Sun Yat-sen Memorial Hall, a key historical relic protected by Guangdong province, is a memorial building built with the funds raised by the Guangzhou people and overseas Chinese in memory of Sun Yat-sen, the great revolutionary forerunner. Located in the original site of the then Sun Yat-sen's Presidential Office, it was designed by Mr. Lu Yanzhi, the great architect of the country. Construction work started in 1929 and finished in 1931.
Sun Yat-sen Memorial Hall is a gorgeous octagonal structure, with solemn and magnificent looks, and strong national features. The designer smartly applied the structural theory of architectural mechanics and adopted the mixed structure of reinforced concrete. The construction space with the span of up to 71 meters is pillar-less, much to its grandeur. The memorial hall and the courtyard cover a land area of six hectares. The principal building occupies an area of 12,000 sq. meters, and 47 meters high. The stage measures 15 meters at the front and 20 meters in depth, together with 3,238 seats. Sun Yat-sen Memorial Hall is the most symbolized building of Guangzhou, and a key venue for the city's large-scale meetings and performances as well.
Shortly before Liberation, the memorial hall was severely damaged as it had long been out of repair. After Liberation, the people's government had all its facilities repaired and improved for seven times from the '50s to 1988. 1998 saw 60 million yuan allocated for the comprehensive overhaul of the memorial hall, replacing the central air-conditioning system, lights, acoustic equipment, seats, remodeling the VIP room, makeup rooms and the stage, adding fire-spray system and security controlling system. The statue of Sun Yat-sen in front of the hall was cast with bronze for a change. The square and the surroundings have also been further beautified. All these have made this time-honored building shine with vitality and a famous scenic spot loved by visitors from home and abroad.
