Sun Yat Sen Nanyang Memorial Hall 孙中山南洋纪念馆, Singapore

Sun Yat Sen Nanyang Memorial Hall (11 July 2011)


Sun Yat Sen Nanyang Memorial Hall 孙中山南洋纪念馆 (GPS: 1.32786, 103.84678) is a double-storey bungalow commemorating Dr Sun Yat Sen in Singapore. Located at 12 Tai Gin Road, next to the Burmese Buddhist Temple, it is also known as Wan Qing Yuan (晚晴园), and was formerly called Sun Yat Sen Villa (孙中山故).

The Sun Yat Sen Nanyang Memorial Hall is believed to have been built in 1889 by businessman Boey Chuan Poh to house his mistress Bin Chan. It was originally known as Bin Chan House.

In 1905 the house was bought over by Teochew rubber magnate Teo Eng Hock (great-granduncle of Singapore Deputy Prime Minister cum Minister of Defence Teo Chee Hean) for the use of his elderly mother, Madam Tan Poh Neo. A supporter of the Chinese Revolution, Teo Eng Hock later allowed it to be used as the Singapore branch of the Tong Meng Hui, or Chinese Revolutionary Alliance.

Teo Eng Hock suffered a downturn in his business after the First World War, and he was forced to sell off the bungalow. A group of leading Chinese businessmen, including philanthropist Lee Kong Chian, banded together to save the property. They bought it in 1937 with the intention of preserving it for posterity.

During the Second World War, the Japanese occupational forced used it as a communications hub. Later on, in the 1950s, it came under the charge of the Singapore Chinese Chamber of Commerce and Industry, which was instrumental in preserving it for its historical value, and subsequently renaming it the Sun Yat Sen Villa.

The Sun Yat Sen Villa underwent a S$7.5 million restoration in 1997, and when it reopened in November 2001, it was renamed the Sun Yat Sen Nanyang Memorial Hall. The building houses a collection of paintings, calligraphy works and sculptures related to the revolutionary movement in China.

On the front compound is a seated statue of Dr Sun Yat Sen. Also located within the compound are other statues, particularly of Dr Sun's followers who were martyred. A highlight of the memorial hall is a 60-meter bronze mural depicting various scenes involving the history of the Chinese in Singapore.

The Sun Yat Sen Nanyang Memorial Hall underwent another redevelopment work on 11 October 2010, and was reopened on 8 October 2011 to commemorate the 100th anniversary of the 1911 Chinese Revolution.

Sun Yat Sen Nanyang Memorial Hall (11 July 2011)


Sun Yat Sen Nanyang Memorial Hall (11 July 2011)


Side view of Sun Yat Sen Nanyang Memorial Hall (11 July 2011)


Statue of Dr Sun Yat Sen (11 July 2011)


Renovation in progress at Sun Yat Sen Nanyang Memorial Hall (11 July 2011)

360° View of Sun Yat Sen Nanyang Memorial Hall on Google Maps Street View

Sun Yat Sen Nanyang Memorial Hall (Jul 2016)

Getting there

Take the North-South Line to the Toa Payoh MRT Station. From there, it is possible to walk (as I did), or you can take bus 139 or 145.

Sun Yat Sen Nanyang Memorial Hall, Singapore, is on the map of Sites Associated with Dr Sun Yat Sen

List of Historic Buildings in Singapore and Sun Yat Sen-related Sites in Asia; Discover Singapore

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About this website

Hello and thanks for reading this page. My name is Timothy and my hobby is in describing places so that I can share the information with the general public. My website has become the go to site for a lot of people including students, teachers, journalists, etc. whenever they seek information on places, particularly those in Malaysia and Singapore. I have been doing this since 5 January 2003, for over twenty years already. You can read about me at Discover Timothy. By now I have compiled information on thousands of places, mostly in Peninsular Malaysia and Singapore, and I continue to add more almost every day. My goal is to describe every street in every town in Malaysia and Singapore.