Today (Nov 12) marks the birthday of Sun Yat-sen (1866-1925). Sun is considered the “Father of Modern China” for his role in the events that led to the end of the Qing Dynasty and the establishment of the Republic of China with Sun as its first president in 1912. Sure, Sun was on a train in the United States and had to read about “his” revolution in a used copy of the Denver Post, and Sun's time as president lasted barely long enough for him to unpack and then re-pack his “World’s Best Boss” mug before turning the job over to Yuan Shikai, aka the Forrest Gump of awkward moments in modern Chinese history. But credit where it’s due, it was Sun who wrangled the squabbling and diverse groups all looking to bring down the dynasty into an alliance that was ultimately able to get it done.
He’s a revered figure. But what does Sun, born in Guangdong, raised in Hawaii, and buried in Nanjing (his preferred choice for the national capital), have to do with Beijing?