One hundred years ago, a man from Cuiheng Village, Sun Yat-sen, led an epoch-making revolution, putting an end to China’s 2000-year ruling of feudalism and ushering in a period of modernization. The man, for his instrumental role in the overthrow of the dynasty and the founding of the republic, is frequently referred to as “father of the nation”. His name, Sun Yat-sen, thus became a household name worldwide. On the occasion of the centennial of Xinhai Revolution (the 1911 Revolution), how do people in Dr. Sun’s hometown commemorate it? Here is an interview of the Party Secretary Xue Xiaofeng of Zhongshan.

While answering the question how people in Zhongshan carry forward Dr. Sun’s spirit, Xue said, “Xinhai Revolution, led by Dr. Sun, is a great movement in China’s modern history that changed the future and destiny of Chinese people and it enjoys an indelible role in the process of the nation’s rejuvenation.”

Zhongshan, as his hometown of Sun Yat-sen and the only city in China named after him, has a unique feeling for the coming of the centennial. But the significance of the revolution led by Sun has transcended the boundaries. Sun’s spirit of equality, fraternity and treating the whole world as a community has won the recognition and respect of Chinese people all over the world. His spirit is an irreplaceable tie that binds Chinese people together.

The best commemoration of the centennial is to do things beneficial to people’s livelihood and the best heritage of Sun’s spirit is to promote further development, Xue said. The centennial provides a good opportunity for Zhongshan to forge a strong bond not only between people across the Straits, but also among Chinese people all over the world. Therefore, Zhongshan, aiming to produce a platform for cross-strait exchange and co-operations as well as a common spiritual home for Chinese culture, launched the projects of building a new Cuiheng Village, creating a strategic platform for oversea Chinese to start up business in Zhongshan and creating a spiritual home to promote Chinese culture.

Xue reiterated that the basic purpose of building a happy and harmonious Zhongshan is to improve people’s welfare and make people live a healthy and wealthy life, so the projects aiming for people’s livelihood should be open to people’s inspection.

To honor Xinhai Revolution, Zhongshan stepped up its efforts to turn itself into a culturally renowned city. Propelled by Sun’s spirit of equality and fraternity, Zhongshan, the starting place of China’s modern history, is now more and more a melting pot of Chinese culture and western cultures as well as a microcosm of the essences of Lingnan Culture.