Factbox: What is a Zhongshan suit?

A traditional Zhongshan suit. Photo provided to China Daily

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Another popular version says Sun ordered a suit from a tailor shop in Shanghai. It was modeled after a uniform from the West, but Sun attached political importance to different elements of the suit.

The four pockets represent the Four Virtues of traditional Chinese: politeness, justice, honesty and a sense of shame. There are five buttons in the center, representing the five branches of government in the constitution of the Republic of China. Three cuff buttons stand for Sun's Three Principles of the People: Nationalism, Democracy and the People's Livelihood.