Commemorating China’s 1911 revolution

From Sun to Mao to now

Uncomfortable comparisons for an authoritarian government

Oct 8th 2011 | BEIJING | from the print edition

ONE hundred years ago on October 10th, a mutiny in the central Chinese city of Wuhan triggered the collapse of China’s last imperial dynasty. In Taiwan, which separated from the mainland in 1949 after a civil war and still claims to be the rightful heir of the republic founded in 1911, the anniversary will be celebrated with a parade, including a display of air power. But in China there are mixed feelings. The country is spending lavishly on festivities, too. But its ruling Communist Party is busily stifling debate about the revolutionaries’ dream of democracy, which has been realised on Taiwan but not on the mainland.

China and Taiwan have long disputed each others’ claims to be the heir of the 1911 revolution. Sun Yat-sen, regarded as the revolution’s leader, is officially revered on both sides of the Taiwan Strait. As usual around the time of the anniversary, a giant portrait of him was erected on October 1st in Tiananmen Square, opposite that of Mao Zedong (both wearing Sun suits, as they were known before their rebranding in Mao’s day). But the Communist Party’s efforts to play up the occasion have revealed its nervousness.

In late September, a film about the revolution, “1911”, starring Jackie Chan, a kung-fu actor from Hong Kong, was released. Officials trumpeted the movie but ticket sales have been lacklustre. The film carefully avoids dwelling on the sweeping political reforms initiated by the final imperial dynasty, the Qing, which precipitated its own overthrow. A popular television series, “Advance toward the Republic”, that focused on those reforms and was aired in 2003, was cut by censors before the series finished, and banned from rebroadcast. One scene showed Sun addressing politicians six years after the 1911 revolution with a lament that “only powerful people have liberty”. Echoes of China today were clearly too unsettling for the censors.

In the past year, officials have tried to stop discussion of the 1911 revolution straying into such realms. In November 2010 the Xiaoxiang Morning Herald, a newspaper in south China’s Hunan Province, got into trouble with the censors after publishing a supplement on the revolution. It quoted from a letter written by Vaclav Havel in 1975, when he was still a Czech dissident, to the country’s communist president, Gustav Husak: “history again demands to be heard”. The newspaper did not explain the context, which was Mr Havel’s lament about the Communist Party’s sanitisation of history. It did not need to. Its clear message was that the democratic demands of 1911 could not be repressed forever.

In recent months, upheaval in the Arab world has made officials even more nervous. In April they banned a symposium on the revolution planned by students at several leading universities in Beijing. A website advertising the event said that it aimed to look not only at “inspirational revolutionary victories” but also at things “hidden deeper” concerning democracy.

Two weeks ago the authorities suddenly cancelled the world premier of an opera, “Dr Sun Yat-sen”, which was due to be performed by a Hong Kong troupe at the National Centre for the Performing Arts close to Tiananmen Square in Beijing. “Logistical reasons” were cited, but Hong Kong media speculated that some of its content—including its portrayal of Sun’s love life—was deemed to be out of line.

But the authorities are not letting their political worries spoil a spending opportunity. In Wuhan, where the revolution began, they announced plans to splurge 20 billion yuan ($3.1 billion) on 1911-related exhibitions and on a makeover for the city. The Manchu emperor abdicated in February 1912, ending over 2,000 years of dynastic rule. Officials in Wuhan, and elsewhere, have been keeping quiet about the orgy of violence against Manchus that accompanied the upheaval (see article).

Some Chinese scholars say the revolution did little for China except to usher in chaotic warlordism, followed by authoritarian government. Such accusations have some merit. China did indeed slide into disarray, warlordism and insurrection after 1911. Any hopes of a democratic republic were overwhelmed by efforts to bring the country under control, which the Communist Party achieved in 1949. Li Zehou, a Chinese intellectual, has stirred debate in recent years by arguing that China should have given the Qing reforms more of a chance.

The Communist Party maintains that the 1911 revolution was justified, but finds itself in a quandary. Another star-studded film released earlier this year to mark its own 90th birthday stirred audiences in an unintended way. The film, covering the period from the revolution of 1911 to the Communist Party’s founding in 1921, prompted numerous comments on Chinese internet forums about the lessons it offered for rebelling against bad government. Interesting idea.

from the print edition | Asia

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From Sun to Mao to now

Oct 9th 2011, 01:36

1911’s Xinhai Revolution marked the critical point in modern China’s history in the aftermath of Opium War in 1840. After Marshal Lee Yuan-Hong built the military government in Wuhan 100 years ago, Dr. Sun Yat-Sun established the first successful Republic in Asia on 25th Dec. 1911 with the help of Hunan province and Shanghai’s echo which increase the supply of food-chain and affect the international hearings. However, for the longer life of this newly-born Republic, Dr. Sun had no choice but to give the seat of President to Qing Empire’s Prime Minister Yuan Shi-Kai, who had been controlling the gross Northern-Ocean land force, in order to dethrone the last emperor Puyi and end the 268-year Manchuria reign.

