Sun Yat-Sen definitely has a few memorial museums, Mausoleum Parks, and former residences around China, as he has been such a great hero to China. The former residence of Sun Yet-Sen in Shanghai is an important memento of Sun Sun Yet-Sen. He stayed in there from 1918 to 1924.
The two-story house is very much protected to look exactly the same as there hasn't been too much change to its original settings and furniture. There is a statue of Sun Yet-Sen when you walk in to the main entrance, with a informative sign on the left, in English and Chinese, describing his life here in Shanghai.
The first room you enter will lead you to a little museum with lots of Sun Yet-Sen’s pictures, his historical moments in the country and some correspondences he has generated during the war. The room also has displays on Song Qingling; his wife’s pictured too.
When you are done with the little museum and have a better understanding of Sun Yet-Sen, proceed to the right where you will come to a British-Style garden and the entrance to the kitchen.
The guide will be collecting your ticket here. She will then make sure everyone entering the house is wearing a plastic bag (more like a shower cap to me) over your shoes. You might need to wait for a while to gather a group of people in order for her to start touring around. The guide speaks Chinese; however, she will play pre-recorded information in English once she has done her Chinese version.
The first room is a living room, with a great fireplace and a huge picture of Sun Yet-Sen on top. The living room is decorated with a few ancient Chinese antiques. The room next door is his study room. The study room still has his desk and meeting table. There is a sword on top of the fireplace, which is presented to him by a Japanese General. The sword is said to be 600 years old!
Further up is a balcony where you can look of out the house and have a good view of the British-style garden. The third room displayed is Sun Yet-Sen and Song Qingling’s bedroom. There is a double bed, which is made up of two single beds, with the mattress said to be the original one that they slept on. There are a few paintings and some decorations in the room that look very stunning. There is always a wall drop displaying some of his old uniforms, personal tools, and glasses.
The tour only takes approximately 10 minutes. After that, take the windy, small staircase down the hall, which will lead you back to the kitchen where you start your tour. Also, you must return the SHOWER CAP to them!! I think they recycle them again and again. |
