With the centennial of the 1911 Revolution led by Sun Yat-sen fast approaching, a group of senior government officials and experts in China's Guangdong province recently visited Sun's former residence in the city of Zhongshan. Experts suggested taking the precious opportunity to list the Sun Yat-Sen Cultural Project among the key provincial and national cultural projects, according to a report by Nanfang Daily.
Zhongshan is the hometown of Sun Yat-sen, who is revered as the father of modern China and has greatly influenced the city's economic and social development.
In 2007, Zhongshan announced plans to invest 10 billion yuan in carrying out eight cultural projects, with the first one being the Sun Yat-Sen Cultural Project.
In early 2010, the city sent an official document to central government officials, which reads, "Zhongshan has spared no effort to collect and study the thought of Sun Yat-Sen, but since it is difficult to accomplish this mission on our own, we hope the central government can help promote the development of the Sun Yat-Sen Cultural Project at the provincial and national level."
Currently, the Guangdong provincial government is considering including the Sun Yat-Sen Cultural Project in the list of key provincial cultural projects. In addition, Zhongshan will invest more than 100 million yuan in 2010 and 2011 in improving facilities and carrying out cultural activities centered on the theme of Sun Yat-Sen or the 1911 Revolution.
