Dr. Sun Yat-sen's Penang Conference (1910)
In November 1910, Dr. Sun Yat-sen held a secret meeting at 120 Armenian Street, planning the Guangzhou Uprising that triggered the 1911 Chinese revolution and ended 2,000 years of imperial rule. The building is now a museum.
In November 1910, Dr. Sun Yat-sen convened a secret meeting at 120 Armenian Street in George Town, bringing together leaders of the Tongmenghui (United League) to plan the Guangzhou Uprising of April 1911. Though the uprising failed militarily, it galvanised support for the revolutionary cause and set in motion the events that led to the overthrow of the Qing dynasty in October 1911.
Penang was one of Sun Yat-sen's most important overseas bases. The large Hokkien and Hakka Chinese communities had both the wealth and the relative freedom from Qing persecution that made fundraising and organising possible. Sun visited Penang multiple times between 1905 and 1911.
The building at 120 Armenian Street has been restored and opened as the Dr. Sun Yat-sen Museum. The house, a typical two-storey Straits Chinese shophouse, contains exhibits on Sun's Penang connections and the broader story of overseas Chinese involvement in the Chinese revolution.
The Guangzhou Uprising planned at the Penang Conference is commemorated in China as the 'Yellow Flower Mound Uprising' after the martyrs buried at Huanghuagang.
Insider Tips
- 1The Dr. Sun Yat-sen Museum at 120 Armenian Street is open Tuesday to Sunday, 9am–5pm. Entry is free.
- 2Armenian Street is in the heart of the UNESCO heritage zone — combine with the Peranakan Mansion, Khoo Kongsi, and street art laneways
- 3The museum's ground floor shows how a 1910 Straits Chinese shophouse looked; upper floor has exhibits on the Penang conference and Chinese revolution
Related Events
When
November 1910
🏛 Historical event — 1910
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Where
Dr. Sun Yat-sen Museum, 120 Armenian Street, George Town