My Visit to the Sun Yat Sen Nanyang Memorial Hall（晚晴圆）
Preamble: This is a fieldwork report written by me as part of an NUS school module on the history of the Chinese in Southeast Asia.
Introduction
On the 8th March 2020 at around 3 pm in the afternoon, I visited the Sun Yat Sen Nanyang Memorial Hall located along Tai Gin Road in Singapore. The purpose of my visit was to conduct a field trip report and to find out more about the significance of this national monument in supporting Sun Yat Sen’s revolutionary ideas. Although this was my second visit, I no longer have clear recollections of my first visit and therefore the sights and experiences I gained from this second visit were still quite novel to me.
The first impression I had of the Sun Yat Sen Nanyang Memorial Hall was that it seemed quite empty and isolated from the rest of Singapore. It was located in a quiet part of Singapore and not many people would pass by it daily. Although my entire visit lasted for around an hour, I only saw less than ten visitors in the compound. For the most part of my visit, I was the sole visitor at that particular part of the exhibition hall, examining the exhibits alone. I could not help but compare this sight to the previous museum trips I had made. For instance, during my visit to the National Museum of China located beside Tiananmen Square in Beijing, that museum seemed like a much more vibrant and crowded place. It was packed with individuals seeking to understand more about the history of the Chinese civilisation and China’s path towards modernity. Granted that Singapore is a much smaller island and that the Sun Yat Sen Nanyang Memorial Hall is considerably smaller than the National Museum of China, I still felt that it was a pity that there was not many visitors here.
Architecture and a brief overview
The Sun Yat Sen Nanyang Memorial Hall is in fact, a beautifully designed colonial-style two storey villa. Upon entering the outer white gates of the compound, I was greeted by a spacious plot of greenfield whereby the centerpiece was marked by a heroic sitting figure of Dr. Sun Yat Sen himself. The plaque accompanying this figure outlined a brief history of the Sun Yat Sen Nanyang Memorial Hall. By reading it, I was able to gain a better understanding of how the villa came into existence, its’ historical significance as well as the transfer of ownership throughout its history.
The Sun Yat Sen Nanyang Memorial Hall was a villa originally known as Wan Qing Yuan, purchased by Teo Eng Hock in 1905 as a retirement home for his mother. The villa was later offered to Dr Sun Yat Sen which served as the Nanyang headquarters to organise revolutionary activities. It assumed a pivotal role in inspiring the 1911 revolution which brought an end to the Qing Dynasty and heralded a new age of the modern-day People’s Republic of China. After the 1911 revolution, however, the villa went through several transfers of ownership and became neglected as a result. Fortunately in 1937, in view of its historical significance, six local Chinese pioneers collectively purchased the villa and carried out preservation works. Wan Qing Yuan then opened as a museum for the public, dedicated to honouring Dr Sun Yat Sen. In 1951, the Singapore Chinese Chamber of Commerce took over it and carried out further restoration works. Wan Qing Yuan later became known as the Sun Yat Sen Villa. In 1994, the villa was hailed as a national monument and renamed as “Wan Qing Yuan — Sun Yat Sen Memorial Hall” in 1996. Today, Sun Yat Sen Nanyang Memorial Hall falls under the management of the National Heritage Board and has gone through redevelopment to serve as an educational museum for the public.
This explains why the exterior of the villa seemed new and maintained even though it has many years of history. The villa is characterised by a layer of fresh white paint and exudes a sense of importance. It seemed ideal for residence and at the same time, for conducting important gatherings relating to politics. Just by standing outside, I could imagine how the villa could serve as a place of retirement for Teo Eng Hock’s mother. Its’ architectural design with an extending balcony seemed like a cosy place for a retiree to overlook the entire green field which I presumed, was maintained by a gardener and hosted lots of beautiful green plants, flowers and even garden insects in its heyday. I could envisage how one could easily conduct leisurely activities and entertain guests in the comforts of the grand villa. At the same time, I could also picture how the villa could play an important political role in furthering Dr. Sun Yat Sen’s ambitions. The villa would later go on to serve as a key headquarter for important individuals to conduct their meetings and plot strategies for uprisings in China against the Qing dynasty. The greenfield outside the main structure of the villa must have witnessed the footsteps of many intellects rushing in and out in excitement, driven by their passion and dream for a more modern China that was free from the shackles of the imperial system. It amazes me to think of how this building, located so far south in Asia and out of China, could have played an instrumental role in aiding Dr. Sun Yat Sen in his quest for a modern republic of China.
