Chee Kung Tong · San Francisco · A revolutionary connection
Dr. Sun Yat-sen & Our Lodge
孫中山先生與舊金山致公堂
Brotherhood behind a revolution.
Protection in a time of danger. A room to rest and work. A community willing to give. The San Francisco lodge’s connection to Sun Yat-sen brings these commitments together in one extraordinary chapter of our history.
Dr. Sun Yat-sen · Portrait supplied by the National Dr. Sun Yat-sen Memorial Hall, via the Office of the President. [1]
The man and the movement
A physician who pursued a republic.
Sun Yat-sen (1866–1925), also known as Sun Wen and Sun Zhongshan, was born in Xiangshan, Guangdong. Trained in medicine in Hong Kong, he turned toward revolutionary organizing, founding the Revive China Society in 1894 and helping establish the Tongmenghui in 1905. His political program became associated with the Three Principles of the People: nationalism, democracy and people’s livelihood. [1]
His work crossed oceans. Chinese communities abroad offered meeting places, personal connections and financial support. In San Francisco, Chee Kung Tong became an important part of that network—a place where revolutionary organizing met the practical strength of an established brotherhood. [3][6]
以義相扶 · 同心籌餉 · 共襄革命
1904 · Brotherhood and protection
Standing beside him when it mattered.
Sun joined Hongmen in Honolulu in early 1904. When he reached San Francisco that April, immigration authorities detained him. His case unfolded under the restrictions of the Chinese Exclusion era; the official exhibition record documents an appeal and the reversal of his deportation order on April 28. [2]
In his historical recollection, Feng Ziyou credits lodge leaders Wong Sam Duck (黃三德) and Tong King Chong (唐瓊昌) with arranging legal assistance and appealing to Washington on Sun’s behalf. Protection meant mobilizing relationships, advocacy and resources when his freedom of movement was at stake. [4]
A government documentary on the San Francisco headquarters also records Hongmen brothers’ role in safeguarding Sun in America and helping his revolutionary fundraising. [3]
1904 immigration-file photograph · U.S. National Archives, reproduced in the Memorial Hall / AIT exhibition. [2]
36–38 Spofford Street · San Francisco
A room to rest. A place to work.
Our lodge provided Sun with more than a gathering place. CNA’s reporting describes a small third-floor room at 36 Spofford Street where he lived, worked and took his meals. It records the preservation of desks, chairs and a bowl associated with his stay. Within the lodge, he had a modest space to sleep and continue his work. [5]
The lodge’s working spaces served a broader purpose, too. The official documentary identifies Sun’s office on the second floor, while the 1911 historical record places the Hongmen fundraising bureau on the second floor at 38 Spofford Street. His living quarters and the bureau belonged to the same story of hospitality and organization, with distinct roles in daily life and the revolutionary effort. [3][6]
Inside our San Francisco headquarters · Chapter collection. The meeting hall embodies the lodge’s continuing heritage.
1911 · From solidarity to organized support
The brotherhood that helped fund a revolution.
The San Francisco lodge helped turn overseas commitment into an organized fundraising effort.
In the summer of 1911, Chee Kung Tong and Tongmenghui members organized the Hongmen Fundraising Bureau in San Francisco, also publicly known as the Kwok Min Charity Bureau (國民救濟局). The historical annals connect its establishment with Sun’s proposal and describe fundraising journeys by Sun and fellow organizers across the United States. [6]
Hongmen fundraising bureau · c. July 1911. The archive identifies Sun Yat-sen and Wong Sam Duck among those pictured. Chee Kung Tong Archive, UC Berkeley · S-E-3. [8]
A campaign built on trust and records.
The bureau’s charter, dated July 21, 1911, shows how seriously that responsibility was treated. It assigned officers, accountants and auditors; required receipts; and directed funds to the revolutionary cause. These were the arrangements of the historic 1911 campaign. [7]
01
Gather support
Organizers reached out to overseas Chinese communities, bringing individual contributions into a shared effort.
02
Keep an account
Donation books, receipts and designated accounting roles made contributions traceable. Contributors could send representatives to inspect the accounts.
03
Serve the cause
The charter directed money into banked revolutionary funds and set rules for necessary bureau expenses. Brotherhood was expressed through disciplined service.
The bureau’s original charter is preserved in Sun’s collected works. [7]
Bureau staff and three Tongmenghui members · 1911. Chee Kung Tong Archive, UC Berkeley · S-E-23. [9]Sun Yat-sen with local associates in San Francisco · July 1911. Chee Kung Tong Archive, UC Berkeley · E-2-31. [10]
An object that carries the story
Revolutionary gold notes.
The Memorial Hall / AIT exhibition identifies these 1911 gold notes with the San Francisco Chee Kung Tong fundraising effort. Surviving documents such as these reveal the material side of a movement often remembered only through its leaders. [2]
Behind every certificate stood an appeal, a contribution and a network of people prepared to support change. Together with the bureau photographs and charter, the notes make the lodge’s role tangible.
1911 revolutionary gold note · Front and reverse. National Dr. Sun Yat-sen Memorial Hall / AIT exhibition. [2]
The larger historical arc
From overseas organizing to a new republic.
1904
A Hongmen brother arrives in San Francisco
Membership in Honolulu is followed by the San Francisco immigration case and community assistance. [2][4]
JULY 1911
A fundraising bureau takes shape
San Francisco becomes a center for organized support; the bureau’s charter is dated July 21. [6][7]
OCTOBER 1911 — JANUARY 1912
Revolution and the founding of the republic
The Wuchang Uprising begins on October 10, 1911. Sun takes office as provisional president of the Republic of China on January 1, 1912. [1]
1912–1925
The work continues
Sun yields the presidency to Yuan Shikai in 1912 and continues his political work. He dies in Beijing on March 12, 1925. [1]
THE LODGE TODAY
A legacy carried through service
We remember this connection through our headquarters, historical collections and commitment to the San Francisco community.
A chapter in our history · A responsibility for our future
Brotherhood is something we do.
Offering shelter. Standing beside someone in difficulty. Giving resources to a shared purpose. Sun Yat-sen’s connection to our lodge reminds us that history is made through the actions of a community—and that service remains the heart of our work.
Primary documents, institutional collections and reporting behind this page. Archival photographs are credited individually; the headquarters photograph comes from our chapter collection.
