Dr. Sun Yat Sen’s Penang Base
at 120 Armenian Street,Penang, Malaysia

Historical Significance

TONGMENGHUI SOUTHEAST ASIAN HEADQUARTERS, 1910-1911

The Tongmenghui was a political party formed in 1905 in Tokyo to agitate for the Chinese revolution. The party adopted Dr. Sun’s Three Principles of the People.

From 1906, the Tongmenghui had its Southeast Asian (Nanyang) headquarters in Singapore. In 1910, the headquarters was transferred to Penang.

In 1906, the Penang branch of the Tongmenghui was formed with 22 members.

In 1907, a reading club called the Philomathic Union (bing chen yuet soo pao ser) was established.

At the Philomathic Union’s first premises, 94 Dato’ Kramat Road, the Penang branch of the Tongmenghui operated as an underground organisation under the cover of a registered business Teong Wah & Co.

In 1909, all three entities moved to 120 Armenian Street. The next year,this address served as the Southeast Asian headquarters of the Tongmenghui.

An old photograph of 120 Armenian Street, reproduced from the Philomatic Union souvenir programme.

THE PENANG CONFERENCE

The Canton Uprising was planned in 1910 through the ‘Penang Conference’ convened by Dr. Sun.

Two significant meetings were recorded, the 'Penang Conference' at Dr. Sun’s office in Dato’ Kramat Road, and the emergency meeting at the Tongmenghui headquarters in 120 Armenian Street.

Dr. Sun’s office at Dato’ Kramat Road.

KWONG WAH JIT POH

The house at 120 Armenian Street was the first premises of what is today one of the world’s oldest Chinese newspaper.

In 1910, the Chinese newspaper the Kwong Wah Pao, a propaganda organ of the Tongmenghui, moved from Rangoon to Penang. Dr. Sun Yat Sen, Goh Say Eng and several others in Penang relaunched the paper as a daily, and renamed it Kwong Wah Yit Poh (Glorious Chinese Daily).

Hu Hanmin and founding members of the Kwong Wah Yit Poh. The KWYP later moved to premises at Chulia Street.
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Dr. Sun Yat Sen’s
Penang Base
• Introduction
• The Chinese Revolution
• Dr. Sun Yat Sen
• Historical Significance
• Distinguished visitors
• 120 Armenian Street
• Ch’ng Teong Swee
• Press & Reviews

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Penang Cultural Links

Lebuh Armenian & Lebuh Aceh neighbourhood

Bibik Hitam: An Intimate Tour
of a Nyonya House 2006

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