About 100 historical photos and artifacts related to Sun Yat-sen's time in Hong Kong will be featured in an exhibition due to open between Nov.12 -- Dec. 1 at the Hong Kong Museum of History to commemorate the 137th anniversary of Sun's birthday.

Jointly presented by the Sun Yat-sen Education and Charity Foundation, the Museum of Sun Yat-sen at Cuiheng and the Museum of History, the exhibition named "Sun Yat-sen and His Family: from Cuiheng to Hong Kong" is to focus on Sun's relationship with Hong Kong, his revolutionary activities, family and descendants to give the public a greater understanding of the life of this great revolutionary.

Sun overthrew China's Qing dynasty (1644-1911) and ended the 2,000-year-old monarchical system. He established the Republic of China, opening a new chapter in the political, economic, social and cultural development of modern China. Sun's experiences in Cuiheng, his home village, and Hong Kong, as well as his family's support, played important role in fulfilling his revolutionary mission and establishing his extraordinary career.

Chief Curator of the Museum of History, Joseph Ting Sun-pao, said Tuesday at a press conference that the sharp contrast between Sun's life in Cuiheng Village and the time he spent in Hong Kong provided inspiration for his revolutionary ideas.

"Hong Kong was the starting point of his revolutionary career and he once revealed that it was Hong Kong where his revolutionary ideas originated. Before the 1911 Revolution, Hong Kong was the base for planning, logistics support and propaganda behind several uprisings organized in the coastal provinces," he said.

He added that tributes should also be paid to his family members who gave him unrelenting support throughout his career.

Born on Nov.12, 1866 in Cuiheng Village, Xiangshan County (the present Zhongshan City), Guangdong, Sun Yat-sen had a tough childhood, working in the fields alongside his parents. At the age of 13, supported by his brother who lived in Hawaii, he left for Honolulu to attend school. At 17, he came to Hong Kong, where he finished secondary school and the university studies.

After the failure of the Guangzhou Uprising in 1895, Sun was wanted by the Qing court.

The exhibition is also one of the programs marking the 5th anniversary of the Sun Yat-sen Education and Charity Foundation.
 
(Xinhua News Agency November 12, 2003)