Dr. Sun Yat-sen’s Memorial Hall (中山纪念堂), a national major cultural relic of Guangdong Province, was designed by Mr. Lu Yanzhi, a reputable Chinese architect, and sponsored by the local people of Guangzhou and overseas Chinese to commemorate (纪念) Dr. Sun Yat-sen, the great forerunner (先驱) of Chinese revolution. The Hall saw its construction started in 1929 and completed in 1931 at where the President Palace had been. Dr. Sun Yat-sen’s Memorial Hall, an octagonal (八边形的) building with grand presence, features a strong Chinese style. The 52-meter-high main hall accounts for 12000 square meters out of the total 6.3 hectares of the whole complex. It spans as wide as 71 meters in the absence of a single pillar, thanks to the designer’s ingenious application of the architectural mechanics and structural combination of steel framework and ferroconcrete (钢筋混凝土). The main hall holds a 15-meter-wide, 20-meter-deep stage and 3238 seats. Dr. Sun Yat-sen Memorial Hall is one of the most symbolic buildings of Guangzhou, and it is also a major site for great convention and performance, a tourist attraction to visitors home and abroad.
Dr. Sun Yat-sen’s Memorial Hall Dr. Sun Yat-sen’s Memorial HallDr. Sun Yat-sen’s Memorial Hall was built to ______ Dr. Sun Yat-sen, who is the great forerunner of Chinese revolution.