Located at the southern foot of Yuexiu Mountain, Sun Yat-sen Memorial Hall is the biggest hall among all the halls in memory of him all over the world, with an area of 6.6 hectares (16 acres). It’s also one of the landmark buildings in Guangzhou. Paying a visit, you can enjoy not only the exhibitions about Sun Yat-sen but also the beauty of the building plus the famous ancient trees.
As the forerunner of Chinese democratic revolution, Sun Yat-sen has been respected by all Chinese home and overseas.
The Octagonal and Ancient Palace Style Main Building
The most noticeable building in Sun Yat-sen Memorial Hall is the Main Building, this building is mainly blue and red. On the top of the whole building stands a golden and oval globe. In the middle of the building hangs a horizontal inscribed board, written with four Chinese characters by Sun Yat-sen meaning the whole world is as one community. The Main Building is an ancient octagon house. The top is decorated with bright blue glazed tiles, the foundation and steps are made of white granite, and eight huge pillars are made of red terrazzo. The five bronze droplights hanging in the passage add more antique flavor to the whole building.
Inside the building, lots of pictures and word materials are posted on the walls, showing the deeds of Sun. A large platform is also built inside, holding many important gatherings and performances.
Exhibition Hall for Sun’s Deeds
To the northwest of the main building is the Exhibition Hall for Sun’s Deeds. This hall contains plenty of photos and other materials of Sun. The most interesting part in the hall is a 10-square foot section that is paved with bricks of five different time periods. Most of their production date is not clear; the two with the unique pattern could be identified before 1949.
The Unique Trees
Around the main building, the amazing 'Tree in Tree' would catch your eyes. The nearly 100 years old banyan stands to the southeast of the main building. This huge giant holds other smaller banyans with her 'arms'—nearly ten banyans grew up from her branches, hence the name 'Tree in Tree'.
Another 'Tree Embracing Tree' is also a major attraction. They stand apart facing “Tree in Tree” to the northeast of the main building, composed of another banyan embracing a Moringaceae tree.
Beside it stands a King of Kapok. As the city flower, the kapok is popular in Guangzhou. The King of Kapok is the oldest one in the whole city which is 300 years old. Every March, lots of kapoks are blossoming just like the red glow in the sky.
In addition, the largest magnolia albas also stands around Sun Yat-sen Memorial Hall. The two Ancient Magnolia Albas are guarding the main building like two loyal soldiers. Every June and October, the small white flowers are flying throughout to decorate the antique building.
How to get to Sun Yat-sen Memorial Hall
1. Take metro line 2 and get off at Memorial Hall.
2. Take bus 2/ B3A/ B3B/ B3C/ B3/ B4/ B4A/ 7/ 12/ 42/ 56/ 62/ 62A/ 74/ 80/ 85/ 133/ 204/ 209/ 215/ 229 / 261/ 276/ 283/ 284/ 293/ 297/ 305/ 518/ 528 and get off at Memorial Hall.
