Sun Yat-sen’s Former Residence Memorial Hall is located at No. 18 Dongsha Street, Textile Road, Haizhu District. It was originally a cement factory established by Cen Chunxuan, the Guangdong military governor at the end of the Qing Dynasty, to supplement the military funds. The memorial hall consists of two yellow three-story buildings, the South Building and the North Building, connected by a passageway, with eastern and western squares and a main entrance. These two main buildings combine the Lingnan architectural style, such as vase-style railings and shutter doors and windows, making the entire yellow building very spectacular.
The museum now houses long-term exhibitions including ‘A Hundred Years of the Commanding Office’, ‘Sun Yat-sen’s Three Establishments of Political Power in Guangzhou’, ‘Famous Personalities of the Commanding Office’, ‘Payne’s Architectural Footprints in Guangzhou’, and ‘Lingnan in Payne’s Eyes’. There are also special temporary exhibitions from time to time. The general visiting order is from the North Building to the South Building, and the entire tour takes about an hour. The North Building exhibits Sun Yat-sen’s revolutionary trajectory in Guangzhou, which is ‘Sun Yat-sen’s Three Establishments of Political Power in Guangzhou’, as well as a large amount of historical materials on the establishment of Guangzhou as a city. On the railing of Sun Yat-sen’s office in the North Building, there are the two words ‘Seeking Truth’ inscribed by Sun Yat-sen himself. The South Building restores the original appearance of various rooms where Sun Yat-sen lived and worked. On the third floor, there are ‘Sun Yat-sen’s Office’, ‘Commanding Office Conference Room’, ‘Sun and Song’s Bedroom’, ‘Dining Room’, ‘Bathroom’, ‘Radio Room’, and a small guest room once occupied by Soong Mei-ling. The four rooms on the second floor of the South Building are ‘Staff Office’, ‘Secretary’s Office’ (Liao Zhongkai’s Office), ‘Headquarters Bulletin Editorial Office’, and ‘Chief Advisor’s Office’ (Hu Hanmin’s Office). The first floor also has various rooms, such as ‘Medical Officer’s Office’, ‘Military Affairs Office’, ‘Armory’, etc. The corridors from the first to the third floor of the South Building are the ‘A Hundred Years of the Commanding Office’ restoration display. Opening hours are Tuesday to Sunday, 08:30-17:30; closed all day on Mondays; and open on National Day, 08:30-17:30. Service facilities include free public guided tours. Guided tour times are 10:00, 11:00, 15:00, and 16:00, with each tour lasting approximately 40 minutes and a maximum of 15 people per tour. Registration is on a first-come, first-served basis. Meeting point is between the North and South Buildings of Sun Yat-sen’s Former Residence. Inquiry phone number: 020-89012366. Must-see tips: 1. Try to avoid holidays, as the waiting time in line during holidays may be very long, even exceeding half an hour. 2. There are free guided tours inside the museum, but each tour is limited to 15 people, on a first-come, first-served basis.
