Play puts Sun Yat-sen's story on stage

A play about Sun Yat-sen writing "The International Development of China" at his home in the city premiered at the Shanghai Institute of Visual Arts on Wednesday in celebration of the book's 100th anniversary.

"One Day at a House on Rue Moliere," tells the story of Sun and his wife Soong Ching Ling at their residence on what is now Xiangshan Road when Sun was completing his book.

It concentrates the couple's life and their ideas into just one day, combining history and reality, politics and art as well as their dreams and mission.

The audience for two performances on Wednesday comprised government officials, university leaders, researchers, people from patriotism education centers and university students.

Tuesday was the 153rd anniversary of the birth of Sun, a pioneer of China's democratic revolution.

Sun and Soong lived in the house from 1918 and it was there he met representatives of the Communist Party of China such as Li Dazhao and Xiang Jingyu as well as Bolshevik Comintern official Grigori Voitinsky. Soong also received many foreign friends there and helped them to understand China.

After Sun's death, Soong continued to live there until 1937. The residence is now an exhibition center presenting Sun's life, together with some artifacts and a statue of Sun outside.