Hong Kong Philharmonic ‘awkwardly’ out of tune in debate over legacy of ‘father of modern China’ Sun Yat-sen
Symphonic work for revolutionary leader’s 150th birthday sparks debate over his legacy after orchestra calls him ‘one of the legendary fathers of modern China’
The Hong Kong premiere of a symphonic work to celebrate the 150th birthday of Dr Sun Yat-sen has sparked a debate over its creator’s decision not to use Sun’s universally accepted title as the “father of modern China”.
The Sun Yat-sen Symphonic Suite, which premiered in Guangzhou five years ago to mark the centennial of the 1911 revolution, will be staged in Hong Kong next month ahead of performances in Malaysia and Taiwan.
“For us on the mainland, Sun is a great national hero, a great patriot, and a great pioneer of China’s democratic revolution,” Qiu Shuhong, creator of the work and chairman of Zhongshan city’s Chinese People’s Political Consultative Conference, told the Post on Thursday.
“Sun as the founding father is a Kuomintang title, but we respect history and the way other people refer to him,” Qiu said.
These so-called “three greats” to describe Sun, he said, were first mentioned in a speech on the centenary of the 1911 revolution by former president Hu Jintao. But it was not until last November that they became official in a CPPCC document.