3月12日是孙中山先生逝世纪念日。中山先生生前十分重视林业建设。他任临时大总统的中华民国南京政府成立不久，就在1912年5月设立了农林部，下设山林司，主管全国林业行政事务。1914年11月颁布了我国近代史上第一部《森林法》，1915年7月，政府又规定将每年“清明”定为植树节。

march 12 is the anniversary of dr. sun yat-sen's death. dr. sun yat-sen had attached great importance to forestry. he served as provisional president of the republic of china soon after the establishment of the nanjing government, in may 1912 established the ministry of agriculture and forestry, under the forest ision, director of national forestry administration of. in november 1914 enacted the first of china's modern history, a "forest law", in july 1915, the government has stipulated that the annual "qingming" as tree-planting day.