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Street  Scene Illustration
120, Armenian Street
Former Dr. Sun Yat Sen's Penang base
This late 19th century shophouses at 120 Armenian Street was the base of the South-east Asia Tung Meng Hooi when it was headquartered in Penang from 1909 to 1911.

The Tung Meng Hooi was the party of Dr. Sun Yat Sen alias Sun Chong San, leader of the Chinese nationalist revolution. From Penang Dr. Sun and his friends planned the Canton Uprising of Spring 1911. The historic "Penang Conference" took place in November 1910 at the Tung Meng Hooi headquarters.

Although the Canton Uprising was defeated, it was considered the turning point of the Double Tenth Revolution, the establishment of the first Republic in Asia.

A grand memorial was built at Hwang Hwa kang to 72 fallen heroes of the Canton Uprising. Of the known martyrs, 24 were Nanyang Chinese, of whomthe most posthumously famous was Malaya's Luo Ching Huo.

Former Dr. Sun Yat Sen's Penang base
 
 

Dr. Sun Yat Sen, the first provisional President of the Republic, is generally considered the father of modern China.

Dr. Sun Yat Sen's Penang Base was the focal point of the progressive Chinese of that period. In their effort to promote a greater social awareness among the Nanyang Chinese, Dr. Sun and his Penang friends and supporters made lasting contribution to the local society.

The Kwong Wah Jit Poh was also founded in this house in 1910.

The Malay community in the Acheen Street area was also aware of the anti-Manchu revolutionaries who were operating in the neighbourhood around the same time. The group was referred to as orang Sun Yat Sen yang potong thauchang, that is, the followersof Dr. Sun Yat Sens who cut off their pigtails in protest againts Manchu rule in China.

The "dwelling houseor messuage" was already extant in 1875. At the time, the owner was Cheah Joo Seang, a trustee of the Cheah Kongsi from 1879 to 1895.

From 1900 to 1913, the shophouse belonged to Lim Boon Yeow. In the 1926, the house was taken over by a gun dealer Ch'ng Teong Swee, and until it was used as a godown for his company Ch'ng Eng Joo.

Today, it is the home of conservationist writer, Khoo Salma Nasution.

 
Street  Scene Illustration
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Copyright © 2000 oddyseys @ Neoh Choo Lim

all right reserved including all photographs and illustrations
Words taken from Khoo Soo Nin's Streets Of Georgetown, Penang.