Former Site of the Supreme Court of the Nationalist Government

Former Site of the Supreme Court of the Nationalist Government

The former site of the Supreme Court of the Nationalist Government is a National Key Cultural Relics Protection Unit.

The former Supreme Court of the Nationalist Government was located at No. 101–103 Zhongshan North Road in Nanjing.

The building faces east and was designed by renowned architect Guo Yangmo. Construction began in July 1932 and was completed in May 1933. The entire compound covers an area of 18,923 square meters, with a floor space of 8,300 square meters. It features a Western architectural style, with the main building originally having three floors plus a basement. Recently, to increase office space, the property owner added a white-roofed structure on part of the main building, making the rear section now four stories high. The overall exterior of the building resembles a “balance scale,” while the front has a “mountain” shape, symbolizing the idea of “enforcing the law as firm as a mountain,” as well as representing being “clear as water, bright as a mirror, and fair as a scale.” The main structure is made of reinforced concrete, originally consisting of 276 rooms. The interior features wooden flooring and banisters, and a pool was built in front of the main building, with a central column and lotus-shaped bowl symbolizing that “a bowl of water must be held level.” The front gate is arched, giving the entire layout a solemn and dignified feel. After the liberation, the building was used by various units affiliated with Jiangsu Province. The Supreme Court of the Nationalist Government was established in November 1928 as the highest judicial body of the Nationalist Government, responsible for the first and final trials of major national cases. Its successive presidents included Xu Yuanpei, Lin Xiang, Ju Zheng, Jiao Yitang, Li Guan, Xia Qin, and Xie Yingzhou. Major cases tried here include the final trial of the puppet regime official and major traitor Miao Bin, who served as vice president, as well as the case of Chen Duxiu. During the War of Resistance against Japan, the Supreme Court was relocated to Chongqing along with the Nationalist Government and returned after the war. In 1992, the building was listed as a Nanjing Municipal Cultural Relics Protection Unit; in July 2001, it was further designated as a National Key Cultural Relics Protection Unit.