Descendants of Dr Sun Yat-sen Visit Ipoh

The descendants of Dr Sun Yat-sen were in Ipoh last week for a whirlwind trip, that saw them taking the “Trail of Dr Sun Yat-sen and His Comrades in Ipoh” in the older section of town. The trip was at the invitation of Sue Meng Heritage and its founder Chan Sue Meng, facilitated by Tan Kai Lek, the owner of Happy 8 and Tin Alley, alongside other landmarks in Ipoh Old Town.

Dr Sun Yat-sen's great-grand-niece, Alexandra Sun (wearing a hat) — Dr Sun Yat-sen’s great-grand-niece, Alexandra Sun (wearing a hat)

While Dr Sun Yat-sen’s great-grand-niece, Alexandra Sun (4th generation), and her son Justin Sun (5th generation) are not the only descendants of the Father of the Republic of China (ROC) to have set foot in Ipoh since Dr Sun’s visit in 1906 and then in 1908, they are definitely the firsts to embark on the “Trail of Dr Sun Yat-sen and His Comrades in Ipoh.”

Alexandra Sun (M) speaks to some Ipohites

The Sun Yat-sen historical trail covering twenty nearby locations was drawn up based on extensive research carried out by Sue Meng more than a decade ago. Her efforts resulted in a book, “Road to Revolution: Dr Sun Yat Sen and His Comrades in Ipoh” published in December 2013, and duly translated into Mandarin in April 2015. The marker trail came to fruition in January 2020.

Alexandra's son, Justin Sun (R) — Alexandra’s son, Justin Sun (R)

The larger objective of their visit was to explore sites and earmark a location for a potential joint-event between Sue Meng Heritage and Sun Yat-sen Cultural Foundation. To this end, it underlined the importance of establishing a Sun Yat-sen Gallery in Ipoh, to keep the ideals of Sun Yat-sen alive in the hearts of Ipohites, especially the younger generations.

A Sun Yat-sen Gallery in Ipoh is particularly significant because many of Ipohites’ ancestors had supported Dr Sun during his struggles to overthrow the oppressive Qing (Manchu) Dynasty (1911/12). One of these Ipoh heroes was Lee Guan Swee, the maternal great-great-grandfather of Sue Meng. It was because of him and fellow revolutionary patriots who spanned Ipoh, Penang, and Kuala Lumpur, in Malaya as well as Singapore that a new China was born, changing the course of history.

Sue Meng Heritage, with assistance from Tan Kai Lek, arranged the Sun's visit to Ipoh — Sue Meng Heritage, with assistance from Tan Kai Lek, arranged the Sun’s visit to Ipoh

With the establishment of the Sun Yat-sen Gallery, possibly under the auspices of the Sun Yat-sen Cultural Foundation, which was founded by Alexandra Sun, cross-country history, arts, cultural exchanges and educational activities can be undertaken between students in Ipoh and China.

some active local community members seized the opportunity to meet the Suns

Alexandra’s Sun Yat-sen Cultural Foundation promotes environmental protection and wildlife conservation, among other causes. She also introduced the Sun Yat-sen Fraternity Award to encourage positive social influence through filmmaking. The foundation’s works have gained recognition and even been nominated for prestigious awards around the world.

Sue Meng Heritage founder Chan Sue Meng speaks to an audience

Alexandra Sun and her son, Justin, who is currently a music student in Beijing, also took the opportunity to speak to the press about their plan to raise Ipoh’s profile in the history of Dr Sun Yat-sen’s revolution through a link with Sun Yat-sen Cultural Foundation. They also met with some active local community members.