Sun Yan

Sun Yan, the eldest daughter of Sun Yat-sen, was born in 1895 in Cuixiang Village, Guangdong Province. There are two records regarding her date of birth: one states 1895, while another indicates March 31, 1894. In the year of her birth, her father Sun Yat-sen was planning the Guangzhou Uprising, which ultimately failed, and he was wanted by the Qing government, forcing him into exile abroad. To avoid implicating his family, Sun Yat-sen and his relatives scattered and fled initially to Hong Kong, then later settled in Honolulu. During this period, Sun Yan was carried in her mother Lu Muzhen’s arms as their family experienced multiple upheavals.

In November 1910, Sun Yat-sen planned the second Guangzhou Uprising on Penang Island, and his mother took Sun Yan and her sister Sun Wan to meet him. Due to worsening international circumstances and interference from colonial powers such as Britain, France, and the Netherlands, Sun Yat-sen was forced to leave Penang and continued fundraising and revolutionary planning in Europe and America. In early 1912, Sun Yat-sen was inaugurated as the Provisional President of the Republic of China in Nanjing. His mother took Sun Yan and her sister to reunite with him in Nanjing. Later, Sun Yan traveled with her father to cities including Shanghai, Guangzhou, Wuhan, and Fuzhou, before passing through Hong Kong and Macau, returning to Cuixiang Village.

In June 1912, Sun Yan and her family went to the United States to study abroad. Over half a year later, she suddenly developed kidney illness. After much consideration, she decided to return home, traveling on a ship accompanied by her friend Wu Pingyi (Wu Chengyu) from the United States, arriving in Macau in March 1913. During the voyage, Wu Pingyi summoned doctors and nurses to provide medical care for Sun Yan. Upon learning of her severe illness, Sun Yat-sen was unable to visit his daughter promptly. It was not until June 18 that he arrived in Macau by boat and visited Sun Yan on the 20th. However, Sun Yan was already in a coma and died shortly afterward, on June 25. There are records suggesting she died on June 26, 1913.

Sun Yan was buried at the Atlantic Cemetery in Macau, and later in 1932, her remains were relocated to the Sun family tomb at Tanjiashan near Cuixiang Village. Her life is primarily documented in her identity as Sun Yat-sen’s eldest daughter and a family member.