Near the north gate of Xiangshan Park is the Temple of Azure Clouds, built during the Yuan Dynasty (1271 to 1368). At the centre is the Sun Yat-sen Memorial Hall, the Five Hundred Arhats Hall and the Vajra Throne Tower. Inside the Sun Yat-sen Memorial Hall is an empty coffin (the body is elsewhere) given by the USSR in 1925 in memory of Sun Yat-sen. The Five Hundred Arhats Hall has nine rooms and a pavilion. The Vajra Throne Tower is a tall tower.
The Temple of the Azure Clouds was built on six different levels, and each of the interconnecting courtyards has a special character. The most famous buildings inside the temple, however, are the Sun Yat-sen Memorial Hall, the Five Hundred Arhats Hall and the Vajra Throne Tower.
A stone-paved road leads from the front gate of Xiangshan (Fragrant Hills) Park directly to the entrance gate of the temple. The gate of Azure Clouds which is faced by the stone lions is called the Mountain Gate. A brook runs outside the temple and passes before the gate of the park. The buildings in the fourth courtyard consist of the Rear Hall and its auxiliary halls, all of which are laid out in an orderly and harmonious manner. This complex now serves as the Sun Yat-sen Memorial Hall.
There is a red wooden plaque hanging above the front gate of the Sun Yat-sen Memorial Hall, the words on the plaque which is engraved in gold was written by his wife, Song Qingling. Inside this hall lies an empty crystal coffin presented by the USSR government in 1925 in memory of Sun Yat-sen, because his body had already been buried elsewhere, the coffin was left here till now. Photos of Sun Yat-sen, his handwriting, his books and his statue are also on display inside this hall. Behind this is a stone memorial archway, which leads to the Diamond Throne Pagoda.
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