A century on, Taiwan commemorates Dr. Sun Yat-sen's legacy of 'revitalizing China'

TAIPEI -- A century after Dr. Sun Yat-sen's passing, his legacy of pursuing the revitalization of China is still commemorated in Taiwan.

On Wednesday, groups in Taipei paid tribute to the late leader to mark the centenary of his passing. They included Eric Chu, chairman of the Chinese Kuomintang (KMT) party, which was founded by Sun; Ma Ying-jeou, former chairman of the KMT; and Chang Ya-chung, president of the Sun Yat-sen School in Taiwan.

Charles Wong, Sun's great-grandson, bowed before a statue of his ancestor in Taipei. In a media interview, Wong said the correct path for the great rejuvenation of the Chinese nation is realizing and transcending Sun Yat-sen's thought.

Sun was born in 1866 and died on March 12, 1925. He is known among the Chinese people as a great pioneer of China's democratic revolution for his leading role in the 1911 Revolution, which ended more than 2,000 years of feudal rule in China.

Sun visited Taiwan three times — in 1900, 1913 and 1918 — when the island was a Japanese colony. Inspired by his discourse, many young patriots emerged in Taiwan, some of whom headed to the mainland to participate in the revolution while others organized anti-Japanese efforts on the island.

Lin Kuang-hway, who founded an association for the relatives of anti-Japanese patriots in Taiwan, told Xinhua that his grandfather, Lin Tsu-mi, had long been involved in planning and supporting the armed resistance against Japanese rule in Taiwan.

"My late grandfather understood that it was only through national unity and a strong country that the Japanese colonial rulers could be expelled, and Taiwan could be reclaimed," Lin said. "This was his lifelong aspiration."

Today, a number of counties and cities across Taiwan and the mainland have roads or parks named after Sun. In one such park in downtown Taipei, a memorial hall displays historic items related to Sun's life and work.

While drafting the charter of Xing Zhong Hui, which translates to "Revive China Society" and was the antecedent of the KMT, Sun made the call for "revitalizing China," embodying the idea of national rejuvenation.

"Unification is the hope of all Chinese nationals. If China can be unified, all Chinese will enjoy a happy life; if it cannot, all will suffer," Sun once said.

Wednesday also marks Tree Planting Day, which is observed on both sides of the Taiwan Strait. For days, the KMT has been promoting tree-planting activities across the island. It has also organized events such as symposiums, exhibitions and concerts to commemorate the centenary of Sun's death.

It is only by adhering to the 1992 Consensus and recognizing that both sides of the Strait belong to one China that a foundation for peaceful development can be built, said Lee Chien-rong, secretary-general of the Sun Yat Sen Academic and Cultural Foundation, adding that this will also enable joint efforts to fulfill Sun's vision of "revitalizing China."

The two sides of the Strait should move toward each other, and Chinese people on both sides should work together to pave a broad path for national rejuvenation, said Hsieh Chih-chuan, a current affairs commentator in Taiwan.

"Efforts should be made to promote the complete reunification of the motherland at an early date to fulfill the great aspiration Sun Yat-sen laid out a century ago," Hsieh said.