AsiaCalling

Download The father of the nation, a pioneer of China’s revolution, a selfless politician, a man of the world.

These are just some of the ways China remembers Sun Yat Sen, the man who ended over 2000 years of imperial rule that led to the founding of modern China.

China celebrated the 100th anniversary of that revolutionon this week.

Rebecca Valli takes a look at what it means for China today.

In the great hall of the People, the Chinese government is carefully marking the anniversary.

After the national anthem President Hu Jintao takes the stage.

"A century ago, revolutionaries led by Sun Yat-sen launched the revolution, which shook the world and ushered in unprecedented social changes in China."

It was Sun Yat-sen who led the revolution against the Qing Empire and founded Asia's first republic - the Republic of China.

‘I want change, I want a revolution.’

A tribute film with top Chinese stars was screened this month to celebrate the anniversary of this revolution.

The central character in the film is Sun Yat Sen, an American educated Chinese who became the first president of the republic.  

“I am Jeremiah Jenne, I am the associate director of China Studies at IES Abroad Beijing center, I teach late imperial history and modern Chinese history there.”

Jenne points to picture of Sun Yat Sen in military uniform on displayedat a Xinhai revolution exhibit in Beijing.

“He is not a military guy, this is from 1917. He is playing dress up, he was much more confortable as a guiding figure, as a mentor than he was a man of action.”

He remains highly respected by almost all Chinese in the mainland, Taiwan and elsewhere in the world.

But in 1949 the Communist Party overthrew the republic, forcing it to retreat to Taiwan.

“Right now Sun Yat Sen is kind of seen as a John the Baptist for Mao Zedong, Sun Yat Sen had the idea, he set it in motion, just could not see it through. It was up to Chairman Mao and the communist party to complete the revolution in 1949, that is of course very different from the way it is seen in Taiwan, that sees Sun Yat Sen as the father of the country the beginning of it all.”

Since 1949 Taiwan and mainland China have functioned as de-facto separate states, though Beijing stills claims Taiwan as part of its territory.

In his celebratory speech, President Hu had a message for Taiwan.

"Mr. Sun Yat-sen once said, 'Unification is the hope of all Chinese people. With unification, the country's entire population will benefit; without unification, everybody will suffer.' Realising unification by peaceful means best serves the fundamental interests of all Chinese people, including our Taiwan compatriots."

Sun Yat Sen’s political philosophy revolved around what he called “the three principles of the people”: nationalism, democracy and people’s livelihood.

According to some media commentators, the anniversary has helped revive debate about democracy and political reform.

For liberal intellectuals, ideas of constitutional democracy that sparked the revolution 100 years ago are still very much alive.

I am walking in downtwn Beijing, very narrow alleyways with courtyard houses on both sides, I will ask people here what they remember about the anniversary, and about Sun Yat Sen.

“An anniversary? Is it an historical event?  The 10th of October…let me think…[Sighs] what is on October the tenth? Is it a war thing?”

Mister Liao and mister Wang are 24 and 29 years old, one has just graduated from university, the other works as a clerk in an office nearby.

After I mention Sun Yat Sen, they seem to remember.

“Sun Yat Sen, the father of the nation Sun Yat Sen? I don’t know much about him though. In the mainland people know about Mao Zedong more.”

“Now the core of education in China teaches that ever since the liberation in 1949 the priority is given to the Communist Party of China. So about the Xinhai revolution, you know Sun Yat Sen is seen in Taiwan as the father of the nation, but in China he is the pioneer of the revolution. He made a progress in Chinese way of thinking. The society was a feudal one before him, then after experiencing his ideas there was no going back to the old ways. So brought about an advancement in people’s thinking. It became more advanced and more democratic.”

Arthur Resenbaum is an American historian.

He explains why Sun Yat Sen enjoys such popularity among common people and politicians on both sides of the strait.

“Here is a person who worked most of his life towards China’s good as he saw it, and a sort of selfless way, wasn’t concern about self profit, genuinly committed to a cause, whether or not he was an effective leader that is another question, but he kept going, and at points when he had very little support he wa s able to stand by it and to push it, so in a way he stands for something in the eyes of many Chinese.”

Sun Yat Senhad charisma, he died before he could explain his theories of nationalism, people’s livelihood and democracy.

Today, both China and Taiwan - two completely different political systems – consider him the pioneer of their own political model. It might seem a contradiction.

Yet Rosenbaum argues that in building a nation all countries are the same. Memories are rebuilt, and messages are cleared.