On August 14, 1963, then President Chiang Kai Shek, in presiding the Kuomintang's(KMT) eighth central executive assembly of the 463rd meeting, motioned to form “The Preparatory Group for Commemorating Dr. Sun Yat-sen's Centennial Birthday” on Nov.12, 1965.  The organizational taskforce moved to conclude five commemorative measures, the primary of which was to build a “commemorative memorial hall”.

Then President Chiang Kai Shek presided over the foundation laying ceremony of the memorial hall. On September 1, 1964, "The Preparatory Committee for Commemorating Dr. Sun Yat-sen's Centennial Birthday" was formed, and determined to construct the “Sun Yat-sen Memorial Hall”; on Nov. 12, 1965, then President Chiang Kai Shek presided over the Sun Yat-Sen Memorial Hall’s foundation laying ceremonies.

The construction work formally broke ground, starting with the structure of the main hall.   In January 1966, the Sun Yat-sen Memorial Hall development council took over the building work by staging an open solicitation for architectural drawings, from which the architect Wang Da-ming’s design drawings were chosen. On March 12, 1968, the construction work formally broke ground, starting with the structure of the main hall.

The commissioner of the "Sun Yat-sen Memorial Hall development council,”  Mr. Wang Yun-wu, presided over the memorial hall’s inaugural ribbon-cutting ceremony. The commissioner of the “Sun Yat-sen Memorial Hall development council.”  Mr. Wang Yun-wu, presided over the memorial hall’s inaugural ribbon-cutting ceremony. On May 16, 1972, a ceremony marking the completion of the main structure was held, presented by the development council commissioner Mr. Wang Yun-wu on behalf of the government, and accepted by then vice president and Executive Yuan speaker Mr. Yen Jia-gan. On Sept. 5, 1972, the “Sun Yat-sen Memorial Hall administration office” was founded, with Mr. Shih Jun-wen appointed as the superintendent by the Taipei Municipal Government.

On July 21, 1975, “The Dr. Sun Yat-sen Memorial Hall administration office’s organization rules” were amended, and the previous management office director was made the director.

On October 5, 1978, Director Shih Jun-wen retired, and was succeeded by Director Tong Chi-shiangas.

On July 1, 1986, the memorial hall was reorganized under the jurisdiction of the Ministry of Education, and renamed “National Sun Yat-Sen Memorial Hall.”  The head of the memorial hall was now called curator(director-general), also incorporating the Chungshan Hall administration office of Yangmingshan.