The Exhibitions
As I opened the main doors of the villa, I was greeted by a group of staff. I registered myself and was given a purple sticker (above) as an indicator of my registration. The memorial hall houses four permanent galleries that focus on the roles played by the Singapore Chinese community in Dr. Sun Yat Sen’s revolutionary movement, the community’s responses to socio-political changes in China and the lasting impact of the 1911 Revolution on the Chinese in Southeast Asia. Below is the layout plan of the memorial hall.
First Gallery
The first part of the exhibition introduced three main personalities who were instrumental in supporting Dr. Sun Yat Sen’s quest. They were local pioneers Teo Eng Hock, Tan Chor Lam, and Lim Nee Soon. All three men were members of the Tong Meng Hui Singapore branch set up by Dr. Sun and supported the overthrowing of the Qing Dynasty and the establishment of a modern China republic. They were active in managing the operations of the Tong Meng Hui and took charge of reading clubs and newspaper publications to promote revolutionary ideals in the Southeast Asia region. I learned that the three men first came into contact when Dr. Sun who was then in Honolulu came across a calendar published by the newspaper Thoe Lam Jit Poh, specialising in spreading revolutionary ideas. The calendar featured the Liberty Bell and the flag of independence as well as a revolutionary slogan at the top that read “How can we bear to let others trample on the glorious culture of our country? I call on our heroes to take back our land!”. Dr. Sun subsequently contacted Yau Lit to request a meeting with the three local pioneers mentioned above who ran the newspaper and this was how they got to know each other. The picture of the calendar above was the calendar that connected them.
Teo Eng Hock, the owner of the villa, decided to offer Wan Qing Yuan to Dr Sun Yat Sun who later decided to make Singapore its’ overseas revolutionary base because of its strategic location, well developed infrastructure and sizable Chinese population. He set up the Tong Meng Hui Singapore branch at Wan Qing Yuan in the late 1905. The villa then became an important command post for revolutionary activities organised by the Singapore Tong Meng Hui Singapore branch.
Second Gallery
The second part of the gallery touched on how Dr. Sun Yat Sen conducted activities to further his revolutionary ideas. To generate public awareness and gain more overseas support, Dr. Sun later also started the revolutionary newspaper, Chong Shing Yit Pao, to serve as the mouthpiece of the revolutionary movement. Above were some photographs were taken by me in the memorial hall to showcase samples of the articles and comics that were published. For instance, satirical cartoons were created with the intention to be educational and both humorous to advance the revolutionary agenda amongst the masses and expose corruption in the Qing government. Apart from newspaper publishing, Dr. Sun Yat Sen’s ideology was propagated through the setting up of reading clubs, organisations of public lectures and operas.
As I looked through the display, I wondered how effective the news publisher was in communicating their intended ideas. In an era of no real mass literacy, how informed were the masses of the political climate and stance of the newspaper publisher? Was everyone able to understand how to read and the context of the comics? Unlike in contemporary times where one can easily gain access to the latest news and political developments, the main channel of information for the masses came through newspapers and word of mouth. This meant that for the average joe to gain updates of news, one had to either read the newspaper or chat with friends. However, given that most Chinese migrants were likely to be doing labour work and had limited access to education, it was likely that their main channel of information came from conversations with their friends or counterparts. Hence, did the low literacy rates amongst most Singapore Chinese lead to the phenomenon that newspapers were mostly read by the small group of intellects in society? If this was so, did it mean that the effectiveness of the Chong Shing Yit Pao was limited since the news articles and cartoons published could only be understood by educated individuals with a certain level of literacy and grasp of the political climate? However, this was not mentioned in the exhibition and remains a question for me. Perhaps it was also because of this knowledge that the Tong Meng Hui Singapore branch also organised public lectures and opera which were possibly activities that had a lower barrier to entry and were easily understood by the masses.
Moving on, the exhibition provided us with an actual visualisation of how Dr. Sun Yat Sen lived in the villa when he was in Singapore. It was mentioned that Dr. Sun Yat Sen used the villa as his headquarter to plot for uprisings and host gatherings between members. Below is a photo of his living quarters. He travelled to Singapore for a total of nine times from 1900 to 1911. Out of these nine visits, he stayed in Wan Qing Yuan on four occasions.
