There are many students who study in China and many students who having their summer program in China. They think Kunming is a good place for you to go. If you stay in Kunming, there is a street you can to go visit. In this street, you can know more about Kunming`s history.
Hu Guo Road got its name because of the famous “Campaign to Defend the Republic”. If you want to learn history when you having your summer program in China, some periods are good for you to know. To remember the Campaign to Defend the Republic of 1915, a part of wall in the east of South Kunming was dismantled in January, 1919 and an arched ornamental engraving Iron Gate with three holes was built up and became the “Hu Guo Gate”. In addition to this, a duplexing arched stone bridge was built over the moat out of the city and was named “Hu Guo Bridge”.
If you having your summer program in China, you will find there are many roads named as history events. Among many roads in Kunming, the most famous one should be Hu Guo Road located in the center of the city. It is not very easy to be found on the map of Kunming City, even it is in the center of the city. He is like an old man who witnesses the history of Kunming for centuries. In the memory of many Kunming seniors, Hu Guo Road carries a splendid history.
A student who studies in China and now is having his summer program in China asked us about this history. In 1915, Yuan Shikai reestablished the monarchy. Yunnan, in the frontier of our country, was led by Cai E, Tang Jiyao and Li Liejun and announced against the restoration of the monarchy of Yuan Shikai to the whole China on 25th, December and declared the uprising of Yunnan, established Governor’s armies, composed and sent armed forces to suppress Yuan Shikai, which the overseas and domestic known “Campaign to Defend the Republic”.
After the bursting of “Campaign to Defend the Republic”, Tang Jiyao sent the second Letter of Advising to Donate for Overseas Chinese on behalf of the Yunnan Governor of the Republic of China and united Cai E, Li Liejun and Ren Kecheng to send telegrams to all the leaders of overseas Chinese with their four names, eagerly hoping that overseas Chinese in every place can donate money generously and cooperate with this great project of protecting the Republic of China; rearrange the mountains and rivers and rebuild the overall situation of the Republic of China. All the overseas Chinese, overseas Chinese groups and students abroad telegrammed at home and domestic to express that they would do their best to support the domestic campaign to defend the republic against Yuan Shikai. They supported and cooperated with the campaign strongly. With the responses of every province in South China, the forces of Yuan Shikai were frustrated continuously and finally Yuan declared to cancel the monarchy under the inside and outside pressure. The “Campaign to Defend the Republic” got success. The students who having summer program in China believe to know this history story is good for you to understand Yunnan`s history.
Campaign to Defend the Republic is another great revolutionary movement ranked only second to the Revolution of 1911 which led singly by Chinese capitalist class in modern times. It is important for you to learn when you take your summer program in China. Besides Yunnan is the first province that declared to send armed forces to suppress Yuan Shikai and uprise, people of all nationalities of Yunnan contributed and sacrificed a lot for the Campaign to Defend the Republic. And the Campaign to Defend the Republic started from Yunnan Province also shattered the successive conspiracy of the feudal autocratic system and reestablished the Republic of China.
To remember the Campaign to Defend the Republic, an arched ornamental engraving iron gate with three holes was built up and became the “Hu Guo Gate” in January, 1919. In addition to this, a duplexing arched stone bridge was built over the moat out of the city and was named “Hu Guo Bridge”. The length of the bridge is 23 meters and its width is 17.5 meters, which is a double arched stone bridge and a combination of Chinese and Western elements. The bridge looks very elegant and has stone carved dragon heads on each side. The Chinese characters of “护国桥民国八年孟夏月建造” was carved on the dome of the bridge arch, which tells us the exact building time of this bridge. Meanwhile, Xiu Yi Street which connects Hu Guo Gate and Hu Guo Bridge was widened and built to stone road and renamed as “Hu Guo Road”. In 2003, the Hu Guo Bridge, Hu Guo Gate and Hu Guo Road which have been repaired were announced to be the provincial government of its heritage as a unit.