Sun Yat Sen Nanyang Memorial Hall

This national monument, built in the 1880s, was the headquarters of Dr Sun Yat Sen’s Chinese Revolutionary Alliance in Southeast Asia, which led to the overthrow of the Qing dynasty and the creation of the first Chinese republic. Dr Sun Yat Sen briefly stayed in the house, which was donated to the Alliance by a wealthy Chinese businessman, while touring Asia to whip up support for the cause. It’s a fine example of a colonial Victorian villa and houses a museum with items pertaining to Dr Sun’s life and work. A magnificent 60m-long bronze relief depicting the defining moments in Singapore’s history runs the length of one wall in the garden. Bus 145 from the Toa Payoh bus interchange stops on Balestier Rd near the villa and temple.