The panel above illustrates the number of uprisings that Dr. Sun Yat Sen attempted to organised. One thing that inspires me is Dr. Sun Yat Sen’s determination to fight for his beliefs. Throughout his lifetime, he organised many revolutions of which most failed however, he never gave up and continued to persevere. A failed uprising did not stop him from organising another uprising. His relentless pursuits led him to be able to gain new followers and eventually inspire the Xinhai revolution of 1911 which eventually led to the fall of the Qing Dynasty. I think this is one characteristic of Dr. Sun Yat Sen that we can all appreciate and learn from. His passion for a modern China fuelled his determination and continual efforts in conducting multiple uprisings against the Qing government led me to realise how important having a passion for something is. Sticking to one’s goals and being patient will eventually lead to one achieving positive results and achieving one’s ambitions. This is something that we can all apply in our daily lives.
Third Gallery
The third part of the gallery focused on how the 1911 Xinhai revolution led to social reforms and change in China which indirectly impacted the Chinese society in Singapore. When Dr. Sun Yat Sen was appointed the provisional president of the Chinese Republic, he introduced legislation to get rid of undesirable practices such as opium smoking, foot binding. New reforms were organised such as the cutting of the queue (Chinese pigtail) which were a symbol of subjugation to Machu rule. The National Products Movement also emerged in China whereby citizens were encouraged to purchase domestic Chinese goods to spur the country’s industrial development. The Chinese in Singapore also followed suit and adopted the new social reforms. It was very evident that the Chinese from the time period that the exhibition was showcasing, were still very patriotic towards China. They perceived themselves to be part of China and followed the societal norms that were practiced in China even though they were physically away. I was able to appreciate the difference in values and patriotism between the older generations of the Chinese in Singapore with the current Chinese generations of Singapore. The photos below are the exhibits displayed regarding the cutting of queues and the National Products Movement.
The third gallery also included an exhibition that showcased the contributions of the local Chinese in Singapore. Some of them include Tan Tock Seng, Hoo Ah Kay, Seah Eu Chin, Dr. Lim Boon Keng, and Tan Kah Kee. I had come across these individuals during the teachings in class and it was refreshing to see their profiles in the museum. I was able to reconsolidate what I had learned in class and refresh my memory on their contributions and achievements. One profile that stood out to me was Mr Tan Kah Kee. I remembered that I was first introduced to Mr Tan Kah Kee when I was a Secondary one student. The Secondary school which I attended was Nan Chiau High School, which is a Hokkien-Huay Kuan affiliated school, founded by Mr Tan Kah Kee. I remember vividly the head figurine of him at the main entrance of my school (right photo below). Looking at the descriptions of his contributions to Singapore, I felt that I could actually relate as I had first-hand understanding and experience of how it was like to study in a school founded by Mr Tan Kah Kee. I was able to better understand the impact that his contributions had on multi-generations of Singapore Residents.
Fourth Gallery
This brings us to gallery four which showcased how the revolution impacted the Chinese education system in Singapore. As the British colonial government left matters pertaining to education in the hands of the local Chinese, the earliest Chinese schools were mainly set up by the local Chinese clans. I learned from the exhibits that there were different types of schools in Singapore.
The first would be traditional private schools known as Sishu. They were set up at the end of the 19th century and focused on teaching Confucian texts and classics. These classes were conducted mainly by scholars from China and their venues were in clan associations and temples.
The second type of school was New-Style Schools which adopted China’s education system as well as policies. Textbooks that were published in China were used. Such schools were supported by the Qing government which had been sending consulates and officials to support the development of education in Southeast Asia.
Apart from these two schools, some Chinese students chose to attend schools that were established by the British Colonial government and missionaries. English was the primary medium of instructions in these schools however, Chinese lessons were also offered, hence providing students with bilingual education.
I wondered what factors influenced parents in deciding what types of schools to send their children to. Perhaps Sishu were mainly attended by traditional Chinese students whose parents were adamant for their children to be well versed in Confucian teachings. New-style schools were probably for students who wanted to study a syllabus that was more in line with what was offered in mainland China. Students who attended schools started by the British colonial government and missionaries could belong to Peranakan families or families who worked for the British government and understood the importance and advantage of being fluent in English.
The New Culture Movement which swept across China in the early 20th century included a regulation in 1920 whereby the Beijing government ordered the use of vernacular Chinese in all textbooks. This led to many schools switching to using vernacular Chinese as the medium of instruction. The photo below explains how the switch from classical Chinese to vernacular Chinese started. I support the replacement of classical Chinese with vernacular Chinese because it certainly made learning Chinese much easier and increased the literacy rates by lowering the entrance to barrier when it comes to learning. This enabled ordinary people to break out of the vicious cycle of poverty by being able to be literate and pursue an education.
