Sun Yat-sen

Sun Yat-sen (November 12, 1866 – March 12, 1925) was a Chinese revolutionary leader who had a significant role in the overthrow of the Qing Dynasty. A founder of the Kuomintang, Sun was the first provisional president when the Republic of China was founded in 1912. He developed a political philosophy known as the Three Principles of the People which still heavily influences Chinese governments today.

Names

Like many other Chinese historical figures, Sun Yat-sen used several names throughout his life, and he is known under several of these names, which can be quite confusing for the Westerner. Names, which are not taken lightly in China, are central to Chinese culture. This reverance goes as far back as Confucius and his insistence on using correct names. This can be confusing to foreigners. In addition to the names and aliases listed below, Sun also used many other aliases while he was a revolutionary in exile. According to one study, he used as many as thirty different names.

Related Topics:
China - Confucius - Alias

~ ~ ~ ~ ~ ~ ~ ~ ~ ~

The "real" name of Sun Yat-sen (the concept of real or original name is not as clear-cut in China as it is in the Western world, as will become obvious below), the name inscribed in the genealogical records of his family, is Sun Deming (???). This "register name" is the name under which his extended relatives of the Sun family would have known him; and it was a name that was used on formal occasions, such as when he got married.

~ ~ ~ ~ ~ ~ ~ ~ ~ ~

In 1883, Sun was baptized as a Christian, and he started his studies in Hong Kong. On that occasion, he chose himself a pseudonym: Rixin (??, lit. renew oneself daily). Later, his professor of Chinese literature changed this pseudonym into Yixian (??). Unlike in Mandarin, pronunciation of both pseudonyms are similar to Yat-sen in Cantonese. This was the name that he used in his frequent contacts with Westerners which became his most often used name in the West.

Related Topics:
1883 - Hong Kong - Pseudonym - Mandarin - Cantonese

~ ~ ~ ~ ~ ~ ~ ~ ~ ~

In 1897, Sun arrived in Japan. Desiring to remain hidden from Japanese authorities, he renamed himself Nakayama Sh? (???). After his return to China in 1911, the alias Nakayama was transliterated into Zhongshan. Today, the overwhelming majority of Chinese people know Sun under the name Sun Zhongshan. Often it is shortened to Zhongshan only (as is usually done for Chinese names to show respect), and inside China one can find many instances of Zhongshan Avenue, Zhongshan Park, etc.

~ ~ ~ ~ ~ ~ ~ ~ ~ ~

In 1940, the Kuomintang party officially conferred on the late Sun the name Guofu (??, meaning "National Father"), and this name is still frequently used in Taiwan and Hong Kong. In mainland China, the title "Forerunner of the Revolution" (?????) is sometimes used instead.

Related Topics:
1940 - Kuomintang - Taiwan - Hong Kong - Mainland China

~ ~ ~ ~ ~ ~ ~ ~ ~ ~