Sun Yat sen

Sun Yat-sen was a Chinese revolutionary leader, physician, and political philosopher who played a pivotal role in overthrowing the Qing dynasty and establishing the Republic of China. He is widely regarded as the father of modern China and the founder of the Kuomintang (Nationalist Party of China). He was also the first provisional president of the Republic of China in 1912 and later the de facto leader of the country from 1923 to 1925. Sun Yat-sen was born in Cuiheng, a village in Guangdong province, to a peasant family. He received both traditional Chinese and Western education, and converted to Christianity in his youth. He became involved in anti-Qing activities and joined various revolutionary societies, such as the Revive China Society and the Tongmenghui. He led or participated in several uprisings against the Qing government, such as the Huizhou Uprising, the Guangzhou Uprising, and the Wuchang Uprising. He also traveled extensively to seek support and funds from overseas Chinese and foreign powers. After the success of the 1911 Revolution, which ended the imperial rule in China, Sun Yat-sen was elected as the provisional president of the Republic of China. However, he soon resigned and transferred the power to Yuan Shikai, a former Qing general who promised to support the republic but later betrayed it and declared himself emperor. Sun Yat-sen then formed a rival government in southern China and continued to oppose Yuan and his successors, the warlords who dominated northern China. In 1923, he reorganized his party and formed an alliance with the Communist Party of China, with the help of the Soviet Union. He launched the Northern Expedition, a military campaign to unify China under his rule, but died of liver cancer in Beijing in 1925, before the expedition was completed. His successor, Chiang Kai-shek, eventually achieved the unification in 1928, but also broke with the communists and initiated a civil war that lasted until 1949. Sun Yat-sen's political philosophy, known as the Three Principles of the People, consisted of nationalism, democracy, and socialism. He advocated for a republican system of government that would represent the will and interests of the Chinese people, and a social welfare program that would improve their living conditions. He also promoted a cultural revolution that would modernize China and free it from foreign influence and feudal traditions. Sun Yat-sen is revered by both the People's Republic of China and the Republic of China (Taiwan) as a national hero and a founding father. His mausoleum in Nanjing is a sacred site for both governments, and his portrait is displayed in many public places. His birthday, November 12, is celebrated as a national holiday in Taiwan, and his death anniversary, March 12, is commemorated as a memorial day in mainland China.