Former Residence of Sun Li-jen

Former Residence of Sun Li-jen

The Former Residence of Sun Li-jen is a cultural relic protection unit of Anhui Province.

The “Former Residence of Sun Li-jen” is located on Bashixiang Lane, Gunan Street, Sanhe, covering an area of over 400 square meters. Upon entering, visitors are greeted by a wax figure of General Sun Li-jen in military uniform, while the walls display various printed materials, primarily an exhibition on Sun’s life, presented with both text and images that detail the important events of his life.

Sun Li-jen (1900–1990), courtesy name Zhonglun, was from Sanhe Town, Feixi County, Anhui Province. He was born on December 8, 1900, in Bashixiang, Sanhe. In 1932, after the passing of his father, Sun Li-jen returned to his hometown twice but never came back to Sanhe afterward.

Within less than 20 kilometers from Sanhe, in Jinniu Town, Lujiang County, there is also a “Former Residence of Sun Li-jen.” This residence is situated halfway up Jinniu Mountain, adjacent to Jinniu Town, and faces south. Initially, it had over a hundred rooms, but most were gradually demolished after the liberation period. It now serves as the site of Jinniu Town Middle School. One remaining building, consisting of 11 rooms and covering about 250 square meters, was where Sun Li-jen lived when he got married at the age of 24. It features a wooden frame structure, blue bricks, and small tiles, with carved beams and painted rafters in the corridors and rooms, showcasing the distinct architectural style of late Qing Dynasty civilian homes.

In 2001, it was designated as part of the second batch of county-level key cultural relic protection units by the People’s Government of Lujiang County. With two “Former Residences of Sun Li-jen,” it remains unclear which one is the authentic one.

“The basis for constructing this residence is a couplet: ‘Longshu extends family grace, Quezhu uplifts family prestige,’ which was found in Sun Li-jen’s family genealogy.” “Longshu” refers to Shucheng County, while “Quezhu” is the ancient name for Sanhe. “It is precisely because of this couplet that we confirmed General Sun Li-jen once lived in Sanhe.”

Generations of Sun Li-jen’s ancestors had lived in Sanhe since 1688 for 170 years. However, their house was burned down during the “Battle of Sanhe” in the Taiping Rebellion in 1858, prompting them to flee and settle in Lujiang. Sun Li-jen was thus born in Lujiang. But because the family continued doing business in Sanhe, they purchased a house on Nandaxiang, Badajie, in Sanhe, where Sun Li-jen spent the first eight years of his life. In his later years, Sun Li-jen settled in Taiwan but often reminisced about his childhood days in Sanhe, frequently lamenting his inability to return to his ancestral home for worship.

The “Former Residence of Sun Li-jen” in Sanhe indeed functions as a memorial hall, but historically, Sun Li-jen did have a residence here. The current structure is a restoration based on the original, with the architectural style and layout reconstructed from the recollections of Sun’s former neighbors.

Protected area: within 50 meters around the residence.

Construction control zone: same as the protected area.

Sun Li-jen (1899–1990), courtesy name Zhonglun, was born into a family of scholars in Shankeng Village, Jinniu Township, Lujiang County. In the first year of the Republic of China (1912), he moved with his parents to Beiping (now Beijing) to study. In the seventh year of the Republic (1918), he was admitted to the Department of Civil Engineering at Tsinghua University. In the thirteenth year of the Republic (1924), he went to the United States on a government scholarship to study at Princeton University, majoring in civil engineering.

During his studies abroad, Sun Li-jen witnessed how Western powers competed in military might and vied for hegemony, while China suffered under the oppression of foreign powers. Deeply feeling that the path to serving the nation lay in strengthening its military, he abandoned civil engineering and was admitted to the prestigious… More details about Sun Li-jen++

Sanhe Town: Located in central Anhui, Sanhe Town lies in the southwestern part of Hefei, the provincial capital of Anhui, under the jurisdiction of Hefei. It borders Chaohu City and Lu’an City, faces Chaohu Lake to the east, and is traversed by the Fengle River, Hangbu River, and Xiaonan River. It sits on the golden tourism route between the national 5A-level tourist attractions of Huangshan and Jiuhua Mountain. Hefei-Tongling Highway runs through the town, while the Beijing-Kowloon Railway and Hefei-Tongling-Huangshan Expressway pass nearby, offering convenient transportation and superior geographical conditions. The town covers an area of 70 square kilometers, governs 19 villages and 7 residential committees, with a population of 72,000. The Sanhe Ancient Town scenic area spans 4.71 square kilometers and has a population of over 30,000. … More details about Sanhe Town++