The picture shows the scene of Sun Yat-sen and Soong Ching-ling writing "The Founding Strategy" in their Shanghai apartments in the Xinhai Revolution Memorial Hall in Guangzhou. (File photo) Courtesy of the Xinhai Revolution Memorial Hall
Guangzhou, 26 Oct (China News Service) -- The Guangdong Provincial People's Government Research Museum of Culture and History and the Huangpu District Bureau of Culture, Radio, Film, Television and Tourism in Guangzhou jointly held the "Academic Symposium to Commemorate the 110th Anniversary of the Xinhai Revolution" at the Xinhai Revolution Memorial Hall on 26 October. Participating experts pointed out that Guangzhou and the Xinhai Revolution have deep historical roots, leaving a wealth of revolutionary historical traces, which should be deeply protected and developed and utilized.
In April 1911, Sun Yat-sen led the Huanghuagang Uprising in Guangzhou. In October of the same year, the Wuchang Uprising broke out, and Guangdong and other provinces responded one after another and won the victory of the revolution. As the birthplace of China's modern democratic revolution, Guangzhou has many historical sites of the Xinhai Revolution, mainly distributed in Yuexiu District, Tianhe District and Haizhu District.
The picture shows the Xinhai Revolution Memorial Hall located in Guangzhou's Huangpu District. (File photo) Courtesy of the Xinhai Revolution Memorial Hall
For example, the old site category includes the former site of Sun Yat-sen's Grand Marshal's Mansion, the former site of the Guangdong Consultative Bureau, the Wang's Bookstore (the former site of the Guangzhou Branch of the Xingzhong Association), etc., and the martyrs' tombs include the Huanghuagang Seventy-Two Martyrs' Tomb, Zhu Zhixin's Tomb, Deng Yinan's Tomb, and the Tomb of the Five Overseas Chinese Martyrs.
Yan Xiaoqing, a researcher at the Guangzhou Institute of Cultural Relics and Archaeology, pointed out that these revolutionary historical sites are not only of great value to the study of Guangzhou's modern history and China's modern history, but also an important historical and cultural resource for Guangzhou to build a world historical and cultural city.
Located in Haizhu District, Guangzhou, the former site of Sun Yat-sen's Grand Marshal's Mansion is a national key cultural relics protection unit, the former site was formerly known as Guangdong Shimin Clay Factory, is a famous cement factory in the Republic of China period, named after Sun Yat-sen twice established a revolutionary regime here.
Huang Miaozhang, a librarian at the Guangdong Provincial People's Government Research Museum of Culture and History, introduced that during the "Tenth Five-Year Plan" and "Eleventh Five-Year Plan" period, the old site of Sun Yat-sen's Grand Marshal's Mansion was reclaimed to the management of the cultural relics department, and on its basis, the Memorial Hall of Sun Yat-sen's Grand Marshal's Mansion was prepared, the gate tower of the Grand Marshal's Mansion was restored according to its original appearance, and the central axis of the gate tower, the south building, and the north building of the former site of the Grand Marshal's Mansion was opened. He suggested that the internal environment of the old site should be further improved and the original appearance of the old site of the Grand Marshal's Office should be fully restored.
In Guangzhou, there are also some historical sites of the Xinhai Revolution that are little known, such as the former site of the Guangdong Consultative Bureau. The Guangdong Consultative Bureau was built in the first year of the Qing Dynasty (1909), condensing the century-old history of Guangzhou in modern times. Sun Yat-sen was sworn in as the president of the Great Council, where he gave speeches and attended meetings at the Guangdong Consultative Bureau.
Huang Miaozhang believes that the former site of the Guangdong Consultative Bureau is the most representative physical witness of Guangzhou as the source of China's modern and contemporary democratic revolution. Guangzhou should restore the original appearance of the gate of the former site of the Guangdong Consultative Bureau as soon as possible.
Experts also suggested that Guangzhou integrate some historical sites in "series" to create a brand tourism route.
For example, Guangzhou Martyrs Road is dotted with more than 20 tomb sites of modern revolutionary pioneers, including the Tomb of the Seventy-two Martyrs of Huanghuagang, the Tomb of the Martyrs of the Gengji New Army Uprising, and the Tomb of the Five Martyrs of overseas Chinese, which is a "natural museum" showing the martyrs and history of China's democratic revolution.
Yan Xiaoqing pointed out that the Tomb of the Seventy-two Martyrs of Huanghuagang witnessed the important and magnificent Guangzhou Uprising in the Xinhai Revolution, and the tomb building was grand in scale, covering an area of 130,000 square meters, with sun Yat-sen's inscription "Haoqi Eternal Survival" archway gate and other buildings. The Tomb of the Seventy-Two Martyrs of Huanghuagang also reflects the patriotic enthusiasm of overseas Chinese and their support for the Xinhai Revolution.
"Guangzhou Martyrs Road is unique in the whole country, and there are many historical sites of the Xinhai Revolution distributed on this road, which can organically integrate the relevant historical sites of the Martyrs Road, build the Xinhai Revolution Tourism Greenway, and build the Martyrs Road into a memorial site for the democratic revolution and a patriotic education base." Yan Xiaoqing said. (End)
Source: China News Network