Most of Chinese living both in the two sides of Taiwan Straits and overseas still confuse the meanings of this day. The more profound reason to memorize this day is to let people know the hard work that the whole nation under people's willingness is more steady than under the one-dictatorship and the absolute monarchy.

In mainland China, the Communist Party often claims that Chinese should regard Dr. Sun as the key figure establishing the republic and taking the Western thoughts to push Chinese forward. Mao Ze-Dong, partly affected by Dr. Sun, paid very much attention to Dr. Sun’s real wife, Soong Ching-Ling, who suffered serious frustration such as the accidental abortion while escaping from the rude warlord ‘s occupation to the safe location with Dr. Sun. Moreover, the courage of stand on Mao Ze-Dong, Zhu De and Zhou En-Lai on 1st Oct. 1949 is forever impressed on many Chinese, representing the extension of Dr. Sun’s spirit. And Mao arranged Soong Ching-Ling to be one of China’s national chairwoman at the last living year. In comparison with Soong Ching-Ling, Dr. Sun’s son Sun Ke, who was once the Republic of China’s President in Nanjing’s Nationalist Government, and his granddaughter Nora Sun Sui-fen, who was a U.S. trade consul in ministry of commerce and died at the age of 72 on this year’s Apr. 29 in Shin-Kong Hospital, lived with ordinarily economical aged life.

Truly rather than Kuomintang’s Taipei authority, Beijing’s Communist Party can memorize Dr. Sun’s legacy and recognize the importance of public opinion. Almost every year from 1950 to the present, Taipei holds strange ceremony saying they must purchase weapon against People’s Liberation Army and have numerous senior high students show nonsense to defend their so-called Dr. Sun and honorable President Chiang.

There are still some discrepancies in Dr. Sun concerned. In addition to the TV series “Advance toward the Republic” , directed by Zhang Li, which I have ever watched in 2005 in Taiwan’s China Television, the movie “Soong’s Sisters” famous for its soundtrack maker Kitaro as well as the disputable scenarios is also the apparent example for us to discuss the paradox between Beijing’s China and Taipei. Nowadays, the bureaucracy under the fourth generation of Communist Party is unfamiliar with Dr. Sun. The worse is that many historic meanings is faded away, so we can see the terrible meeting of foolish Jiang Bing-Kuan and Chen Yun-Lin only to decorate the surface of faked negotiation but forget the democratic rule and forget what all Chinese really want - the unity of one China. Although Dr. Sun has left us in that faraway age, I think he and his revolutionaries’ thoughts are still talked of when it comes to the modern China.

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@ Chinaeagle and Daveycool

By the way, I wholly agree with Chinaeagle for your comment, especially your remind to New Conservative. Honestly speaking, Taiwan’s economy indeed grows due to the Nanjing’s gold stolen by gangster Chiang Kai-Shek when Chiang fled to Taipei. Therefore, Taiwan’s economy is not miracle. I live in Taiwan and feel shameful of Chiang’s despicable thing. I hope Tsai Ying-Wen with Su Chia-Chuan who can represent Taiwanese could win 2012’s presidential election to seriously force faked China’s leader Ma Ying-Jeou to step down. In reality, Taiwan Issue is only a “Rolex” matter which can be easily dealt with. In reality, it is dangerous to refer to democracy as the owner of sovereignty. Of course the better choice is to tissue the system of special administration region and choose the first Taiwan chief executive under Beijing’s China in accordance with international law. So we just enchant “Won-Shui” with Chinese Communist Party and enjoy this.

藉這篇的標題筆者順便提到一個中國正統政治思想的繼承及演變。這篇今天再回顧的時候，對該主題的邏輯還是不須更正。並附上一篇回兩名網友的但是曾經被版主刪掉過的段落。

政治一直是扮隨殘酷的現實，武漢的新軍領導黎元洪艱苦的在又敗又戰的情形下，除了建立短暫中產階級獨裁的商團代表政治外，領導湖北、湖南及重慶與上海的「光復」運動。可是有能耐搞三天三夜武昌大火的馮國璋，即清廷臨時任命的總理袁世凱的北洋陸軍一級大將仍然有能力掃平長江各省的革命軍。最後孫中山搞了伍廷芳（南方代表）、陸榮廷（北方代表）的南北議和，同時成功說服袁，以承認其中國國家領導的權宜之計，結束帝制國體及268年的清朝。

兩岸的紀念雙十的方式有同也有些認知落差，台灣是聽蔣總裁為角度、主軸敘述孫中山與國民革命歷程。但說起來這種說法是那車輪牌的刻印小說集錦而已，有時真會有鄙其小器之慨。毛主席則是偏向中國傳統美德面，除了認孫中山的宋慶齡為「革命勢力」正統象徵，宋慶齡在陳烱明叛變時意外流產，共產黨道義相挺，除了蔣介石很快的率隊抵達，就是共黨曾經和孫氏夫婦往來接濟一切，宋慶齡在孫中山過世後就偏向朱德和周恩來，並且在建政時一起見證歷史，她在世的最後一年多被毛澤東指定為國家委員會召集人，行國家主席職權。筆者也順便提到孫中山後人如孫科也有當過大總統及行政院長，來台在台北市創辦捐資興建中山女中，其孫女孫穗芬Nora Sun，孫科的四女兒不久前才亡於車禍。台北在1949年後的一黨威權統治，蔣介石承繼德國法西斯軍事教育及制度，長期儀式化孫中山及其一切，歪曲尊君隆禮，管說蓋了國父紀念館及文物陳列，及要求中學生考評背誦三民主義講義。順帶一提，本來江澤民先生接到過孫科第三女孫穗芳Lily Sun的信件，並獲江於2008年應允一千萬美金贊助云云。但受香港明報訪問時，孫穗芳說接受這筆錢就沒了自由傳達革命精神，中共的霸權會扭曲史實並玷污革命形象讓她不能收這筆錢。

