Sun Yat Sen Residence – Home Of The &”Father Of China&”
Little would one suspect that the quaint little European style house on Xiangshan Road was the former home of the man the Chinese consider to be the father of their Nation. The Sun Yat Sen residence is barely noticeable among the giant skyscrapers that have sprung up alongside it; however, it is a place that almost every tourist to Shanghai remembers to visit.
Sun Yat Sen was a fierce anti-monarchist and he was instrumental in the revolutionary struggle against the Qing dynasty, which was the final imperial family to rule China. In 1912 after overthrowing of imperial rule, Sun Yat Sen ensured his place in the history books when he became the first provisional president of the Republic of China. He later went onto found the Kuomintang of China, also known as the Chinese Nationalist Party, which became a guiding light for the future of the country in its pos- imperial era.
Despite a successful revolution against the monarchy, the party was unable to maintain control of the country. Therefore, much of Sun Yat Sen’s political life was spent in exile. Despite these setbacks, he organized numerous revolts against the Chinese warlords who threw him into exile and the Kuomintang out of power.
His tireless efforts bore fruit, but alas only after his death, with his party forming an alliance with the Communists to finally bring stability to China, following years of warring over territory by regional warlords. Today, Sun Yat Sen’s legacy lives on in his political doctrine “The Principals of People”: nationalism, democracy and the livelihood of people.
Following the death of Sun Yat Sen in 1925, his wife continued to occupy the residence until the Imperial Japanese invasion of Shanghai in 1937. The furniture, the paintings and the memorabilia over the fireplace are all items that were used by Sun Yat Sen himself. Historical manuscripts and photographs detailing the life and times of the great man are also displayed for the benefit of the public. This important historical landmark located close to the financial district appear within easy reach of business accommodation Shanghai such as a Luxury serviced residence Shanghai offered by Somerset Xu Hui. Their serviced apartments in the area affords business travelers great access to the city’s business district as well as the city’s major attractions.