Sun Yat Sen, the founder of the Chinese Revolutionary Alliance (Tong Meng Hui), established the Singapore branch of the Tong Meng Hui on 6 April 1906 at a villa owned by a local supporter (now known as the Sun Yat Sen Memorial Hall). This photograph was taken soon after the Singapore branch was established. Sun visited Singapore eight times between 1900 and 1911. Born in 1866 in present-day Guangdong, Sun Yat Sen was a Chinese revolutionary who played a major role in raising awareness, support and funds for the revolution which led to the collapse of the Qing Dynasty. Following the collapse, the Republic of China was created in 1912 with Sun as president. He was eventually exiled in 1913 by the Republic’s new president, Yuan Shikai. In 1923, Sun became the head of the Kuomintang Government which ruled from the city of Canton (now Guangzhou). He died of liver cancer in Beijing in 1925.
