Sun Yat-sen Memorial Hall
Sun Yat-sen Memorial Hall Sun Yat-sen Memorial Hall, situated on the southern
slope of Yuexiu Hill, was constructed between 1929 and 1931, a monument to Dr
Sun Yat-sen, the forerunner of Chinese democratic revolution, by the people of
Guangzhou and overseas Chinese. Memorial Hall is to commemorate Father of the
Republic of China, Dr. Sun Yat-sen's great character, revolutionary career, and
philosophical blueprint for a modern China, who was a revolutionist for he had
upset the corrupt empire of Ch'ing Dynasty and established a brand new era for
Chinese. The hall would serve as a place not only for people to pay tribute to
Father of the Republic, but also for cultural, artistic, educational, academic,
and recreational purposes.
Sun Yat-sen Memorial Hall is the most symbolized building of Guangzhou, and a
key venue for the city's large-scale meetings and performances as well. Dr. Sun
Yat-Sen's Memorial Hall is an octagon shape palace. The complex area covers 6
hectares and the structure area is 12,000 square meters. "The World is for All"
written by Dr. Sun, this tablet is hang above the front entrance of the hall.
Colorful painting, red stone columns, and flower patterns ceilings decorated
this hall. The hall has two floors and can hold a large gathering of 5,000
people. It is also a complex carried traditional Chinese architectural style.
There is a tall standing statue of Dr. Sun in front of the memorial. The article
of The Fundamentals of National Reconstruction written by Dr. Sun on April 12th
1924 was carved on the pedestal below the standing statue, and there hangs a
golden slab with four Chinese characters of "Tian Xia Wei Gong" written by Sun
Yat-sen himself above the front door of the memorial hall. At the central
up-layer wall of the small hall hung another straight board with the word "The
Whole World As A Community" which was inscribed by Sun Yat-sen himself. In 1956,
a 5-meter-high bronze statue of Dr. Sun was erected in front of the hall.
The hall, which was once the presidential hall when Dr. Sun Yat-sen was the
President of China in 1921, lies in Dongfeng Road of Guangzhou City and is
called the "Sun Yat-Sen Memorial Hall". This building was once used as an
official site for the Ch'ing Dynasty, and now, it is one of the protected
national monuments of historical relics. In 1922, the building was partially
destroyed by a coup. Later, on March 12, 1925 Dr. Sun dies in Nanjing, after his
death the locals and Chinese overseas raised funds to rebuild the partial
damaged structure. The construction took placed in 1929, and completed in 1931.
There were many historic events took placed in this building. For instance, this
building was seriously damaged by the Japanese in WW II, yet on September 17th,
1945, Japan Imperial Army signed their agreement and surrendered to the
Government of China here.
Guangzhou Sun Yat-sen Memorial Hall is really a magnificent building in the
shape of octangle. It is not only one of the symbolic constructions in Guangzhou
with its majestic appearance and the infused rich Chinese national color, but
also an important place for large scale meeting and performance. Sun Yat-sen
Memorial Hall is a gorgeous octagonal structure, with solemn and magnificent
looks, and strong national features. The designer smartly applied the structural
theory of architectural mechanics and adopted the mixed structure of reinforced
concrete. The principal building occupies an area of 12,000 sq. meters, and 47
meters high. The stage measures 15 meters at the front and 20 meters in depth,
together with 3,238 seats. Sun Yat-sen Memorial Hall is the most symbolized
building of Guangzhou, and a key venue for the city's large-scale meetings and
performances as well.The central coping of the octagon pavilion of the Zhongshan
Memorial Hall is surrounded by the four decorating double eaves from the front,
back, left, and right sides of it. The whole construction is majestic, solemn
and rich in Chinese national culture.
Stepping on the monument by a steel spiral staircase, you are presented with a
panoramic view of the memorial hall. Sun Yat-sen Memorial Hall will refresh you
after visiting the bustling commercial metropolis and provide you with a moment
to touch this great man in Chinese history.
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