Similarly, schools for females were started in Singapore following influences from the west and reformist ideas from China. The Nanyang University, which became the first Chinese university in Southeast Asia was established and it meant that Chinese-educated students from the region could receive primary education to tertiary education.
The exhibition also enabled me to understand how the educational tools used in the past looked like. For instance, the “Magic-Brain” calculator and mathematical instruments set (which I noticed, looked exactly the set I used) and even a school receipt.
The exhibition then concluded with an introduction of the Singapore Chinese Chamber of Commerce and Industry and touched on some of the contributions made by the organisation and their significance. It also reaffirmed Wan Qing Yuan’s position as an important part of Singapore’s history and the Chinese community’s heritage.
Conclusion
Overall, I was able to understand more about how political events in mainland China impacted the Chinese in Singapore. Unlike now where most of us remain nonchalant and unconcerned about the political events happening in China, the Chinese in Singapore at that time were very concerned about those matters. Events in China had spillover effects in Singapore such as in the case of how Dr. Sun Yat Sen came to arrive at Singapore to promote his ideology for a modern China, social reforms in China and the switch to the usage of vernacular Chinese in education. Whatever happened in China had an impact on the lives of the individuals in Singapore when it comes to political and social matters.
I felt that the exhibition was very insightful as I managed to understand how the villa had played a role in furthering Dr. Sun Yat Sen’s ambitions through providing me with a chronological flow of events that happened since Teo Eng Hock bought the villa. Apart from just providing informative descriptions and photographs, there were actual objects being presented in the exhibitions. I felt that by including actual physical objects, it enables the visitor to fully comprehend how the object being described looked like in real life. The general ambiance of the room was also very welcoming with its’ dim lights. The overall room design, as well as the layout of the exhibitions, were done nicely as I did not feel that there was an overwhelming amount of information to take it. Information and facts were provided in an adequate manner.
Perhaps one way the entire experience could be improved would be the inclusion of a video or recording of Dr. Sun Yat Sen giving his speeches. Even though the exhibition did mention what were some of the efforts made by Dr. Sun Yat Sen in pushing for a modern China and also included photographs and calligraphies written by him, It would be nice if we could have an audio recording of his speeches. This will allow visitors to gain a better feel and understanding of how Dr. Sun Yat Sen was able to inspire others to follow him.
Another improvement would be to include more background knowledge of Dr. Sun Yat Sen as an individual himself. For instance, how Sun Yat Sen was inspired to push for a more modern China and how he got to be influenced by western ideas. It would be useful for visitors to be able to understand his educational background, family history, and interests. By being able to understand Dr Sun Yat Sen as an individual, one would then be able to understand his reasons for pushing for a modern Republic of China.
Furthermore, I felt that even though the villa has been renamed to Sun Yat Sen Nanyang Memorial Hall because of his link to the villa, I felt that the exhibits were not entirely focused on Sun Yat Sen but rather how the Singapore society was impacted by the political events in mainland China. Dr. Sun Yat Sen seemed like a passing figure who happened to visit Singapore. For instance, the later part of the exhibition was mainly focused on the developments in Singapore in the education sector, Chinese societal groups, and social reforms. The fact that Sun Yat Sen only visited Singapore nine times and only four of them were instances where he resided in the villa also indicated to me that perhaps he did not have a very close association with the villa as the villa was just one of the many places that he visited in his overseas travels and hosted the Tong Meng Hui Association activities that were founded by him. Therefore, I feel that the title given to the villa is a little misleading as one would expect the exhibition to be solely describing Dr. Sun Yat Sen’s life story and works. However, I do understand that perhaps because Dr. Sun Yat Sen is a widely respected and renown figure that the name of the villa was chosen to be Sun Yat Sen Nanyang Memorial Hall. This is perhaps a move to attract more visitors.
In conclusion, I do feel that the Sun Yat Sen Memorial Hall is a place worth visiting. It is a place suitable for individuals who are interested to learn more about how the Chinese in Singapore of the past were being shaped by the political events in China as well as how Dr. Sun Yat Sen managed to make his mark on overseas lands such as Singapore, in promoting his ideology. The architecture of the villa is very beautiful and different from modern-day buildings and hence, it is worth looking at the compound and interiors to gain a deeper understanding of how people lived in the past.
