CRI听力:Sun Yat-sen and Hawaii

In 1879, at the age of thirteen, Sun Yat-sen went to Hawaii to live with his older brother. It was in Honolulu that he spent many of his teenage years growing up and getting an education.

Sun studied at the Iolani School where he learned English, British history, mathematics, and science. To commemorate him, the school erected a bronze statue of a teenage Sun on the campus.

Val Iwashita is headmaster of the Iolani School.

"This was erected about three years ago. We got the idea because we wanted to tell the story of Dr. Sun to our students and remind them of the greatness that he brought not only to China, but also to the theme that he brought to Iolani School."

At the end of the school year in 1882, Sun Yat-sen received a prize for outstanding achievement from Hawaiian King David Kalākaua.

After graduation, he enrolled in Oahu College, now known as the Punahou School, for further studies.

With more than 3,000 students, the Punahou School is the largest independent school in the United States. U.S. President Barack Obama is also a graduate of Punahou.

One current student at Punahou School says he is proud that Sun Yat-sen is an alumnus.

"I'm proud as a student here at Punahou that someone here could really enact some significant change. And I'm also proud of being Chinese. He really helped to change China for the better."

Led by Sun Yat-sen, China's first revolutionary society, the Xing Zhong Hui or literally "Revive China Society," was founded in Honolulu in 1894. It was committed to revolution to restore China's prosperity.

Dr. Sun spent about seven years in Honolulu, and Hawaii itself came to mean a great deal to him.
 
Warren Luke is Chairman of the Dr. Sun Yat-sen Hawaii Foundation.

"Dr. Sun spent years here getting an education. And it was here he discovered that he could make changes to the community and decided to go back and make changes in China."

Sun once said: "This is my Hawaii… Here I was brought up and educated; and it was here that I came to know what modern, civilized governments are like and what they mean."

For CRI, I'm He Fei.