, the Kuomintang (Nationalist Party) decided to transport Dr Sun's coffin to Nanjing for interment.
Dr Sun had expressed his wish to be buried in Nanjing as early as March 1912 while out hunting on Mount Zijin and he reiterated his wish before he passed away: "After I die, please bury me among the ranges of Mount Zijin in Nanjing. As the Provisional Government was founded in Nanjing, let it be remembered as the home of the 1911 Revolution." The Preparatory Office for the Funeral of Dr Sun Yat-sen was set up to organise his interment and to oversee the construction of the mausoleum. The office selected a location and sought submissions from architects and artists across the globe for a design. Lu Yanzhi, a 33-year-old architect, won the competition with his bell-shaped design.
The Dr Sun Yat-sen Mausoleum was constructed in three phases. Begun in 1926 and completed in late 1931 the entire construction process lasted six years and cost HK$2.2 million. June 1st 1929 was set as the date for the funeral. In order to educate the people of China on the significance of the event the government organised a train to move Dr Sun's coffin from Beijing to Nanjing and to conduct promotional work in places along the route.
On May 26th 1929 Dr Sun's coffin left Biyun Temple reaching Nanjing on May 28. From May 29th to 31st a three-day public vigil was held at the Nationalist Party’s headquarters. At 4am on June 1st Dr Sun's coffin began its journey from the headquarters, passing in front of hundreds of thousands of Nanjing citizens who lined the route to bid farewell to him. The funeral procession reached Mount Zijin at 8am and the hearse arrived at the plaza of the mausoleum at 9.20am. The coffin was placed under a large coffin cover and then lifted up at 9.45am. At 10.08am, the coffin reached the burial platform. The grand funeral ceremony was then held in the sacrificial hall, finishing at noon. Dr Sun had finally been laid to rest according to his wishes on Mount Zijin in Nanjing.
The significance of Dr Sun Yat-sen's grand funeral has rekindled academic interest in recent years. Scholars recognise that the funeral has far-reaching historical implications beyond its function as a ritual. The construction of the Dr Sun Yat-sen Mausoleum, culminating in the grand funeral held on June 1st 1929 is the central focus of discussions, while the mausoleum's siting in Nanjing, its architecture and the funeral rites are all endowed with rich symbolism.
