On the morning of 21 March, accompanied by the staff of Foreign Friendship Association of Guangdong Provincial Government, the great-grandson Umeya Shokichi (donor of the bronze statue of Sun Yat-sen in SYSU), a close friend of Dr. Sun Yat-sen, Ms. Kosaka Fumio, managing director of Song Ben Buiding where Dr. Sun Yat-sen used to conduct revolutionary activities, and 6 other delegate members paid a visit to SYSU. Vice President Xu Anlong greeted the visitors. Chen Wangnan, head of President Office, and Xu Yao, vice head of Office of International Cooperation & Exchange participated in the talk. Both sides expressed intentions of further cooperation. The guests visited Huai Shi Hall, Hei Shi Hall, Sun Yat-sen Bronze Statue, and Martin Hall which has affinity with Dr. Sun Yat-sen. Prof. Lin Jiayou introduced the developments and anecdotes behind these scenic spots.

According to sources, the Sun Yat-sen Statue was endowed by Umeya Shokichi, who had a deep friendship with Dr. Sun Yat-sen, after his death. The statue arrived at SYSU in the 1930s. In the 1990s, Mr. Kosaka Tetsuo, husband of Kosaka Suwako, Umeya Shokichi’s granddaughter, Prof. Zeng Hanmin, former president of SYSU, Prof. Chen Xiqi, an expert in Sun Yat-sen studies, Prof. Lin Jiayou also went to visit Ben Song Building during their visit in Japan. Ben Song Building, a dwelling place of Dr. Sun Yat-sen where he had engaged himself in revolutionary activities during his stay in Japan, is now the former residence of Mr. Umeya Shokichi.