Sun Yat Sen in Penang

By Khoo Salma Nasution.

Foreword by Lynn Pan.

As a young revolutionary, Dr. Sun Yat Sen travelled widely and lived amongst the Chinese communities abroad, including Japan, North America and Southeast Asia. He mobilized the overseas Chinese with the dream of saving the Chinese nation. This book tells the story of how the Second Guangzhou Uprising, a turning point of the 1911 Chinese Revolution, was planned from a place 2,400 km away – in Penang in present-day Malaysia.

Dr. Sun Yat Sen (1866-1925) was the foremost Asian nationalist figure of the early 20th century. The Huanghuagang Uprising (also called the Canton Uprising or Second Guangzhou Uprising) of spring 1911, a turning point of the revolution, was strongly supported by the Overseas Chinese. The Xinhai Revolution later that year led to the inauguration of the Chinese Republic.

Dr. Sun’s political party was the Tongmenghui or China Revolutionary Alliance. In 1910, the Southeast Asia headquarters of the Tongmenghui moved to Penang. At the time, the Penang Philomatic Union, based at 120 Armenian Street, was the cover for the Penang Tongmenghui.

It was in Penang that Dr. Sun convened the Penang Conference in November 1910 to plan the Huanghuagang Uprising in Guangzhou, China.

Dr. Sun gave a famous speech at 120 Armenian Street to launch his fundraising campaign and raised $8,000 Straits Dollars on the spot. The Kwong Wah Jit Poh, one of the world’s oldest Chinese newspaper was launched by Dr. Sun and his Penang supporters at these premises a few weeks later.

SUN YAT SEN IN PENANG IS AVAILABLE  IN ENGLISH, CHINESE SIMPLIFIED & CHINESE TRADITIONAL. 

Editorial Reviews

“…fine pictures and beautiful images included within, along with crisp narrations of persons, events and places that add colour to an exciting story.” Penang Economic Monthly

About the Author

Khoo Su Nin @ Khoo Salma Nasution was born in Penang, of Baba Nyonya (Straits Chinese) descent. She is a graduate of Duke University, United States. She was formerly editor of Pulau Pinang Magazine and Past President of Penang Heritage Trust.

As the great-great-granddaughter of Khoo Soo Hong, a founding senator of the Leong San Tong Khoo Kongsi, she has her roots in the Acheen Street–Armenian Street historic enclave.
She is also custodian of the Sun Yat Sen Museum Penang at 120 Armenian Street and co-founder of Areca Books with a shop along Lebuh Aceh.

A few of her works include, Streets of George Town, Penang (1993), The Chulia in Penang (2014) – winner of the 2015 ICAS Book Prize, Sejarah Bergambar Seberang Perai (2015), and Exploring Seberang Perai / Jelajah Seberang Perai (2025).