Sun Yat-sen's Former Residence (Sun Zhongshan Guju Jinianguan)

Description:

• Sun Yat-sen (1866-1925), beloved founder of the Chinese Republic (1911), lived here with his wife, Soong Ching-ling, from June 1918 to November 1924, when the address would have been 29 Rue de Moliere. Here Sun's wife later met with such literary stars as Lu Xun and George Bernard Shaw (at the same dinner party), as well as political leaders including Vietnam's Ho Chi Minh (in 1933). Led by an English-speaking guide, visitors enter through the kitchen on the way to the dining room. Sun's study is upstairs, complete with ink stone, brushes, maps drawn by Sun, and a "library" of 2,700 volumes (look closer and you'll see they're merely photocopies of book spines). The bedroom and the drawing room contain more original furnishings, including an original "Zhongshan" suit, similar to the later Mao suit. The backyard has a charming garden.

• © Frommer's 2012

Awards:

Frommer's

•  Recommended 2010