Wan Qing Yuan's Building |
Come take a look at the exciting displays we will be having at the new Sun Yat Sen Nanyang Memorial Hall:
(click on name of each gallery for more information) |
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Courtyard
In the breezy courtyard are a variety of tropical fruits, include 6
types of tropical fruit trees that Dr. Sun preferred.
"One man changed China, Dr Sun Yat Sen" - Lee Kuan Yew. A majestic
3.5 metres tall stone stele bearing these words will be the first thing greeting
visitors' eyes. The quote was extracted from an interview the Senior Minister
had with Time Magazine on 7 April 1997. Originally stated in English, the
memorial hall has decided to emphasise the citation's Chinese translation "孙中山,一个改变中国命运的人"
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Other interesting highlights in the courtyard include the Tree
of the Martyrs, a tamarind tree (Dr Sun had brought a tamarind seed from
Hawaii back to China and planted the tree so that his mother can enjoy her
favourite dish, "tamarind shrimps." The one we have is an offspring of
the original tree in China), an eye-catching 50-metre-long bronze mural
depicting slices of history and lifestyle of people in Nanyang during the early
1900s. and other statures etc.
Galleries
With an annexe built behind the main villa, the memorial hall now has a total of six galleries. An abundance of historically rich content will be displayed in those exhibition halls.
Hall of Peace illustrates the entire history of the villa and gives a brief overview of the historical events in China that led to the need for a revolution.
Key Exhibits at the foyer:
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An exclusive picture of Wan Qing Yuan during the Japanese Occupation. |
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A special corner to display a commemorative tile and brick presented to the memorial hall by Mr Wang Daohan, President of the Association for Relations Across the Taiwan Strait. He had presented them to us to show his support for our restoration. |
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List of Benefactors
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Gallery of Endeavour traces the birth, childhood and family background of Dr Sun. His academic life from Hawaii to Canton to Hong Kong is also featured. Exhibits in this gallery show how Dr Sun became a Western medical doctor, his medical practice and his eventual abandonment of a promising career for the arduous life of a revolutionary.
Dr Sun not only had to plan uprisings, he had to undertake the mammoth task of fundraising from the overseas Chinese. This task took him all over the world to countries such as Japan, America, England, Belgium, France and Germany. All the major uprisings that Dr Sun and his comrades embarked on are featured in this gallery. Visitors will gain a deeper insight into the many failures Dr Sun suffered before the success of the Xinhai Revolution on 10 October 1911.
Key Exhibits in Gallery of Endeavour:
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"First Oceanic Journey" - Picture of Dr Sun as a boy on a steamship bound for Hawaii. We believe, this was where the revolution began - in his mind.
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The Hall of Wisdom is where audio-visual shows will be screened for visitors. Available in different languages, visitors can obtain interesting information, from the history of Wan Qing Yuan to the making of Sun Yat Sen Nanyang Memorial Hall. Screenings are shown at different times of the day with new films added at appropriate intervals.
On the second storey of the original structure lies The Singapore Gallery, the place where Dr Sun's story in Singapore is told. Visitors are brought on a trip down memory lane to a Singapore back in the early 1900s. It was Dr Sun's fundraising mission that brought him to Singapore. Singapore's strategic importance as the regional headquarters of the Revolutionary Alliance (Tong Meng Hui) in Southeast Asia is highlighted in this section.
Key Exhibits in The Singapore Gallery:
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Artist Li Shuji, painting "Mother of the Revolution." |
The Nanyang Gallery brings the visitor across the causeway to the Malay Peninsula and other parts of Southeast Asia.
This gallery is dedicated to the many Chinese people from Malaya who sacrificed their lives and fortunes for the cause.
Special mention must be made that the peninsula had played a significant role in the final days of the revolution and had contributed much to the revolution's success.
That is why Dr Sun said, "the Overseas Chinese - Mother of the
Revolution" in his inaugural ceremony as Provisional President of the Republic of China.
Key Exhibits in The Nanyang Gallery:
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A huge 6m x 3m oil painting - Overseas Chinese - "Mother of the Revolution" - shows Dr Sun and his revolutionary comrades from the Tong Meng Hui (later Kuomintang) propagating his cause to tin miners, rubber tappers and farmers in Malaya
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The Penang Conference
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"Along the Rivers of Malaya" - Painting of Dr Sun on board a sampan. Back in those times, Dr Sun had to walk countless arduous paths to spread his anti-Qing dynasty ideologies to the labourers and villagers who lived in obscure parts of Malaya. Riding a rickety old sampan was just one of the many forms of transportation he used.
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The Testament Gallery looks at Dr Sun's life after the success of the revolution for all is not plain sailing. The treachery of Yuan Shikai and the northern warlords gave many headaches to the Nationalists.
This gallery gives an insight into Dr Sun's many contributions to society, China and the world. Even though he has departed from this world, his legacy lives on.
Key Exhibits at The Testament Gallery:
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Oil Painting "Peace, Strive, Save China". Multimedia effects will be used to heighten the mood.
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"Away with Cues" is an oil painting about the abolition of pigtails, one of the contributions Dr Sun made to society.
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