Cutting off the old pigtail
After the European forces had divided China among themselves at the end of the 19th century, and had thoroughly exploited it, they left behind a shattered country and a population that was largely opium-dependent, lived in poverty, and suffered under the Manchu government of the late Qing Dynasty.
During this time, a young man named Sun Yat-sen was studying at the Hong Kong College of Medicine for Chinese and then worked as a doctor in Macau. He had lived for some time in Honolulu with his brother, spoke English, and was highly intelligent. In Honolulu he had also come into contact with the Christian faith and was later baptised in Hong Kong. Since conditions were worsening in his home country, he and some like-minded people founded the Revive China Society. Together they plotted the abolition of the Qing Dynasty. In October 1895 they wanted to ignite an uprising in Guangzhou, but this was betrayed prematurely. The Qing government put a bounty on his head and Sun Yat-sen was no longer allowed to enter Hong Kong. For camouflage and as a symbol of resistance, he cut off his plait and went into exile, first to Japan and later the US, Europe, and Canada, where he raised money for the revolution. This scene, cutting off the old pigtail, is commemorated with a statue in the small Pak Tsz Lane Park.
Info
Address Pak Tsz Lane, Central; through a narrow lane next to 69 Hollywood Road | Public Transport MRT Island Line (blue), Sheung Wan Station, about 200 metres from the Mid-Levels Escalators | Tip Since 2016 admission to the Sun Yat-sen Museum is always free.
Sun Yat-sen is considered the founder of the Republic of China (1912-49) and is revered as a national hero. The small park, which is reached by a narrow alley leading away from Hollywood Road opposite the PMQ design centre, is the first step on a Heritage Trail. It is marked with red panels and leads through the areas of Central, where Sun Yat-sen lived and where he planned the revolution. The Heritage Trail ends at the Sun Yat-sen Museum.
Inside this very well-kept, secluded park is a small bar where you can buy a drink and enjoy it on one of the park benches.
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