Sun Palace

Sun Palace

Sun Palace is a cultural heritage site protected by Nanjing Municipality.

Sun Palace is located in Jianye District, Nanjing, behind the Nanjing Public Security College. It was jointly built in the early Qing Dynasty by timber merchants from Hunan and Hubei provinces to pray for protection from the fire god and avoid disasters. Originally covering nearly 100 acres (about 7 hectares), the main hall faced west with its entrance to the east, featuring sun-shaped windows regarded as divine symbols—when sunlight shone through the windows onto the incense burner, it was believed to signify the presence of the “deity.” The hall was surrounded by corridors, with 12 stone pillars along the front corridor and 10 along the back corridor. There were also pavilions on either side of the front of the hall. During the Taiping Rebellion, the timber trade declined, but worship at Sun Palace continued unabated. Later, a fire destroyed most of the structure. Although it was rebuilt, the scale was far smaller than before. In 1944, another fire struck, leaving only three halls and two pavilions remaining today. It is now a cultural heritage site protected at the Yuhuatai District level.

In the late Ming and early Qing Dynasties, Shangxinhe Town in Nanjing was an important hub for timber distribution. Timber merchants from Anhui, Jiangxi, Hunan, Guangxi, and other regions gathered here. By the Qing Dynasty, the timber market in Shangxinhe reached its peak. Because timber is highly flammable, the merchants collectively funded the construction of Sun Palace to pray for the blessing and protection of the fire god (also regarded as the sun god). After the liberation, the site was converted into a factory, and faint slogans from the Cultural Revolution can still be seen on the walls today.

Sun Palace is a cultural heritage site protected by Nanjing Municipality.