CUHK
News Centre

The Chinese University of Hong Kong (CUHK) held an unveiling ceremony for the statue of Dr. Sun Yat-sen today (10 November).  Dr. Lily Sun Sui-fong, President of Dr. Sun Yat-sen Foundation for Peace and Education; Prof. Joseph J.Y. Sung, Vice-Chancellor of CUHK; and Prof. Andrew C.F. Chan, Head of Shaw College, CUHK officiated at the ceremony.  As Dr. Sun’s birthday (12 November) is approaching, it is an opportune time to honour his paramount contributions by putting up his statue on campus.   

The University is grateful to Dr. Lily Sun for her generous donation of the statue.  The 3.3-m (including the base), 400-kg statue rightly occupies a lawn at Shaw College, facing a student hostel which will soon be named Yat-sen Hall. It shows Dr. Sun Yat-sen holding a book inscribed with the ‘Three People's Principles’ (‘government of the people, by the people, and for the people’).  The four Chinese characters tianxia weigong, which translates literally as ‘the world is for everyone’, are also inscribed on the base of the statue to illustrate Dr. Sun’s ideal of a perfect world.

Prof. Joseph Sungthanked Dr. Lily Sun for the donation, which he said will serve to remind all campus members of the great contributions of Dr. Sun Yat-sen. ‘The statue is erected on this beautiful lawn at Shaw College, facing Yat-sen Hall, an ideal place for University members to reminisce about his epochal achievements. The ceremony today has both spiritual and educational significances. With a commitment to provide whole-person education, we encourage students to learn more about our country and its history. The statue also reminds us to follow Dr. Sun’s footsteps to contribute to our nation.’ 

In commemoration of her late grandfather, Dr. Lily Sun has donated statues of Dr. Sun Yat-sen to organizations around the world, including a number of schools in Hong Kong.  Dr. Sun Yat-sen is a great revolutionary, statesman and thinker who overthrew monarchy in China and established the republic. Having devoted his entire life to serving the country and the people, he is admired by the Chinese and enjoys a high reputation worldwide.  Dr. Sun had very close ties with Hong Kong, having lived and received his secondary and tertiary education in the territory for nine years from when he was 17.  Hong Kongis also believed to have been a cradle of his revolutionary thoughts.