Sun Yat Sen Nanyang Memorial Hall

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Sight Address : 12 Tai Gin Road, Singapore 327874, Singapore.Edit

Detail InformationEdit

The Sun Yat Sen Nanyang Memorial Hall (simplified Chinese: 孙中山南洋纪念馆; traditional Chinese: 孫中山南洋紀念館; pinyin: Sūn Zhōngshān Nányáng Jìniàn Guǎn), also known as Wan Qing Yuan (simplified Chinese: 晚晴园; traditional Chinese: 晚晴園; pinyin: Wǎn Qíng Yuán), and formerly as Sun Yat Sen Villa (simplified Chinese: 孙中山故居; traditional Chinese: 孫中山故居; pinyin: Sūn Zhōngshān Gùjū), is a two-storey colonial style villa in Balestier, Singapore. The villa is now a museum commemorating Sun Yat-sen, the founding father of the Republic of China, who visited Singapore nine times between 1900 and 1911.Located at 12 Tai Gin Road in Balestier, the villa occupies an area of approximately 3,120 square metres and played a crucial role in the 1911 Xinhai Revolution by serving as the Tongmenghui’s base in Nanyang (Southeast Asia) in the early 20th century.

Sun Yat Sen Nanyang Memorial Hall

HistoryEdit

The villa is believed to have been built in 1880 by a businessman called Boey Chuan Poh to house his mistress Bin Chan, from whom came the building’s original name, ‘Bin Chan House’. The building was constructed in a classical colonial style and featured ornate arched windows and doors, eaves decorated with floral patterns, and movable louvred windows.In 1905, the villa was bought by the rubber magnate Teo Eng Hock[1] — great-granduncle of Singapore Deputy Prime Minister Teo Chee Hean — from a timber merchant for his mother, Tan Poh Neo, as a place of retirement. In July 1905, Sun Yat-sen met Teo Eng Hock, Tan Chor Lam and Lim Nee Soon through his close friend, Yau Lit, when he was on his way to Europe from Japan. In 1906, when Sun returned to Singapore, Teo offered Wan Qing Yuan for use as the Tongmenghui’s headquarters in Southeast Asia. Wan Qing Yuan became the centre for the planning of numerous uprisings and fundraising activities leading to the 1911 Xinhai Revolution. Three uprisings – Chaozhou Uprising (May 1907), Zhennanguan Uprising (December 1907) and Hekou Uprising (April 1908) – were planned at Wan Qing Yuan. According to the former Singaporean Minister of Foreign Affairs, George Yeo, the flag of the Republic of China was sewn in the Sun Yat Sen Villa by Teo and his wife, Tan Sok Jee.Teo Eng Hock sold Wan Qing Yuan in August 1910 and the villa changed ownership many times until it was bought in 1937 by a group of six leading Chinese businessmen in Singapore, namely Lee Kong Chian, Tan Ean Kiam, Lee Chin Tian, Chew Hean Swee, Lee Chor Seng and Yeo Kiat Tiow. In the following year, they donated the villa to the Singapore Chinese Chamber of Commerce (now the Singapore Chinese Chamber of Commerce and Industry, SCCCI).After the establishment of the Republic of China, the Chinese Nationalist Government funded the refurbishment of Wan Qing Yuan and turned it into a Memorial Hall in 1940. At the same time, they gathered information and artefacts related to Sun Yat-sen from overseas Chinese communities and opened the hall to the public in 1940.During the Japanese occupation of Singapore (1942-1945), the Japanese military used Wan Qing Yuan as a communication base and many of the original artefacts and furniture of the hall were destroyed. After the war, the Nationalist Government funded the restoration of Wan Qing Yuan and set up the Kuomintang’s Singapore branch in the villa. However, following the establishment of the People’s Republic of China in October 1949, the British colonial government in Singapore prohibited the establishment of an overseas Kuomintang branch, so in 1951, the villa was handed back to the SCCCI and became known as the “Sun Yat Sen Villa” after renovations in 1964.Wan Qing Yuan was gazetted as a National Monument on 28 October 1994 by the Singapore government. Two years later, the SCCCI renamed Wan Qing Yuan to ‘Sun Yat Sen Nanyang Memorial Hall’ and announced its plans to expand the place, so the villa was closed in November 1997 for a restoration at a cost of S$7.5 million. It was opened as a museum in November 2001. In 2009, the SCCCI appointed the National Heritage Board to manage the museum, and redevelopment works took place in October 2010. One year later, Wan Qing Yuan was reopened to the public on 8 October 2011 to commemorate the centenary of the Xinhai Revolution.

Must SeeEdit

Must see

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Best Season to VisitEdit

June to July and November to December.

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How to ReachEdit

Taxi : Taxis are generally very hard to get during peak hours (Mon-Fri 7:00am – 9:30am and Mon-Sat 5:00pm – 8:00pm) and on rainy days. If you are at a hotel, have conceirge call you a taxi. If you are out about town and have access to a cell phone- calling for a taxi will cut your wait time by 20 to 30 minutes. All taxis are fitted with meters; all are air conditioned; the majority of the taxis are 5-seaters; about 90% of taxis have radiophones; call booking is done via GPS or digital voice dispatch. All passengers must fasten their seat belts by law.
For taxi Booking fee is SGD $2.3. Minimum fare for taxi is SGD $3 for first 1Km. Fare above minimum fare until 10Km is SGD $0.55 per Km. Fare above 10Km is charge SGD $0.628 per Km. Taxi Waiting charges per hour is SGD $17.6. Peak Hours charges is diffrent.

Bus : Public buses run daily from 5.30am to midnight. Extended night services cost slightly more (a flat rate ranging from $1.50-$3.00). Otherwise, most fares depend on distance travelled and range from 67 cents to $1.58 for air-conditioned comfort (almost all public buses in Singapore have air-conditioning today). There are also “feeder” bus services that charge a flat rate of 67 cents. Each bus should not take more than 15 to 20 minutes to arrive at the bus stop.

Train : Singapore MRT system is very well connected to different parts of Singapore and very clean! If you have the time and plan to explore around little Sunny island, get the the Singapore Tourist Pass!
It runs 6am-12mn, fares start at S$1 (70cents in EZ link). Tickets can be purchased in all MRT stations. You just have to insert your money through the ticket machine. Rush hour’s usually 7am-9am, 11am-2pm and 4pm-7pm.

Air : Changi Airport is the country’s main airport. From the airport there are a number of ways to get into the city:
Taxi is easiest – simply follow the signs after clearing customs. Meters are always used in Singapore and prices are reasonable. A trip to the city during the day will be between $20-$30 including $3-5 airport surcharge. An additional 50% surcharge applies between midnight and 06:00.
Limousines charge a flat $50 to anywhere in the city and are a pretty good deal after midnight, as you can skip the queue and avoid the surcharge. The same pricing applies to chartering van-sized MaxiCabs, which are good for large families or if you have lots of baggage.
Shuttle – Shared six-seater MaxiCab shuttle service to designated areas/hotels costs $7 and can be booked in advance or in the arrivals hall. 6AM-2AM, every 15-30 min.
Subway – MRT trains run from a station between T2 and T3, but you’ll need to change trains at Tanah Merah to a city-bound train: just exit through the left hand side door and cross the platform. The 30 min ride to City Hall station costs $1.90 plus a refundable $1 deposit, and trains run 05:31-23:18.
Bus – Bus terminals can be found in the basements of T1, T2 and T3. 06:00-23:59 only. Fares are less than $2.00, exact fare required (no change given) if you pay cash.

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