| Tuesday, November 13, 2001, updated at 15:22(GMT+8) |
Sun Yat-Sen Nanyang Memorial Hall Opens in Singapore |
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The fully restored Sun Yat-Sen Nanyang Memorial Hall opened for tours Monday on the 135th anniversary of the birth of Dr. Sun Yat Sen, the forerunner of China's democratic revolution.
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Senior Officials Congratulate on the OpeningThe fully restored Sun Yat-Sen Nanyang Memorial Hall opened for visit Monday on the 135th anniversary of the birth of Dr. Sun Yat Sen, the forerunner of China's democratic revolution.
Singapore Senior Minister Lee Kuan Yew officiated the opening and delivered a speech at the opening ceremony. Other officials attending the ceremony are Minister of Information and the Arts Lee Yock Suan, Minister of Education and the Second Minister of Defense Teo Chee Hean, Chinese Ambassador to Singapore Zhang Jiuhuan and some 300 personalities from local communities and abroad.
Lee said that Sun Yat-Sen was one of the great Asian leaders of the 20th century and was an inspiration to the overseas Chinese, and his appeal aroused their desire for a strong homeland.
He said the memorial hall records the activities of Dr. Sun Yat-Sen in Southeast Asia and the involvement of the local community in support of his cause and the restored and enlarged villa is meaningful.
It joins the ranks of the other 43 national monuments which reflect Singapore's multi-racial and multi-religious society, he added.
In his speech at the function, Kwek Leng Joo, President of the Singapore Chinese Chamber of Commerce and Industry (SCCCI), said the memorial hall will serve to educate the young and inspire them to carry on Sun Yat-Sen's great spirit of patriotism, selflessness and devotion to the society.
Tracking Back History of the Memorial HallSCCCI has taken great pains to restore the building at a cost of 8 million Singapore dollars (about 4.5 million U.S. dollars.)
The Sun Yat-Sen Nanyang Memorial Hall was formerly known as Wan Qing Yuan, which in English means "a heaven of peace in the twilight years." The villa was owned by an overseas Chinese in Singapore known as Teo Eng Hock, who bought the place for his mother in her old age.
When Sun Yat Sen arrived in Singapore in search of support for a revolution to overthrow the Manchurian rule and oppression by foreigners, he was given the use of the villa by Teo Eng Hock and his mother.
Wan Qing Yuan eventually became the headquarters of the Chinese Revolutionary Alliance in South East Asia and within the premises, Dr. Sun and his comrades planned activities to spread the revolutionary cause, as well as to raise money and round up supporters for the revolution.
Now, sitting majestically in the garden of the restored Wan Qing Yuan is a stone stele which is approximately 3.5 meters tall and about 16,000 kilograms in weight. Etched on its surface is a quote from Lee Kuan yew, reading "One Man Changed China-Dr. Sun Yat-Sen."
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