Sun Yat-sen: life and legacy
Education and early politics
Born in Guangdong, Sun studied in Hawai‘i and Hong Kong and trained in medicine. Exposure to overseas Chinese communities, Christian institutions and Qing weakness shaped his belief that dynastic reform was insufficient.
Revolutionary organisation
Sun spent long periods abroad raising money and organising uprisings. His networks were important but fragmented, and the revolution that began at Wuchang in 1911 was not commanded by him.
Republic and party building
Sun became provisional president before yielding to Yuan Shikai in an attempt to secure national unity. Later failures led him to rebuild the Kuomintang as a disciplined political party with Soviet assistance.
Ideas and contested legacy
His Three Principles joined nationalism, popular government and livelihood, but their meaning changed across speeches and political contexts. Both the People's Republic of China and the Republic of China commemorate him while interpreting his programme differently.
