Abstract:As the capital of the Republic of China, the construction and planning activities of modern parks in Nanjing were active. By carefully studying the first-hand historical materials and archives, the research reveals the overall process of modern parks’construction and planning, and summarizes five typical characteristics of the development of modern parks in Nanjing, which include conforming to the development direction of the city, taking advantage of the natural landscapes, utilizing the historical sites, beautifying the city appearance, and providing daily rest and entertainment places for the citizens. The above five characteristics reflect the internal driving force of the development of modern parks in Nanjing. In the initial stages, the construction and planning of modern parks was promoted by those in power from top to down and mainly influenced by political factors. Later, more attention to the needs of the citizens from the bottom to up was paid. The factors such as social and cultural ones were considered more. These changes determined the basic attributes of the parks, such as scale, spatial layout, function, and configuration of facilities.