Former Residence of Dr. Sun Yat-sen Memorial Hall (Sun Yat-sen Relics Museum)

Former Residence of Dr. Sun Yat-sen Memorial Hall (Sun Yat-sen Relics Museum)

The Former Residence of Dr. Sun Yat-sen Memorial Hall (Sun Yat-sen Relics Museum) is a National AA-level Tourist Attraction, a Major Historical and Cultural Site Protected at the National Level, and a Patriotic Education Base.

On January 1, 1912, Sun Yat-sen took the oath of office as the provisional President of the Republic of China. Later, due to pressure from imperialism and compromising forces within and outside the revolutionary camp, he was forced to resign. In 1917, Sun Yat-sen organized the Constitutional Protection Military Government in Guangzhou, was elected Grand Marshal, and pledged to launch the Northern Expedition. But the following year, constrained by the Guangxi Clique and the Political Science Clique, he was again forced to step down. He then came to Shanghai with his wife Soong Ching-ling to continue revolutionary activities.

At that time, Sun Yat-sen was politically isolated and financially strapped. One day, four overseas Chinese who had returned from Canada visited Sun Yat-sen at his temporary residence at 63 Huánlóng Road (now 59 Nánchāng Road). Seeing that the house was old and dilapidated, they felt it did not befit someone engaged in such momentous work. The four immediately decided to take out part of the funds they had pooled together to start a cosmetics factory and buy a decent house for Sun Yat-sen. Sun Yat-sen waved his hands in refusal, but after repeated persuasion, he finally agreed to accept the gift. In January 1920, Sun Yat-sen moved into his new home at 29 Molière Road (now 7 Xiangshan Road). He and his wife lived here for five years, the longest period he resided in Shanghai.

The residence consists of a main building and an auxiliary building, both made of brick, wood, and concrete, and situated next to each other. The environment is quiet and serene. In front of the buildings lies a square lawn, surrounded on the east, west, and south sides by magnolia, holly, camphor, pine, and other evergreen trees. The downstairs has a living room and dining room, while the upstairs contains a study, bedrooms, a medium-sized reception room, and a large indoor balcony. The interior furnishings have been arranged according to the recollections of Soong Ching-ling during her lifetime, and most of the items are originals. The layout is compact and rational, reflecting the refined taste of its occupants.

In the center of the living room sits a set of sofas used by Sun Yat-sen himself. On the wall hangs a portrait of Sun Yat-sen taken during his tenure as provisional president. The photo is mounted in a large frame assembled from wooden blocks in red, yellow, blue, white, and black, making it particularly eye-catching. These five colors represent the Five-Colored Flag of the time, symbolizing the harmony among the Han, Mongol, Manchu, Hui, and Tibetan peoples. The corners of the frame are engraved with identical floral patterns, each consisting of 18 stars, representing the 18 provinces and municipalities that responded to the 1911 Revolution. Around the photo, a colorful ribbon is arranged in the shape of a bell, symbolizing Sun Yat-sen’s desire to use the sound of revolution to awaken the Chinese people. On the side wall of the living room hangs a photo of Sun Yat-sen taken on the first anniversary of the Yongfeng Incident. This warship was later renamed the “Zhongshan Ship.” On May 16, 1922, when warlord Chen Jiongming rebelled and shelled the ship, Sun Yat-sen braved gunfire to board it and held out for over 40 days.

The dining room is connected to the living room. It features a round redwood table and chairs in the Cantonese style. A photo hangs on the wall showing Sun Yat-sen and Soong Ching-ling inspecting an airfield in Guangzhou, posing in front of China’s first self-assembled airplane, which was later named Rosamonde after Soong Ching-ling’s English name. Displayed in the dining room is a ceremonial sword gifted by Japanese friend Hisakichi Kuhara, a family heirloom that Sun Yat-sen used during the 1917 Northern Expedition. Among the exhibits are silver shields and cups presented by military and political figures and local residents during Sun Yat-sen’s 1924 northern tour.