之後數年筆者當提及此議題，稱毛澤東是二十世紀新民主主義的中國代表人物，其綜合了孫中山先生的三民主義為主的西方混合式思想和蘇維埃的馬列式民主，以農工為主體的大會決定政治的一切，推動社會和國家進步，是很重實務面、生活面及政治思想的推進。當天很多台灣的有志之士看到江陳會淪為作小攤商的「敗會」，鋪張浪費至極，很令人難過其特權及社會退步，無論是支持統獨或是藍綠與否，而在大陸的官僚大部份當年仍有待習近平和李克強的整風及經濟開明政策之舉，有時他們會覺得孫中山所提的五權憲法完全是樓閣之鬼音。那孫中山的世界大同和民主革命的熱誠大概也只能在燈下文字與片場晃影中回憶吧？筆者在2006年夏季資訊展曾經購買過一套曾在中視播放，由張黎執導的「走向共和」(台譯「滿清末代王朝」)，繼2005年在大陸放映引起爭議，由喜多朗配樂的「宋氏王朝」一片後，所引領的另一波懷念百年中國的風潮。

「...is more steady than under the one-dictatorship and the absolute monarchy.」one-dictatorship 應更正為one-man dictatorship。

*附英文中國郵報China Post的報導一篇

Updated Sunday, January 2, 2011 11:44 pm TWN, The China Post news staff

ROC founder's granddaughter seriously injured in car accident

 Nora Sun (孫穗芬), a granddaughter of the Republic of China (R.O.C.) founding father Dr. Sun Yat-sen, was seriously injured during a car accident in Taipei yesterday just when Taiwan was celebrating the 100th anniversary of the founding of the R.O.C. on the first day of 2011.

The 72-year-old is currently in the intensive care unit at the Shin Kong Memorial Hospital after undergoing eight-hour-long emergency surgery. The hospital's superintendent Hou Sheng-mou said Sun sustained severe injuries to many parts of her body and he described Sun's condition as more stable following the treatment but was still critical and will need close attention for the following three days.

The accident occurred at around 7:40 a.m. on the city's Jianguo Overpass when Sun's friend was driving her to the Taoyuan International Airport to fly back to Hong Kong, the police said.

It was reported that a red-color vehicle on the opposite lane suddenly lost control and rammed into a crash barrier before running directly into Sun's car.

The 19-year-old driver of the red car, surnamed Chen, was killed at the scene while two others in the automobile together with Sun's friend were all injured in the accident and sent to the hospital.

Police said weariness was the probable cause of the accident, as the red car's two passengers, who suffered minor injuries, said they were driving home after attending a year-end party, the police said.

Sun, who lives overseas, was visiting Taiwan under the invitation of her friend to attend the ongoing Taipei International Flora Expo.

It was not immediately clear whether she had participated in any event to mark the 100th anniversary of the founding of the R.O.C. during her stay here. She previously disclosed that she hadn't been invited to join such events when asked by local media.

However, a local foundation responsible for organizing related celebrations said they had previously sent invitations to Sun, but she did not show up at any of these events.

In response to the accident, President Ma Ying-jeou expressed sincere regret and asked Presidential Office Secretary-General Liao Liou-yi to visit the hospital to get first-hand information on Sun's condition.

Liao said the president had asked the hospital to make use of every possible resource to take care of Sun, and hoped the nation would pray for her speedy recovery.

Meanwhile, Sun's son arrived in Taiwan from HongKong last night to visit his mother in the hospital.

Sun's grandfather was the spiritual leader behind revolts which succeeded in overthrowing the Qing Dynasty, China's last imperial dynasty, in 1911. The R.O.C. relocated to Taiwan in 1949 after losing a civil war to the Chinese communists.

Born in the Shanghai, China, Sun is the youngest daughter of Sun Ke, Sun Yat-sen's only son.

She later moved to Taiwan and worked as a flight attendant when she was only 17, the youngest flight attendant in Taiwan of that time. She then moved to the U.S. where she married and raised three children before enrolling in the University of Arizona and Babson College, Massachusetts at the age of 40.

　In 1986, Sun began a career in the U.S. diplomatic service and served as trade consul in the U.S. ministry of commerce and as trade counselor in the U.S. consulates in China and Europe.

　In a previous interview with local media, Sun said she had never met her grandfather since he died before she was born. But she added that the R.O.C. founder is a very important icon and a respectable ancestor.