Chen Cuifen

Chen Cuifen (; 23 September 1874 - 21 October 1962) was a longtime romantic partner of Sun Yat-sen, the founder and first president of the Republic of China. She was regarded as a "forgotten revolutionary" and "the first revolution partner" of Sun Yat-sen. Before marrying Soong Ching-ling, Sun Yat-sen had a 20 year-relationship with Chen Cuifen. In the "Sun Family Genealogy", Chen was officially recorded as "Sun Yat-sen's concubine".

Biography Chen was born in Tuen Mun, Hong Kong in 1874, the fourth child of a family originally from Xiamen. Sun told Chen that he would become the next Hong Xiuquan and overthrow the Qing Dynasty, which deeply impressed her. Chen and Sun became romantic partners, and Chen became involved in Sun's revolutionary work. In Southeast Asia, Chen was known as Sun's wife, despite Sun still being married to Lu Muzhen. Sun Rong would later marry into the Sun family, marrying one of the descendants of Sun Mei. This marriage was strongly opposed by Sun family elders, such as Lu Muzhen, as Chen had given her daughter the surname Sun, which would mean marrying another member of the Sun clan would be akin to incest. However, since the couple was not biologically related, Sun Rong was allowed to renounce the name Sun and then marry into the Sun family. Chen Cuifen spent her final years in Hong Kong, where she died in 1962. Chen Cuifen was ultimately interred in the Sun family tomb in Cuiheng.

Film portrayals In the film Road To Dawn (2007), which features the story of Sun Yat-sen in Penang, the character of Chen Cuifen is played by Chinese actress Wu Yue.