1911 REVOLUTION! (辛亥革命 Xin Hai Ge Ming)

[dnoblett]

I have seen the trailers a few times, so I rented it this weekend.

1911 is about Sun Yet-Sen and the revolution that took place in China ending 2000+ years of imperial rule, and the end of the Qing Dynasty (1644 - 1911).

6 years ago I toured China, my trip began and ended in Guangzhou, while in Guangzhou I walked around town and visited the central parks of the City, in the main park there is a memorial to Sun Yet-Sen, at the time I did not know much about the man, this movie delves into who he was. Sun Yet-Sen was the father of the republic that replaced the Qing Dynasty.

Jakie Chan directed and produced this film, it is a rare movie to see Jackie Chan not doing a lot of martial arts, this was mostly drama for him, and he did very well. One thing I did notice is when playing it with English sound track, he did not do his English over dub which is unusual. DVD has both English and Mandarin sound tracks, as well as English and Chinese sub titles, so is easy to watch no matter English or Chinese.

 

http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=_PJS4kqQMAc

 

More:

• http://en.wikipedia....1911_%28film%29
• http://www.imdb.com/title/tt1772230/
• http://en.wikipedia....iki/Sun_Yet-Sen

Edited October 15, 2021 by Randy W (see edit history)

[Doug]

Good timing with all the jockying going over there now.

[knloregon]

We saw it a couple of months ago. Very limited run, and made more for the PRC audience, I think, so panned by western liberal reviewers--- like the "Flowers of War" as being too bombastic. In many ways, it is, in the old propaganda sense, a 'teaching' movie about China's past (rise of the Nationalists, predating the Communists) And historically accurate.

 

Sun Yet-Sen is huge in Chinese history, and while repressed by the Communists (as an early founder of the Kumingtang) ---after Mao, he has regained his rightful place in modern China as the force that overthrew the last dynasty. He is, however, not considered the 'George Washington' of China as a result --- thats still reserved for Mao. Yes, GZ has monuments to Sun, dating to the reign of the Nationalists, as well as one of the houses he lived in---interesting places to visit. Very interesting is his mausoleum n Nanjing--- built against a hillside, huge, and really well done, and restored by the PRC after Mao's death.

 

Sun was: A Christian, a medical doctor, fluent in English, and both studied in the US (and Hawaii ---still a trust territory) --- and internationally traveled, to raise money to overthrow the last dynasty. In my opinion, the best scenes of the movie are of those efforts---particularly in Europe. but the actor playing Sun ---is a dead on likeness -- to the point that my wife, and other Chinese gasped when he entered in his first appearance.

[Mick]

Kim, I have visited the place in Guangzhou you spoke of - the downtown park. Also, spent the day at the mausoleum in Nanjing. It is really a huge, sprawling place. Oddly enough, on the day I visited there, George Bush (not Dubya, his Dad) also was there. Saw him from a great distance. The Chinese hold the elder Bush in generally high regard it seems - maybe dating back to the days he was Ambassador.

[Yuanyang]

Credit goes to Sun Yet-Sen and Mao for not executing the last emperor. As impotent as he was (politically and sexually) had this been almost any place else he'd been put up against a wall and shot. Another thread I know.

[eseum]

From Wikipedia, Sun Yat-Sen visited Winnemucca, NV in 1911:

 

In the late nineteenth and early twentieth centuries, Winnemucca was the location of a vibrant Chinatown. While many Chinese left Winnemucca after the Central Pacific Railroad had completed its connection with the Union Pacific Railroad in 1869, around four hundred Chinese had formed a community in the town by the 1890s. Among the prominent buildings was the Joss House, a place of worship and celebration that was visited by Chinese president Sun Yat Sen in 1911.

 

As I recall from the few times I have been in Winnemucca, the Joss House still exists though the Chinese population has dwindled to insignificance.

[knloregon]

Good posts ~ ! Mick, so you had a front seat in a little piece of Sino/US history ! Elder Bush is ok, in my eyes, as a member of the 'greatest generation' and contemporary to JFK---both seeing combat, both ending up in the ocean as a result, with fatalities, and a very uncertain future. And not an absolute washout as president either.

 

I was at the Sun mausoleum twice (first time to China, in early '97' and killing time until our adoption paperwork was done). But the great thing was it was in the first week of March, and the plum blossoms were in full bloom---not only at the mausoleum, but the small mountain nearby. Particularly fitting, and filled with photo opportunities for us with new daughter ---ChunMei--- (her orphanage name).

 

eseum---Sun made several trips to Chinese communities throughout the west and into Canada beginning in February of both 1910, and 1911, to hit up the Triads (who were very supportive financially) for the nationalist cause. And there were a lot of these---now called Chinese benevolent societies--- throughout the west. Your post gives me encouragement, because in 2010, I began researching the Oregonian archive, (but got distracted)--- looking for reports that he may have stopped in Portland as well---a much more significant Chinatown.

 

 

[Randy W]

Did you know Hawaii was the cradle of China’s 1911 Revolution, which overthrew the 2,000 years of imperial rule in China?
On Wednesday, Chinese ambassador to the U.S. commemorated its 110th anniversary in Washington DC with overseas Chinese organizations.
The revolution leader, Sun Yat-Sen, collected funding for the revolution in Hawaii. He was seen as “the man who is shaking the hereditary throne of the Empress Dowager of China” back in 1903 by Honolulu’s major newspapers in the front page.
At that time, China was one of the world’s poorest and weakest countries because of opium and wars. 
Dr. Sun was regarded as a joke by both foreign and domestic forces, as he said he wanted to build railroads and highways to connect through the vast land of China. Sun also wanted to build huge ports for China like the then New York port.
Sun won the revolution, but he died without seeing his dreams come true in 1925. 
Today, China’s fast-speed bullet trains are running on the world’s longest railways. The country also has the longest milage for highways and 7 of the world’s top 10 international ports.
“China has achieved what Dr. Sun couldn’t even imagine 100 years ago.” Qin Gang, Chinese ambassador to the U.S., said on Wednesday.
Qin said overseas Chinese had always lent a helping hand to China when it was poor, and now, China wants the overseas Chinese to take the ride with its fast development.
Dr. Sun Yat-Sen’s great grandchild, Leland K.H. Sun, took part in the event with Ambassador Qin, and witnessed his great grandfather’s dreams come true.
#sunyatsen #hawaii

from Panda Paws via CGTN on Facebook
https://www.facebook.com/ChinaGlobalTVNetwork/posts/420278652798946