The second floor houses a study, bedroom, and small reception room. In the center of the study stands a plain desk, where Sun Yat-sen’s writing implements are displayed. The walls are adorned with 12 maps often referred to by Sun Yat-sen, some of which he personally drew, such as the “Map of Water and Land Transport between Shanghai and Wusong with Troop Deployment Locations” and a hand-drawn military route map. On the walkway between the study and the bedroom are neatly arranged bookshelves holding about 5,400 volumes in Chinese and foreign languages, covering politics, economics, military science, history, geography, and law—testament to Sun Yat-sen’s love of reading.

Beyond the indoor balcony lies the bedroom of Sun Yat-sen and his wife. The furnishings are simple and unadorned. On the wall hangs a 1922 photo of Sun Yat-sen and Soong Ching-ling—Soong sitting gracefully in a chair, Sun Yat-sen standing warmly beside her. There is a backrest armchair where Sun Yat-sen often sat to write. In the upper right rear corner is a small reception room. In the northeast corner of the room is a small closet displaying the Zhongshan suit designed by Sun Yat-sen himself and worn during the Northern Expedition. Beneath the closet are displayed medical instruments used by Sun Yat-sen in his earlier practice, as well as his ticket holder, glasses, and field utensils—each item reflecting the simplicity of his daily life.

The former residence was not only where Sun Yat-sen and his wife lived but also where they engaged in revolutionary work. Between 1918 and 1920, Sun Yat-sen completed important works such as The International Development of China and The Doctrine of Sun Wen here. On November 20, 1920, introduced by Chen Duxiu—one of the founders of the Communist Party of China—he met with V.l. Voitinsky, a communist envoy. On June 23, 1922, he met with Chinese communist Li Dazhao. On August 25, 1922, he met with Maring, representative of the Soviet Union's full-power ambassador to China, Adolph Joffe, to discuss the Chinese revolution, leading to the publication of the famous Sun-Joffe Manifesto. That September, Sun Yat-sen also convened a meeting on the garden lawn attended by Chinese communists to discuss reorganizing the Kuomintang, which eventually led to the historically significant First United Front between the Nationalists and Communists.

At 9:30 a.m. on March 12, 1925, Sun Yat-sen passed away in Beijing at the age of 59 due to liver cancer brought on by overwork and dedication to the nation and its people. His life exemplified the immortal greatness of a revolutionary. The Former Residence at 7 Xiangshan Road is a pivotal site in Sun Yat-sen’s revolutionary journey. Here, his thinking evolved from old-style democracy to new democracy. Here, he planned to reorganize the Kuomintang and initiated the First United Front. Here, he deeply pondered China’s fate, producing many enduring works that charted the correct course for China’s bourgeois revolution. In 1961, the Former Residence was designated by the State Council as a Major Historical and Cultural Site Protected at the National Level and opened to the public.

Transportation

Address: No. 7 Xiangshan Road, Luwan District, Shanghai

Buses: Routes 02, 17, 24, 36, 42, 96, 781, 786, 911, 920, 926, and others

Address: No. 7 Xiangshan Road, Huangpu District, Shanghai

Type: Celebrity Former Residence Memorial Hall

Recommended Visit Duration: 1–2 hours

Tel: 021-53063361

Official Website: http://www.sh-sunyat-sen.org/

Opening Hours:

9:00–17:00 (last admission at 16:30)

Sun Yat-sen (1866–1925), also known as Wen, courtesy name Zaizhi, literary names Risshin and Yixian, childhood name Dixiang, alias Zhongshan Qiao, commonly went by the name Zhongshan. Born into a farming family in Cuiheng Village, Xiangshan County (now Zhongshan City), Guangdong Province. In his youth, influenced by the revolutionary traditions of the people of Guangdong, he admired the Taiping Rebellion. He was a pioneer of modern China’s national democratic revolution, a great forerunner of China’s democratic revolution, a founder of the Republic of China and the Kuomintang, an advocate of the Three Principles of the People, and creator of the Five-Power Constitution. He was the first to raise the banner of complete anti-feudalism... More on Sun Yat-sen++

Further Reading:

· China National Second-Class Museum

· First Batch of Major Historical and Cultural Sites Protected at the National Level