The traditional Zhongshan suit, a tunic often worn by China's revolutionary forefather Sun Yat-sen, may soon be officially recognized as a cultural heritage icon.

The city of Zhongshan, hometown of Sun Yat-sen, is in South China's Guangdong Province.

The suit has four pockets in the front and a turned-down collar.

Sun Yat-sen

The cultural authority in Zhongshan is now collecting information about the Zhongshan suit and will submit an application to the highest cultural authority, to have the uniform registered on the "national intangible cultural relics list", Chen Qiaozhang, the authority's deputy director, said.

"Once the application is approved, the special Zhongshan suit will be better protected and promoted," Chen said.

A statue of the traditional tunic  is seen in Beijing's world-renowned art zone No.798 Factory.

As part of efforts to promote use of the uniform, the nation's first Zhongshan suit culture exhibition center, which occupies about 400 sq m in Zhongshan, will also be opened next month, Chen said.

Chen Wenzhu, a manager of the Zhongshan Chinese Costume Co Ltd, a company with an 80-year-old history of making Zhongshan suits, said it was hoped the suit would again become popular.