TORONTO, September 21, 2026 – Toronto’s Chinese community held a series of events on September 20 to mark the 160th anniversary of the birth of Dr. Sun Yat-sen. That morning, representatives from several Chinese community organizations, community members and young people first gathered at the Sun Yat-sen statue in Riverdale Park for a commemorative ceremony. They later went to the Toronto branch of the Chee Kung Tong Chinese Freemasons of Canada for a seminar, reviewing the historical connection between Sun Yat-sen and overseas Chinese in Canada and discussing historical legacy and youth education.
That morning, participants paid tribute at the Sun Yat-sen statue, bowed and took group photos. The Sun Yat-sen statue in Riverdale Park was funded and built by Toronto’s Chinese community in 1985 and is one of the city’s important historical landmarks connected to Sun.
After the ceremony, participants went to the Toronto branch of the Chee Kung Tong Chinese Freemasons of Canada in downtown Chinatown. Zhang Jian, a representative of the organizing committee, introduced the background of the 160th anniversary commemorative activities and mentioned the original stage play Dr. Sun Yat-sen in Toronto, which is currently in preparation. The play will be based on Sun Yat-sen’s early activities in Canada and the history of local overseas Chinese supporting the revolution. It is scheduled to be staged in Toronto on November 28.
Cheng Hongbo, Deputy Consul General of the Chinese Consulate-General in Toronto, attended the seminar and delivered remarks. He spoke about the connection between Sun Yat-sen’s early revolutionary activities and overseas Chinese communities, and said such commemorative events also provide an opportunity for Canada’s Chinese community, especially younger generations, to learn about this part of modern history.
Yu Zhuowen, chair of the Toronto branch of the Chee Kung Tong Chinese Freemasons of Canada, then introduced the historical ties between Sun Yat-sen and the Chee Kung Tong, as well as the history of overseas Chinese in Canada taking part in fundraising and supporting revolutionary activities. The Toronto branch of the Chee Kung Tong Chinese Freemasons of Canada was established in 1894 and is one of the older Chinese community organizations in the area.
During the seminar, representatives from Chinese community groups, descendants of participants in the 1911 Revolution and community members spoke in turn, sharing their understanding of Sun Yat-sen and related history from the perspectives of family experience, immigration history and community memory.
Youth participation was also an important part of the event. Child representatives Yang Zilin and Yang Ziqi said in their remarks that taking part in the commemorative activities helped them begin to learn more about Sun Yat-sen’s life and China’s modern history more than 100 years ago. Youth representatives also reflected on the importance of historical understanding and cultural inheritance, drawing on their own experiences growing up in China and later studying and living in Canada.
The event also included cultural programming, including a poetry recitation titled What Makes Huaxia. Before the seminar concluded, participants took a group photo and ended the day’s activities with the message: “The world belongs to all; the spirit lives on.”
The event brought together people from across generations, including longtime members of the Chinese community, mid-career community leaders, as well as many young people and children. From the commemorative gathering at the Sun Yat-sen statue to the speeches and cultural activities that followed, the event reflected the participation of older, middle-aged and younger generations. By remembering history and sharing their perspectives together, participants also highlighted the importance of passing community memory and cultural heritage from one generation to the next.
This year’s series of events marking the 160th anniversary of Sun Yat-sen’s birth will continue. In addition to the statue tribute and seminar, the original stage play Dr. Sun Yat-sen in Toronto is scheduled for November 28, using stage performance to present the historical story of Sun Yat-sen and overseas Chinese in Canada.
（LJI by Yuanyuan）
