*******************************************************
A selection of valuable artefacts and photographs, which not only demonstrate the celebrated love between Madam Soong Ching Ling (1893-1981) and Dr Sun Yat-sen and her love for China, but also provide a glimpse of the intimate details of her life, will be on display at the Dr Sun Yat-sen Museum from tomorrow (March 20) until June 17.
The exhibition, ：A Sketch of Soong Ching Ling and Her Artefacts；, is jointly presented by the Leisure and Cultural Services Department and the China Soong Ching Ling Foundation, and co-organised by the Dr Sun Yat-sen Museum and The Residence of Soong Ching Ling, Honorary President of the People・s Republic of China.
The 70 exhibits on display are on loan from the China Soong Ching Ling Foundation and shown in Hong Kong for the first time. They include the wedding gift from Madam Soong・s mother, the pen Dr Sun used to sign his will and Dr Sun・s family testaments, the wedding gift given by Dr Sun to Madam Soong, the clothes worn by Madam Soong during her exile and during the Sino-Japanese War as well as the last pyjamas that she wore. These artefacts will be displayed along with a number of historical pictures.
Officiating at the exhibition・s opening ceremony today (March 19) were the Former Vice-Chairman of the Standing Committee of the National People・s Congress of the People・s Republic of China and the Special Adviser to the China Soong Ching Ling Foundation, Ms He Luli; the Deputy Director of the Liaison Office of the Central People・s Government in the Hong Kong Special Administrative Region, Mr Wang Zhimin; the Secretary for Home Affairs, Mr Tsang Tak-sing; the Vice Director of the China Soong Ching Ling Foundation Research Centre, Mr He Dazhang; the Deputy Director of the Department of International Relations of the China Soong Ching Ling Foundation, Ms Chen Aimin; and the Director of Leisure and Cultural Services, Mr Thomas Chow.
Speaking at the opening ceremony, Mr Tsang Tak-sing noted since she married Dr Sun Yat-sen in 1915, Madam Soong had been inextricably intertwined with China・s history in the past 100 years. After Dr Sun・s death, Madam Soong followed in his footsteps and faithfully devoted herself to promoting peace, independence and self-determination for China.
：Her foreigner friend Israel Epstein, who wrote a biography of her, described her as an outstanding woman of the 20th century. The subtitles of the exhibition, ．In the Same Boat・, ．Patriotic Sentiments・ and ．Moments in Everyday Life・, as well as the valuable collection on loan from the China Soong Ching Ling Foundation, will help visitors understand the spirit and virtue of this extraordinary woman,； Mr Tsang said.
After graduating from Wesleyan College in the US in 1913, Madam Soong reunited with her family in Japan and later took over from her sister Soong Ailing as Dr Sun Yat-sen・s secretary. Despite fierce opposition from her family, she married Dr Sun in Japan on October 25, 1915. She stood by Dr Sun through thick and thin and for better or worse throughout the revolutionary years. She was not only Dr Sun・s most reliable assistant, but also a faithful companion and a comrade-in-arms. Dr Sun died of illness in Beijing on March 12, 1925, 10 years after their marriage.
After Dr Sun Yat-sen・s death, Madam Soong insisted on carrying out her late husband・s ：Three Principles of the People； and the three cardinal policies of ：allying with the USSR, allying with (Chinese) Communists, and helping peasants and workers.； In 1926, she helped plan the relocation of the capital from Guangzhou to Wuhan. In 1927, she publicly denounced some members of the Kuomintang for abandoning Dr Sun・s political ideas. From 1927 to 1931, Madam Soong lived in the Soviet Union and Europe, where she spent her time conducting research and exploring possible directions for China・s revolutionary future.
When Japan invaded China in 1930s, Madam Soong called for the establishment of an anti-Japanese national united front. In 1938, she founded the China Defence League in Hong Kong and garnered international support for China・s war against Japanese invasion. She was also active in raising funds for wartime relief. After the war, Madam Soong renamed the China Defence League the China Welfare Institute and conducted pioneering work on cultural education and social services for the women and children of China.
After the People・s Republic of China was founded in 1949, Madam Soong held various high positions in the government, including Vice-Chairman of the Central People・s Government, Vice-Chairman of the Chinese People's Political Consultative Conference, Vice-President of the People・s Republic of China and Vice-Chairman of the Standing Committee of the National People's Congress. She was conferred the title of Honorary President of the People・s Republic of China on May 16, 1981.
Madam Soong nurtured many friendships throughout the world and maintained good relationships with national leaders as well as prominent figures in culture, public health, women・s rights and other fields. She also enjoyed long-standing friendships with many foreigners who made exceptional contributions to China・s fight against Japanese invasion. In an opinion shared by many others, Israel Epstein once described Madam Soong as ：modest, democratic, frugal, and scrupulously honest. She was firm in principle and tireless in work, always putting the public interests ahead of private ones.；
To enrich the public・s knowledge about Madam Soong, a series of lectures and activities will be held during the exhibition period. A free lecture entitled ：The Chinese Woman before and after the War of Resistance Against Japan； will be held on April 18 from 2.30pm to 4.30pm. To be conducted in Cantonese, the lecture will be given by Professor Wong Yin-lee, Department of History, Hong Kong Baptist University. Reservation is required.
The Dr Sun Yat-sen Museum is at 7 Castle Road, Mid-levels, Central, Hong Kong. It opens from 10am to 6pm from Monday to Saturday and from 10am to 7pm on Sundays and public holidays. It is closed on Thursdays (except public holidays). Admission fee is $10 with a half-price concession for full-time students, people with disabilities and senior citizens aged 60 or above. Admission is free on Wednesdays.
For details, please visit the Dr Sun Yat-sen Museum's website at http://hk.drsunyatsen.museum or call 2367 6373.
Ends/Thursday, March 19, 2009
Issued at HKT 17:49
NNNN
