San Yat-Sen’s wife Soong Ching Ling lived in this house from 1963 onwards. San Yat-Sen is called the Father of Modern China, so this is an important museum.
Overview
Soong Ching Ling was San Yat-Sen’s wife. San Yat-Sen is called the Father of Modern China because he led the first Nationalist revolution against the Qing Empire and was the first president. She was famous for supporting the Communists after her husband died. The residence is very big. This residence was a former Qing Dynasty residence and garden, and some of the buildings date back to then.
The two story house where she lived was built by a Greek captain in 1920. Overall, the property covers an area of about 20,000 square meters or 5 acres. She lived at the large residence from 1963 onwards, and by visiting the museum, you can learn about her life and the history of China in the 20th century.
In the courtyard, the main structure is a two-story building that combines Chinese and Western styles. In the courtyard, the main building and the lawn are next to a lake. There is a pigeon room where she liked to feed pigeons in her old age.
There are several halls including the Changjin room and the Flower-watching Room, and there are a South Building and the Wangfu Courtyard. On top of an artificial hill, there are the Fanning Pavilion and the Rain-listening House.
In the museum, you can see many paintings about her life and momentos. She held important government posts and high honorary positions before she died. You can see pictures and paintings of other figures in China’s modern history.
History
Soong Ching Ling (1893-1981) was born in 1893. Her father was a missionary. In 1907, she went to the US for further education with her sister Song Meiling. She first studied in New Jersey, and then she studied in Wesleyan Female College that was a high-ranking college in America. She married Sun Yat-Sen in 1915 in Japan. When her husband died in 1925, she became a Communist leader. She held high posts in the government until the time of her death in 1981.
Important Information
- Address: 46 North River Street, West District, Beijing. 北京西城区后海北沿46号
- Bus: No. 5, 27, 44 and 55.
- Price: 20 RMB or about 3 USD for adults. 5 RMB or about .8 USD. Group tickets available.
- Open: April 1st to October 31st: 9 am to 5:30 pm. November 1st to March 30th: 9 am to 4 pm.
