Although the city is relatively unknown to tourists, as there's little to keep them here, Zhongshan is known to practically every Chinese person in the country. Why? Once called Xiangshan, the city was renamed in honor of the father of modern China, you guessed it - Dr. Sun Zhongshan, more widely known as, Dr. Sun Yat-sen.

If you happen to sojourn here for a day or two there are only a couple sights to keep you busy. As you can imagine, there's no shortage of pavilions and museums dedicated to Sun Yat-sen. You'll find a memorial pavilion dedicated to Sun Yat-sen in spacious Zhonghan Park, near Fufeng Wenta (Fufeng Pagoda), a seven-story structure erected in 1608. You'll also find the Sun Yat-sen museum in town, as well as Sunwen Memorial Park, home to the world's largest bronze sculpture of Sun Yat-sen.

A city of leafy parks and wide boulevards, Zhongshan is one of few cities in China to have taken its blazing 18-percent growth rates with grace. As such, it's actually quite a nice place to simply stroll around. Doing so aimlessly is relaxing, but a good place to wander is the commercial pedestrian street of Sunwen Xilu (Sunwen West Rd). The lovely concourse is lined by pastel-colored shop-fronts and arcades, mostly built by Singaporean Chinese in the late 19^th and early 20^th century, and some retain their original stained glass.

Once it comes time to move on, you'll find Zhongshan to be a convenient transportation hub. The Zhongshangang Ferry Terminal has departures for Hong Kong nine times daily, and buses can take you to nearby Guangzhou, Shenzhen and Zhuhai.
 

People have lived in the Zhongshan area for thousands of years, but the city's pre-eminent historical figure is, of course, the father of the modern Chinese nation, Dr. Sun Yat-sen. Sun is unique among 20^th century Chinese politicians in that he is widely admired in both Mainland China and Taiwan. He played a key role in the collapse of the Qing Dynasty in 1911 and was the first provisional president of the newly founded Republic of China upon its founding in 1912. He later co-founded the Kuomintang (KMT) and served as its first leader. A brief biography follows below.

Born November 12, 1866 to a peasant family in the village of Cuiheng, Xiangshan County, Sun was schooled locally until the age thirteen, then joined his elder brother Sun Mei in Honolulu. Sun Mei had mixed feelings towards Sun Yat-sen's later revolutionary activities, but his financial support is what allowed Sun Yat-sen to give up his career and focus on politics.

His American experience was would have a profound effect on him. The philosophies of Alexander Hamilton and Abraham Lincoln – who's Gettysburg Address "government of the people, by the people, for the people" would inspired Sun's own political cannon: the Three Principles of the People.

Sun returned home in 1883 to find China in a state of political and economic stagnation. Heavy taxes punished the poor and schools suppressed the free exchange of ideas.

In 1892, Sun graduated from the Hong Kong College of Medicine for Chinese (forerunner to the University of Hong Kong) but only practiced medicine briefly in 1893. Rehabilitating the Chinese nation became his first priority. During the Qing Dynasty rebellion, Sun became a Tiandihui leader, precursor to modern triads, an organization which supplied him with much funding.

Sun fled the country in 1895, after a failed coup attempt against the Qing. He spent time in Europe, the U.S., Canada and Japan raising funds for revolutionary activities and for bankrolling uprisings in China.

While Sun was still in exile, Huang Xing led a military uprising on October 10, 1911, in Wuchang. This would be the nationalists' first victory against the Qing. Sun raced back to China and was elected provisional President of the Republic of China. Sun had no direct part in the uprising - part of the reason he was chosen. A neutral player, he was able to unite competing nationalist factions.

The provisional government was weak and didn't have the resources to challenge the Northern provinces, who still backed the Qing. Sun gained the support of Yuan Shikai, general of the armies of the north - but had to promise him the presidency. Yuan forced the emperor to abdicate, and declared himself emperor. This setback for the nationalists lasted until 1916, when Yuan finally died.

The country still divided, Sun realized that he had to conquer the country militarily in order to unify it. He established the Whampoa Military Acadamy, with his protégé Chiang Kai-shek as commandant. In 1924, Sun began a policy of cooperation with the Chinese Communists in order to hasten the unification of the country.

Unfortunately, Sun Yat-sen would not live to see his country unified. He dedicated his life to establishing democracy, peace, freedom and equality for all Chinese. Sun died of liver cancer on March 12, 1925, at the age of 58 at the Rockefeller Hospital in Beijing.
 

Zhongshan has a humid, subtropical, monsoon climate with temperate weather and heavy rainfall. Summer is extremely hot and humid and quite uncomfortable for those accustomed to drier climates. The best time to visit is spring and late fall, when temperatures cool and the air dries.