Peking Former Residence of Soong Ching Ling in Beijing

Peking Former Residence of Soong Ching Ling in Beijing

The Former Residence of Soong Ching Ling is a museum in the Shichahai area of Beijing, China, and once was the last residence of Soong Ching-ling, the wife of Sun Yat-sen and later Vice-President and Honorary President of the People's Republic of China in 1981. The museum opened in 1982, was renovated in 2009, and is dedicated to her memory.
English Name: Soong Ching Ling Former Residence in Beijing
Chinese Name: 北京宋庆龄故居
Opening Hours: April 1st to October 31st: 9 am to 5:30 pm. November 1st to March 30th: 9 am to 4 pm.
Ticket Price: 20 RMB
Best Time: All year around
Recommended Visiting Hours: 1 hour 
Location: 46 North River Street, West District, Beijing

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Soong Ching Ling Former Residence

The Former Residence of Soong Ching Ling (Chinese: 宋庆龄故居; pinyin: Sòng Qìnglíng Gùjū) is a museum in the Shichahai area of Beijing, China, and once was the last residence of Soong Ching-ling, the wife of Sun Yat-sen and later Vice-President and Honorary President of the People’s Republic of China in 1981. The museum opened in 1982, was renovated in 2009, and is dedicated to her memory.

Introduction of Soong Ching Ling Former Residence

Soong Ching Ling

Soong Ching-ling (27 January 1893 – 29 May 1981) was a Chinese political figure. As the third wife of Sun Yat-sen, one of the leaders of the 1911 revolution that established the Republic of China, she was often referred to as Madame Sun Yat-sen. She was a member of the Soong family and, together with her siblings, played a prominent role in China’s politics prior to and after 1949.

After the establishment of the People’s Republic of China in 1949, she held several prominent positions in the new government, including Vice Chairman (1949–1954; 1959–1975) and Vice Chairman of the Standing Committee of the National People’s Congress (1954–1959; 1975–1981), travelled abroad during the early 1950s, representing her country at a number of international events. During the Cultural Revolution, however, she was heavily criticized. Following the purge of President Liu Shaoqi in 1968, she and Dong Biwu as Vice Presidents became de facto Heads of State of China until 1972, when Dong was appointed Acting President. Soong survived the political turmoil during the Cultural Revolution, but appeared less frequently after 1976. As the acting Chairwoman of the Standing Committee of the National People’s Congressfrom 1976 to 1978, Soong was again the acting Head of State. During her final illness in May 1981, she was given the special title of “Honorary President of the People’s Republic of China”.

History

The site was once a garden used by princes and nobles of the Qing dynasty; the compound contains buildings that date back to the reign of the Kangxi Emperor and displays flowers and trees, ponds, and rockeries. In 1888, Empress Dowager Cixi granted the site to Prince Chun Yixuan, the father of the Guangxu Emperor. The residence was later used by Yixuan’s son, Zaifeng, who was the father of Puyi, the Last Emperor. A Greek captain added a two-story mansion in the 1920s. After the establishment of the People’s Republic of China in 1949, Premier Zhou Enlai suggested that the property might be suitable for Soong Ching-ling. Soong moved into the residence in 1963 and lived there until her death in 1981.

Exhibits

The property occupies an area of about 20,000 m² presenting landscape consist of gardens with ponds. The mansion shows exhibits that relate to Soong’s life. Documents and photographs show her childhood, student years, marriage, and political activities as interpreted through the official view. Another exhibit depicts her life and her decision to support the communist cause. Her love of the children of China is represented by another exhibit. The compound also contains her living quarters that include a number of rooms with the personal furniture and appointments as used by Soong such as her study, dining room and bedroom. Since its inception the museum has been visited by more than 3.5 million people (2010).

Other Residencies

Soong’s former residence in Shanghai has been also converted into a museum in her memory named Soong Ching Ling Memorial Residence.

The Soong sisters

The Soong sisters (simplified Chinese: 宋氏三姐妹; traditional Chinese: 宋家姐妹; pinyin: Sòngjiā Jiěmèi) were three Shanghainese (of Hainanese descent) Chinese women who were, along with their husbands, amongst China’s most significant political figures of the early 20th century. They each played a major role in influencing their husbands, who, along with their own positions of power, ultimately changed the course of Chinese history.

English name Chinese name Description
Soong Ai-ling Simplified Chinese: 宋蔼龄
Traditional Chinese: 宋藹齡
Pinyin: Sòng Ǎilíng		 The eldest sister (1888–1973). She was married to China’s richest man and finance minister, H. H. Kung.
Soong Ching-ling Simplified Chinese: 宋庆龄
Traditional Chinese: 宋慶齡
Pinyin: Sòng Qìnglíng		 The middle sister (1893–1981). She married Sun Yat-sen, Father of Modern China and first president of the Republic of China, in Japan on 25 October 1915. She later broke with her family and supported the Communists, remaining on the mainland after the Communist takeover. She became joint vice president of the People’s Republic of China with Dong Biwu from 1959 to 1972 and honorary President in 1981, just before her death.
Soong Mei-ling Simplified Chinese: 宋美龄
Traditional Chinese: 宋美齡
Pinyin: Sòng Měilíng		 The youngest sister (1898–2003). She was a prominent political leader in her own right, the wife and partner in power of Chiang Kai-shek, the leader of the Kuomintang (KMT), commander in chief of the Chinese armies and later president of the Republic of China.

How to Get to Former Residence of Soong Ching Ling

  • Take bus line 5 and get off at the Guozishi Station, then go southwest for about 650 meters (700 yards).
  • Take subway line 2 and get off at the Jishuitan Station. Leave form Exit B and go southeast for about 1,400 meters (1,500 yards). 
  • Within walking distance from the subway station at Ji Shui Tan by Line 2, or Bus station at De Sheng Gate by No.5, 27, 44, 55, 345, 380, 635, 800 and 919.

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Edited by  Lynette Fu/付云锐