The Museum of the Former Residence of Sun Yat-sen — Attraction in Zhongshan

No trip to Zhongshan, China is complete without a visit here. Born in this village in 1866, Sun Yat-sen went on to head the movement that overthrew the last remnants of the Qing dynasty in 1912. Visitors can gaze at the library that educated this future revolutionary, the kitchen that fed him, and the bed that cradled him. The Museum of Dr. Sun Yat-sen, consisting of the Former Residence of Dr. Sun Yat-sen, Sun Yat-sen Memorial Hall, Cuiheng Folk House Exhibition and the Cuiheng Farming Exhibition, is a national protected cultural site to commemorate Dr. Sun Yat-sen (November 12, 1866 – March 12, 1925), a Chinese revolutionary and political leader often referred to as the Father of Modern China. Sun played an instrumental role in the eventual collapse of the Qing Dynasty in 1911. He was the first provisional president when the Republic of China (ROC) was founded in 1912 and later co-founded the Kuomintang (KMT) where he served as its first leader. Sun was a uniting figure in post-Imperial China, and remains unique among 20th-century Chinese politicians for being widely revered in both Mainland China and in Taiwan. The museum is situated in Cuiheng Village, where Dr. Sun spent his childhood and part of his youth. Seated against the hills and close to the sea. Due to Dr. Sun’s great reputation, the museum has become a pilgrimage site in the hearts of people who admire him all over the world. The Former Residence of Dr. Sun Yat-sen is a distinctive two-storey building. Dr. Sun designed the building himself in 1892 and took charge of the construction. It possesses a Chinese style interior and a western style exterior. Dr. Sun lived here from 1892 to 1895, when he practiced medicine and engaged in revolutionary activities in the Pearl River Delta. He also stayed here for three days after he resigned from the presidency. As a result, there are many legacies about Dr. Sun’s childhood, his family, and his early education.

On the first floor displays “Dr. Sun Yat-sen’s Life and His Accomplishments”, providing a detailed and systematic introduction to Dr. Sun Yat-sen’s life story, deeds, personality, thought and theory and revolutionary activities under his leadership. The display is both academic and popular, paying a tribute to Dr. Sun’s great achievement in leading the people to overthrow the monarchy and establish the Republic of China. The display also introduces the main adherents to Dr. Sun’s revolutionary career. On the second floor is the exhibition of “Dr. Sun Yat-sen’s Relatives and Descendants”, reflecting their great support and contribution to the revolution and their sacrifice for the revolution led by Dr. Sun. The second floor also has rooms for temporary exhibitions. Picture taking is prohibited inside the main building. Entrance is free, but there was long line- ups to get in, up to 30 minutes. Also the number of visitors allowed at one time to get into the main building (his former residence) was limited, so you need to...

Dr. Sun Yat Sen was a revolutionary ahead of his time: democracy activist, world traveler, and educated man. He is still well-known among Chinese the world over. His activities and life took him from China, to Honolulu for education, to the United States for a speaking tour, and also to Hong Kong and Macau.

This museum is made of two parts: old folk structures from his youth and a modern building showing his community organizing during adulthood. Inside the folk houses: I learned that beds during his time didn't have mattresses or pillows-- one slept on a hard wooden bed with the head supported by a wooden or jade frame not much bigger than a chopstick holder. One of my favorite exhibits though was the bridal suite: two mannequins representing a newlywed husband and wife in red, and a sedan chair. There are also several display cases with models of what traditional Chinese feasts looked like, including winter festival, Ching Ming, wedding party, and Chinese New Year.

Inside the exhibition building: photographs, newspapers, statues, and literature from Dr. Sun's activist years. A museum shop sold trinkets like pens andbkeychains; I bought a little flashlight using button batteries. I was disappointed to see the books were only in Chinese as I wanted to buy an English biography or memoir...

Situated In Cuiheng Village, Zhongshan City, Guangdong Province, it is a memorial museum with the former residence of Dr. Sun Yat-sen (1866-1925) as the mainstay. A national AAAA tourist attraction, the museum was constructed in 1956, with an area of about 70,000 sqm, ti is composed of two exhibition halls – “Exhibition of Sun Yat -sen’s Life and Great Deeds” and “Exhibition of the Family Members and Descendants of Sun yat -sen”, in addition to the “Display Zone of Civilian Residences” and “Display zone of Agriculture”. In the surrounding areas of the museum, there are some important historical sites, such as the Feng’s Clan Shrine, Orchid Stream and the Ruijie Changgeng Memorial Arch-way where Sun Yat-sen once tried out dynamites.(copied from Google) I have been there 15/16 years ago. Below posted picture shows it. I am standing on the front gate of memorial hall. It was great...