Taiwan, Hong Kong, Macao mark 160th anniversary of Sun Yat-sen's birth

Commemorative ceremonies, conferences and photo exhibitions were held across Taiwan, the Hong Kong Special Administrative Region (HKSAR) and the Macao Special Administrative Region (SAR) on Thursday to mark the 160th anniversary of the birth of Sun Yat-sen and honor his revolutionary legacy.

At the Sun Yat-sen Memorial Hall in Taipei, Taiwan, a steady stream of visitors gathered throughout the morning to pay their respects. More than 100 representatives of the Chinese Kuomintang (KMT), the New Party, the Taipei Kwong Tung Community Association and other groups took turns paying tribute in front of a statue of Sun.

Born in 1866, Sun led the Revolution of 1911 more than a century ago to abolish the absolute monarchy that had ruled China for thousands of years. He was also one of the founders of the KMT. Sun died in 1925 and is widely revered by Chinese people as one of the nation's revolutionary forefathers.

"Sun devoted his life to national reunification and rejuvenation. People on both sides of the Taiwan Strait should remember him and carry forward his spirit," said a Taipei resident surnamed Li, who has attended the annual commemorative event for years.

At a conference on the cross-Strait peace initiative held in Taipei on Thursday, Kao Yuang-kuang, former dean of the College of Social Sciences at Chengchi University, highlighted Sun's historical connections with Taiwan.

Sun visited Taiwan three times and helped establish a branch of the revolutionary organization Tongmenghui on the island, introducing democratic and revolutionary ideas to its people. He also inspired many young patriots in Taiwan to travel to the mainland to join the revolution, Kao said.

On Thursday afternoon, a lecture commemorating Sun was held. Lin Kuang-hui, founding chairman of an association for the descendants of anti-Japanese patriots in Taiwan, recounted the life of his grandfather, Lin Tsu-mi, who was a patriot in Taiwan under Japanese colonial rule and joined Sun's revolutionary activities on the mainland.

The lecture sought to help younger generations in Taiwan better understand this period of history and ensure it is not forgotten, Lin said.

Lan Bo-chow, a renowned writer, said resistance movements launched by people in Taiwan under Japanese colonial rule (1895-1945) had been inspired by the 1911 Revolution and could be seen as an expression of it on the island.

These movements demonstrated the close historical ties between Taiwan and the mainland, reflecting a shared sense of identity and solidarity, Lan said.

Also on Thursday, the HKSAR government held a ceremony to honor Sun's revolutionary legacy.

Speaking at the ceremony, John Lee, chief executive of the HKSAR, said that Sun shared deep ties with Hong Kong, where his revolutionary ideas took shape and which served as an important base for planning uprisings.

Lee said that under Sun's leadership and influence, the 1911 Revolution succeeded and drove social transformation in China, adding that Sun's patriotic convictions, revolutionary resolve and enterprising spirit deserve to be studied and carried forward by all sons and daughters of the Chinese nation.

Meanwhile, a photo exhibition recounting the legendary life of Sun and featuring more than 100 historical artifacts and photographs, as well as audio recordings and documentaries, opened in the Macao SAR.

Addressing the opening ceremony, Macao SAR Chief Executive Sam Hou Fai noted that Macao shares a profound and special historical bond with Sun. Macao was where he began his mission to serve the nation and its people, said Sam.

Macao is also a cradle of Sun's revolutionary cause, a safe haven in times of crisis and a spiritual home where he cherished family affection, said Sam, adding that the best way to commemorate Sun is to carry forward his noble spirit and strive for national rejuvenation.

One of the five chapters of the exhibition was dedicated to Sun's career beginning at Macao's Kiang Wu Hospital as a doctor known for seeing patients for free. Wong Kit Cheng, a nurse at the hospital and a member of the Macao SAR Legislative Assembly, told Xinhua that she views Sun as her role model and will continue to serve the public by continuing his mission of healing.

The photo exhibition will run through November 27. The Macao SAR also scheduled other events including seminars, themed city tours and the issuance of commemorative stamps.

(With input from Xinhua)