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1866–1925 · Leaders
Sun Yat-sen signature
Chinese revolutionary and first provisional president of the Republic of China (1866–1925)
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Open this style in the generatorHerr Von Muellerhoff · 12°
Who Sun Yat-sen was
Sun Yat-sen (1866–1925) was born in Guangdong, educated partly in Hawaii and Hong Kong, and trained as a doctor before devoting himself to overthrowing the Qing dynasty. After the 1911 revolution he became provisional president of the Republic of China in January 1912, and he led the Kuomintang (Nationalist Party) until his death in Beijing in 1925.
He is honored as the Father of the Nation in Taiwan and as a forerunner of the revolution in mainland China.
The story of the signature
Sun went by several names. Sun Wen (孫文) was his formal name, Yat-sen (逸仙) a courtesy name in its Cantonese reading, and Zhongshan (中山) came from a Japanese alias he used in exile. On Chinese documents and calligraphy he usually signed 孫文.
Because he spent so many years abroad, raising money and support among overseas Chinese, he also signed in English as “Sun Yat Sen”. Signatures from letters he sent to the family of James Cantlie, his former teacher at the Hong Kong College of Medicine, in 1912 are reproduced on Wikimedia Commons.
His most famous signature is on his will. Drafted during his final illness and signed 孫文 on March 11, 1925, the day before he died, it was recited at Nationalist ceremonies for decades afterwards.
What makes it distinctive
Chinese characters for Chinese documents, a romanized name for English letters.
孫文 is short, so each character carries equal weight in the signature.
His inscriptions, such as 天下為公 (“all under heaven is for the public”), end with the signature 孫文, in the tradition of Chinese calligraphy.
How to give your signature a similar feel
- If you sign in Chinese, the Draw tab of the signature generator is the tool to use: it draws like a pen and reacts to speed, so the thick and thin of your characters come through when you vary your pace.
- Keep two-character balance in mind: give each character the same visual weight and leave a little air between them, as in 孫文.
- For your Latin-alphabet signature, type your romanized name on the Type tab and try Herr Von Muellerhoff with Slant around 12°. Many people keep both a Chinese and a Latin signature.
- If you already sign with a brush on paper, photograph it and use the Upload tab to get a transparent PNG.
Where to see the original
These links lead to archives, libraries, museums and Wikimedia Commons.
Questions about Sun Yat-sen’s signature
How did Sun Yat-sen sign his name in Chinese?
Usually 孫文 (Sun Wen), his formal name, rather than 孫逸仙 or 孫中山.
Why is he Sun Yat-sen in English but Sun Zhongshan in Chinese?
Yat-sen is the Cantonese reading of his courtesy name 逸仙, which became standard in English. Zhongshan, from an alias he used in Japan, is the name most used in Chinese today.
Did Sun Yat-sen sign his will?
Yes. He signed it 孫文 on March 11, 1925, the day before his death in Beijing.