Sun Chang

Sun Chang, courtesy name Jianmou, sobriquet Zhenxing, was born on June 24, 1881. His ancestral home is Cuìhēng Village in Nanlang, and he was born in Honolulu, Hawaii, USA. After receiving secondary education in Honolulu, he studied under Dr. Liang Qichao in 1900 (the 26th year of Emperor Guangxu's reign) and the following year went to Yokohama, Japan, to attend the Great Tong School. In 1903 (the 29th year of Guangxu), Sun Chang traveled to California, USA, to pursue medical studies but had to discontinue due to financial difficulties and then earned a living by selling medicines locally.

During his time in the United States, Sun Chang joined the Chinese Revolutionary Alliance (Tongmenghui) in 1910 (the 2nd year of the Xuantong Emperor's reign) and actively participated in anti-Qing revolutionary activities. In April of that year, he traveled with his mother and wife to Hong Kong to visit Sun Yat-sen’s mother, who was then planning revolutionary activities against the Qing. In 1912 (the first year of the Republic of China), following Sun Yat-sen's instructions, Sun Chang returned from the U.S. to Macao, and later served at the Guangzhou Police Department.

In 1914 (the third year of the Republic), Sun Chang joined the Chinese Revolutionary Party (Zhonghua Gemingdang). Together with Chen Gengfu, Su Congshan, Li Anbang, and others, he established secret organizations in Hong Kong and Macao aimed at overthrowing the Qing dynasty. During 1917 (the sixth year of the Republic), Sun Chang participated in the protector of the Constitution movement, serving as commander of the special detachments of the Imperial Army and Navy Marshal's Office, with the rank of lieutenant colonel in the army. On November 20 of that year, while transporting funds to Guangzhou at Huangpu, he accidentally entered a warning zone of the Haiqi warship and was shelled. He drowned and died at the age of 37. Sun Yat-sen, upon learning of his death, personally inscribed "Died for the country" at his tomb.

Sun Chang's family included his father Sun Mei, his mother, and his stepmother Liang Wang. His parents moved to the United States during Sun Chang's childhood, and his family background and education had a certain influence on his revolutionary activities.

After the Xinhai Revolution, Sun Chang returned to Macao and organized forces in his hometown to oppose Yuan Shikai’s imperial ambitions. However, due to misconduct among his subordinates, his efforts did not succeed. After Yuan Shikai’s death, Sun Yat-sen repeatedly advised Sun Chang to disband his army, and Tang Shaochuan sent envoys to negotiate with local villagers regarding related matters. As Sun Yat-sen’s nephew, Sun Chang possessed military and political talent and was recruited into Sun Yat-sen’s military and political camp. His tomb is located at the foot of Litoujian Hill in Cuìhēng Village, Nanlang Street, Guangdong Province. It was built in 1933 (the 22nd year of the Republic), in the traditional "circle chair" style of tombs. The tombstone, handwritten by Sun Yat-sen, bears the inscription “Died for the country.” In 2010, the tomb was listed as a key cultural relic protected by Guangdong Province.