The statue rises in tribute to Dr. Sun Yat-sen, a renowned Chinese revolutionary and the first President of the Republic of China.
The steeple of Old St. Mary's Church is visible behind. Old St. Mary's is the oldest cathedral in California. It was built in large part by Chinese laborers who used granite quarried in China and bricks from New England that were shipped around Cape Horn.
Since 1854, Old St. Mary's has been a witness to much strife as San Francisco evolved. It has, throughout the years, used its central proximity to minister to the troubled and impoverished of the city.