Hong Kong Snapshot (94) – 13 Staunton Street, a hidden revolutionary base 香港隨拍 (94) – 士丹頓街13號，一個隱藏的革命基地

In Central of Hong Kong, there is a street called the Staunton Street. In the street, we can see old and new flats, bars and restaurants in western and Chinese style. We call it “SOHO”. “SOHO” stands for South of Hollywood Road, which also take the meaning of the SOHO district in London. It’s a street for night life, no matter Chinese or western.

However, at the number 13 of the street, there is an old flat. We can even see rental ads. I believe most of you ignore this flat when passing it. But you may not know that, a history which changed the life of China was hidden in the old flat.

在中環有一條街叫士丹頓街，在這小小的街道，樓宇新舊交替、酒吧處處，且充滿了中西美食。我們叫這裡是SOHO，SOHO是South of Hollywood Road的意思，亦呼應了倫敦的蘇豪區，是夜遊人士特別喜愛的地方，不論華人外國人，讓士丹頓街充滿異國風味。

然而在士丹頓街的13號，我們見到一座舊樓，門前貼滿出租廣告，相信大家經過都不會留意吧！其實，這裡隱藏了一段驚天的大歷史，更是改變中國的歷史！

1894, Mr. Sun Yat-sen, founding father of Modern China had been a doctor for few years. When he saw the Qing Dynasty (The Chinese Empire) kept declining, He decided to give up the job as a doctor. Together with Lu Haodong, Sun’s good friend, Sun went to Tianjin and proposed a series of suggestion of reform China to Li Hongzhang, the third person of the Qing Dynasty (under the Emperor and Empress Dowager Cixi). At the same time, the First Sino-Japanese War broke out and Li had no time to meet the two young man. Sun finally chose the road of revolution.

1894年，當時已經做了幾年醫生的孫中山眼見大清國勢日衰，終於忍不住決定棄醫，和同鄉兒時好友陸皓東一起去到天津上書李鴻章提交改革建議，但時值中日甲午戰爭爆發，日理萬基的李鴻章當然無睱理會兩個無知小兒了。遭遇到這種對待，孫中山忍不住要爆了！

李鴻章 Li Hongzhang (photo from Wikipedia)

In the late 1894, Sun found the Revive China Society in Hawaii. Revive China Society was later the leader of the China Revolution. In 1895, Sun came back to HK and formed the Revive China Society HK Station, which became to headquarter of the Revive China Society. Where was the headquarter? It’s at the 13 Staunton Street.

1894年尾，孫中山先到檀香山成立了「興中會」，「興中會」來頭很大，是中國反清革命組織的代表，也是後來中國國民黨的前身，孫中山的反清革命，正式開始。不過，檀香山離中國也太遠了，所以在1895年，孫中山回到香港，與一眾舊友們成立香港興中會，同時也是未來全球興中會的總部，而這個總部就位於今天中環士丹頓街13號。

Founding members of Revive China Society 興中會創會成員(photo from Wikipedia)

Revolution was a serious crime. So the Revive China Society set up a trading company called the Qianheng Company. And the revolutionaries had their secret meeting in the company. Soon, they launched the first Guangzhou uprising. In the preparation, revolutionaries sold their properties for the capital. Sun gained the support from the international. And Lu Haodong designed the “blue sky with a white sun” flag.

即然是總部，那應該是很華麗堂皇吧，當然不是！革命是殺頭的大事，為了不被人發現，他們在這裡設立了一間貿易行叫「乾亨行」掩人耳目，暗地裡卻是討論反清大事。在這一個小小總部中，他們發動了反清革命的第一次起義 – 乙末廣州起義。興中會創會眾人紛紛變賣家財支持革命，孫中山同時到處爭取國際支持，同時間，陸皓東設計了日後的國民黨旗 – 青天白日旗。

青天白日旗 the “blue sky with a white sun” flag (photo from Wikipedia)

They planned to capture Guangzhou as the stronghold. Unfortunately, the plan was leaked and the uprising failed before start. More than 70 revolutionaries, including Lu Haodong were captured by the Qing government.

In front of the magistrate, Lu said, “China is a vast country and it has the highest population in the world. Poverty is at an extreme because the Qing government is authoritarian and incompetent in foreign policy. My comrades and I planned an uprising with the aim of overthrowing the Qing government and replacing it with a new republican government. I intended to kill one or two persons like you who serve the Qing government. Now that our plan has failed, I can't kill you but you can kill me. What's there to feel sorry about?”. Finally, Lu was executed during the age of 27. He was later called the “the first person in Chinese history who sacrificed his life for a democratic revolution”.

興中會的計劃是先攻陷廣州，再以廣州為正式據點，只可惜，乙末廣州起義是失敗的，整個起義行動在事先已被清廷得知，在革命軍還在向廣州進發時，清軍早已做好埋伏包圍動作！最後，孫中山僥倖逃脫，但其好友陸皓東及眾多成員被清軍所捉拿。

在清廷審訊陸皓東時，他曾說：「中國地大物博，民眾甲於全球，徒以滿清政府政體專制，外交失敗，坐使貧弱達於極點。吾等今日舉事，本欲傾覆清政府，更立新共和政府，凡有效功於滿清如汝輩者，吾等滿擬殺一二以警其餘，今謀泄被執，我既不能殺汝，則汝今可殺我，有何可惜！」最後陸皓東被處死，享年27歲，孫中山稱其為「中國有史以來為共和革命而犧牲之第一人」。

Lu Haodong 陸皓東 (photo from Wikipedia)

In 10 years, the Revive China Society launched 10 uprisings. Six of them were launched from HK. You may know that the importance of the Qianheng Company. In 1911, the Revive China Society succeeded and HK was no longer the state of revolution. the Qianheng Company was forgotten and became the Wing Sin Nunnery. Today the Wing Sin Nunnery moved away and the flat is now empty for rental.

其後興中會再發動了十次革命，其中有六次都是在香港發起，可見這乾亨行在當時的重要性。很來，革命成功了，香港再度隱沒於時代動亂，這一家乾亨行再無人問津，60年代變成佛堂永善庵。直到今天，永善庵都搬走了，曾經的革命勝地，今天成為了待租的空置單位，實在是讓人感到時代的唏噓。

Wing Sin Nunnery 永善庵, 1965

Wing Sin Nunnery 永善庵, 2010

13 Staunton Street, 士丹頓街13號, 2018

Across from 13 Staunton Street, there is a bar. I am also think what I will feel about the former Qianheng Company when I was sitting in the bar with a bottle of beer. What will I feel about the conflict of history?

士丹頓街13號的對面正是一家酒吧，如果不是另有要事，我倒想試試坐在酒吧，在燈紅酒綠的環境下嚐著啤酒，再望向這當年的革命遺跡，那種氛圍的衝突，到底會給我怎樣的感覺？

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Thanks for spending your time to read my articles. I like to share stories of Hong Kong. I wish you may support me and I will keep going!
謝謝你能抽空閱讀這篇文章，我平日喜歡分享香港的故事，希望大家多多支持，我會繼續努力！