<Tr> <Th_colspan="2"> Southern Min </Th> </Tr> <Tr> <Th> Hokkien POJ </Th> <Td> Sun Tiong - san </Td> </Tr> <P> Sun Yat - sen (/ ˈsʊn ˈjɑːtˈsɛn /; 12 November 1866--12 March 1925) was the founding father of the Republic of China . The first provisional president of the Republic of China, Sun was a Chinese physician, writer, philosopher, Georgist, calligrapher and revolutionary . As the foremost pioneer and first leader of a Republican China, Sun is referred to as the "Father of the Nation" in the Republic of China (ROC) and the "forerunner of democratic revolution" in the People's Republic of China (PRC). Sun played an instrumental role in the overthrow of the Qing dynasty (the last imperial dynasty of China) during the years leading up to the Xinhai Revolution . He was appointed to serve as Provisional President of the Republic of China when it was founded in 1912 . He later co-founded the Kuomintang (Nationalist Party of China), serving as its first leader . Sun was a uniting figure in post-Imperial China, and he remains unique among 20th - century Chinese politicians for being widely revered amongst the people from both sides of the Taiwan Strait . </P> <P> Although Sun is considered to be one of the greatest leaders of modern China, his political life was one of constant struggle and frequent exile . After the success of the revolution and the Han Chinese regaining power after 268 years of living under Manchurian rule (Qing dynasty), he quickly resigned from his post as President of the newly founded Republic of China to Yuan Shikai, and led successive revolutionary governments as a challenge to the warlords who controlled much of the nation . Sun did not live to see his party consolidate its power over the country during the Northern Expedition . His party, which formed a fragile alliance with the Communists, split into two factions after his death . </P>

First leader of the nationalist party in china