Zhongshan Pier

Zhongshan Pier

Located at the intersection of Zhongshan North Road, it is a ferry terminal for crossing the river. In the 18th year of the Republic of China (1929), to welcome the coffin of Dr. Sun Yat-sen from Beiping to Nanjing for burial, the Nationalist Government built Zhongshan Pier at the intersection of Zhongshan North Road in Xiaguan. On May 28 of that year, Dr. Sun Yat-sen’s coffin was ferried across the Yangtze River from Pukou Pier to Zhongshan Pier via the warship Weisheng, and then transported along Zhongshan Avenue to be buried in the Sun Yat-sen Mausoleum. Thereafter, Zhongshan Pier was reserved exclusively for official vessels. To preserve this historically significant pier, the Nanjing Municipal Government relocated the Xiaguan–Pukou ferry route from Chengtou to Zhongshan Pier. In December 1933 (the 22nd year of the Republic of China), Zhongshan Pier was expanded and completed in the spring of 1935 (the 24th year), officially launching ferry services in March 1936 (the 25th year) under the name Capital Ferry Terminal. It was soon renamed back to Zhongshan Pier to avoid confusion with the Railway Ferry (Capital Railway Ferry). During the Japanese occupation of Nanjing, Zhongshan Pier was taken over by the invading Japanese navy and renamed Anzhai Pier, while the ferry operations were moved to Xiaguan. After the victory of the Anti-Japanese War, Zhongshan Pier resumed its original name and ferry services.

After the liberation, Zhongshan Pier was the only ferry route between Xiaguan and Pukou, operating 62–70 trips daily, transporting over 30,000 passengers per day, along with routes to Liujiiu Liugeng from Zhongshan Pier and to Yanziji. After the opening of the Nanjing Yangtze River Bridge, the service frequency was reduced to one trip per hour, with a daily passenger volume of around 10,000. After 1978, with Nanjing’s economic development and the growth of Pukou, the daily passenger volume increased to over 40,000. In addition to the Xiaguan–Pukou route, irregular sightseeing ferry routes such as Zhongshan Pier to Caishi Ji were also established.

In 1990, the Zhongshan Pier waiting hall, which had been in use for over 50 years, underwent expansion and was completed on December 29 of that year. A three-story waiting hall with a mountain-shaped design was built, covering a floor area of 3,040 square meters, and other ferry facilities were also renovated or newly constructed. On May 9, 1992, the new waiting hall was officially put into use. The current waiting hall displays photographic materials documenting the state funeral of Dr. Sun Yat-sen and the construction history of Zhongshan Pier.