China Republic stamps : 04 Dr Sun Yat-sen 1

Dr. Sun Yat-sen is without any doubt, one of the most important persons in the history of both China (PR) as for the Republic of China (Taiwan).

Dr Sun Yat-sen at younger age

At a young age, after fisishing elementary school, he moved to Hawai, where he soon lived together with his brother in Honolulu. Here he came in contact with western ideas on medicine and even with christianity, he also learned to speak English.
Because of his 'elaborated' interest in christianity, his brother sent him back to mainland China.
At the age of 17, Sun and his youth friend witnessed local villagers worshipping a local god 'Beiji' and the use of ancient and insufficient healing methods. After destroying the temple, they wer forced to flee to the more 'liberal' Hong Kong.
Whilst studying in Hong Kong, he soon enrolled at the newly opened Hong Kong School of Medicine for Chinese, now known as the Hong Kong University.

Hong Kong School of Medicine for Chinese 1912

Also here he had difficulties adapting to the old-fashioned and stubborn way of thinking, that was common for the whole Chinese society under the Imperial system of the Qing dynasty.
Soon he started to develop his political and filosophical ideas, which forced him many times to move aboad to avoid being arrested.
He led, or had a hand in many uprisings between 1895 and 1911. Although he was in the United States in 1911, the Qing dynasty came to and end and soon, Sun returned to China.
He became the first provisional president of the newly formed republic, but soon gave power to Yuan Shikai.

The emission of 1931-37 (plus some additional dollar values in 1945-46 have the same design: Corinthian columns left and right of the central image of Sun Yat-sen.

1931-37 dr. Sun Yat-sen design

to be continued ...