Purple Mountain Observatory

In the early 20th century, a Chinese meteorologist vowed that the people of the nation would build an observatory which its technology could match of those in the Western countries in the near future, and his dream became a reality in a couple of decades later. The observatory was successfully built in 1928 in the city of Nanjing and called the Zijinshan (Purple Mountain) Observatory. The official name of it is the Purple Mountain Observatory of the Chinese Academy of Sciences, situates at the third peak of scenic Zijinshan Mountain on the eastern outskirts of Nanjing, the capital of Jiangsu Province. It stands 267m above the sea level at longitude 118E and latitude 32N.

The original name of the Purple Mountain Observatory was the Meteorological Research Center of the National Academy. In September 1934 the present name was used. The Purple Mountain Observatory is the first modern astronomical observatory in China, it has a catadioptric telescope, solar telescope and many satellite facilities. The Purple Mountain Observatory is a cradle of modern astronomical and meteorological research in China, where many astronomical research organizations in the country came out from here. In addition to its meteorological purposes, today the Purple Mountain Observatory is an ideal sightseeing spot in Nanjing too.

The architecture of the observatory's gate is of grand, old Chinese style. The big, tall tablet-like doorway is decorated with cyan-colored glazes at the top. Below the glazes, the three large Chinese characters "Tian Wen Tai" (the observatory) are engraved on it. The majestic doorway is a great scene that is aptly integrated with the magnificent landscape of the Zijinshan Mountain.