Sun Qian

Sun Qian, courtesy name Liang, sobriquet Guijiu, with ancestral home in Cuiheng Village, Nanlang. He was born in San Francisco, USA, in 1908. He was a great-nephew of Sun Yat-sen. During his childhood, he lived with his grandfather Sun Mei in Macau. His grandfather passed away on February 11, 1915, and about forty days later, his mother also died. Two years later, his father Sun Chang sacrificed himself in Guangzhou. Sun Yat-sen adopted Sun Qian and his brother Sun Man, and they received education in Guangzhou, completing elementary, junior high, and senior high school courses.

Sun Qian had a cheerful personality, loved sports, and was skilled in volleyball, basketball, football, and tennis. In 1927, he was selected for the national volleyball team, representing China at the 8th Far Eastern Games held in Shanghai. The team defeated Japan and the Philippines to win the championship. In the autumn of 1927, he was admitted to the Political Department of Shanghai Hujiang University. The following year, for further studies, he went to Japan to study at an engineer military academy, majoring in engineering, and after graduation, he worked as an instructor at the Yantang Military Academy in Guangzhou.

In 1931, Sun Qian served as the director of the Public Security Bureau of the First District of Zhongshan County. Subsequently, he went to Nanjing to serve as a staff officer with the rank of colonel, and was dispatched to Italy for advanced study at the Royal Italian Army War College. After returning to China, he served as an engineering instructor at the Central Army University. In May 1932, Sun Man and Sun Qian brothers once traveled to Shangsha Village, Dongguan, to pay homage to their ancestors.

During the Anti-Japanese War, Sun Qian held the rank of Major General and deputy commander of the 187th Division. He led the division in multiple battles in northern Guangdong and the Hunan-Jiangxi regions, earning the Loyalty and Dedication Medal from the Republican government. After the victory, he resigned from the military and, by late 1946, served as the magistrate of Zhongshan County. During his tenure, he focused on the well-being of the people, promoted democracy and social benefactors, valued public opinion, and cared about economic development. He also personally solicited donations from the business community and overseas Chinese to support the construction of a civilian hospital at the south end of Anlan Road in Shiqi. He built the Zhongshan Memorial Pavilion on Yandun Mountain in Shiqi and the Erzhang New Village on Zhuxiu Garden Hill during his term.

In 1949, Sun Qian moved to Taiwan, later dwelling in the United States for a long time. In his later years, he still cared about his homeland and visited frequently, witnessing the changes in his hometown. In June 1992, Sun Man and Sun Qian together with their families worshipped at the Sun Clan Ancestral Hall in Shangsha Village, Dongguan. On September 18, 1999, Sun Qian passed away in the United States.