Find Peace at Soong Ching Ling House in Beijing
Home of Sun Yat-Sen’s Widow Offers Respite from Crowded Attractions
Few foreign tourists find their way here, which makes it an ideal place to escape the crowds of the Forbidden City and Summer Palace.
Soong Ching Ling’s house is a former imperial palace. The grounds are park-like, with a meandering stream, huge shade trees, covered walkways and benches to sit and absorb the peaceful atmosphere. The cypress trees cushion the noise from busy Beijing streets, as well as keep the grounds cool when the rest of Beijing is suffering from stifling summer temperatures.
One wing of the house is a museum devoted to her life. There are photos of her and her husband, Sun Yat-Sen, copies of news clippings about her work, even some of the clothes she wore. Soong Ching Ling lived on the second floor of the main building. Two huge rooms contain the furnishings that were there on the day she died. They provide a glimpse of how upper middle class Chinese lived n the 1960s and 1970s.
Soong Ching Ling Famous in Her Own Right
Though Soong Ching Ling was married to a famous man but was famous in her own right.
Sun Yat-Sen was the leader of the movement which overturned imperial rule in China in 1911. He became president of the Republic of China the following year and died in 1925. The couple married in 1915, and she became his partner in carrying out his philosophies and policies.
Sun Yat-Sen is perhaps better known outside of China than Soong, but she is perhaps better known inside of China. Soong and her sisters were the first Chinese women to attend American universities. A graduate of Wesleyan College in Georgia, Soong championed women’s rights long before it was fashionable. Her sister, Soong Mei-Ling married Chiang Kai-Shek, Kuomintang leader and first president of the Republic of China, as Taiwan is known today.
China was in great upheaval during the first half of the 20th century. Soong Ching Ling supported the Kuomintang during the War of Resistance Against Japan, as World War II is known in China. Following the war, when the Kuomintang and the Communist Party struggled for control of China, she supported the Communist Party. It is a testament to her that both sides referred to her as the “mother of China.”
Soong Ching Ling Was Honorary President of China
Soong’s support of the Communist Party continued for the rest of her life. She served as vice chairman of the People’s Republic of China. Shortly before her death in 1981 from leukemia, she was named honorary president of the People’s Republic of China – the only woman to hold this position. She was given the house on Houhai Lake for her work in China.
Throughout her life, Soong Ching Ling championed women’s and children’s rights. She worked for better education and living conditions for children. A foundation created after her death carries on her work today.
Soong Ching Ling’s life played out against a backdrop of struggles for peace and equality. It comes as a surprise to find her home exists as a haven of serenity.
Soong Ching Ling’s house doesn’t attract thousands of tourists like the Forbidden City or the Great Wall. One can only imagine the havoc they would wreak on this stately compound. Instead, travelers must seek it out. Even then, they must be on the alert, lest they walk by the entrance. The fortunate few who find it will find peace from the hustle and bustle of present-day Beijing, if only for a little while.
The Soong Ching Ling House is located at 46 North Houhai in Beijing’s Xicheng District. It’s open from 9 a.m. to 6 p.m. daily. Admission was 20 yuan, about US$3, in 2008.
Bust of Soong Ching Ling
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Soong Ching Ling House
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Soong Qing Ling House grounds are like a park
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Soong Ching LIng's living room
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Clippings on display in the museum room
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