Meiling Song Widow of the legendary Chinese Generalissimo Chiang Kai-shek Country: China

Biography of Mei-Lin Sun

Mei-Lin Sun was born in 1898 in Shanghai, China. She was the youngest of three sisters, each with different passions - one loved money, one loved power, and Mei-Lin loved China. Their father, Charlie Sun, made a fortune by printing Bibles and secretly printing pamphlets for Sun Yat-sen, the first president of China.

Mei-Lin and her sisters studied in America, and upon her return to Shanghai in 1917, Mei-Lin was already fluent in English. In 1922, she was introduced to Chang Kai-shek, a formidable aide to Sun Yat-sen, and they fell in love. They got married in a grand ceremony held in Shanghai and later in a hotel under the portrait of Sun Yat-sen. Mei-Lin became known as Madam Chang Kai-shek.

As Madam Chang Kai-shek, she actively engaged in politics and founded the "New Life Movement" aimed at modernizing China. During the war against Japanese occupation, she convinced her husband to establish an air force. In 1943, Madam Chang Kai-shek traveled to the United States to raise funds for the war effort. She captivated audiences with her beauty, passion, and persuasive speeches, even addressing a joint session of Congress in Washington.

However, a significant portion of the funds collected in America ended up in personal safes of the Chang Kai-shek family, while inflation ravaged China. In 1948, Madam Chang Kai-shek returned to the United States to seek support in the fight against the communists, but her pleas fell on deaf ears. It became evident where the money was going, and the regime of Chang Kai-shek was doomed.

Since then, Madam Chang Kai-shek never set foot on mainland China again. Her husband resigned as president and escaped to Taiwan in May 1949, taking with him money and a collection of national artworks. On Taiwan, Madam Chang Kai-shek became the grande dame of the Kuomintang society. She alternated between scolding Washington for not saving her husband from the communists and pleading with the United States not to recognize communist China.

Chang Kai-shek died in 1975, and Madam Chang Kai-shek relocated to New York City. Their son from a previous marriage, Jing Jingguo, became the president of Taiwan. Despite her age, Madam Chang Kai-shek attempted to regain power, but her services were rejected. She faced numerous health problems but remained resilient and seemingly immortal. Her last public appearance was in January 2000 at an exhibition of her watercolor paintings in Queens, New York. Despite tight security, some managed to reach out and touch her, connecting with the gray stones of the past.