Former Residence of Song Qingling　宋庆龄故居

The building at No.1843, Middle Huaihai Road (formerly No.1803, Middle Linseng Road) is the Former Residence of Song Qingling in Shanghai, where she lived for quite a long time.

This is a rectangular garden, covering an area of over 6 mu, encircled by light gray walls. In front of the building is a vast flat lawn encircled by dozens of green camphor trees. The pseudo-three-story building of white walls and red tiles behind the lawn is of western architectural style. It was a villa previously belonging to a German ship owner, who modeled the building after a ship; therefore, when looked at in the distance, it resembles a ship. In 1948, the KMT Government appropriated it to Song Qingling as her residence. Song Qingling lived here for as long as 30 years. After the founding of New China, she was elected Vice President of the People's Government. From 1963, she began to live in Beijing. However, she came back to Shanghai from time to time. In 1979, she came to Shanghai for the last time in her life and spent the Spring Festival in this house. In 1981, she passed away in Beijing, and this residence has become a place for people to pay respect to her in Shanghai. In 2001, the State Council designated the residence as a key unit of cultural relics under state protection.

Immediately after you step into the main entrance, you will see Song Qingling's Relics on the right side. The exhibits in the hall are divided into seven sections: 1) Overseas education and thinking of China; 2) Sincere partners and destined lovers; 3) Protection of civil rights and resistance of foreign invaders; 4) Devotion to state affairs and concern for women and children; 5) Exchange of good-will visits and peace work; 6) Thinking of relatives and friends and longing for the unification of Taiwan and mainland of China; and 7) Eternal memory of the departed. The precious exhibits were meticulously chosen from the over 10,000 relics Song Qingling left behind. They form a truthful record of her dedication to the revolutionary cause.

The main building of the residence is a western-style pseudo-three-story, but actually only two-story structure. On the ground floor are the passage hall, parlor, dining room and kitchen, and on the second floor are the bedroom, office and chambermaid's room. Hanging on the wall of the parlor are a portrait of Dr. Sun Yatsen and a photo of Song Qingling meeting Mao Zedong at the residence. In this parlor, she also met with Liu Shaoqi, Zhou Enlai, Zhu De, Deng Xiaoping and other state leaders as well as heads of foreign countries such as Kim Il Sung, Norodom Sihanouk, Bung Sukarno, Kliment Yefremovich Voroshilov and others.

Song Qingling's bedroom is simply but elegantly furnished. The set of ivy furniture with some paint already peeled off is actually a present from her parents on the occasion of her marriage with Dr. Sun Yatsen. It accompanied her for more than half a century. The sofa and tea table in the room were used by Dr. Sun Yatsen. And hanging on the wall is the photo of the couple taken when they got married in 1915. The music clock in the bedroom is a relic left behind by Dr. Sun Yatsen, and the clock is stopped at the time of Song Qingling's death — 8:18 p. m. And the calendar on the wall is turned to the date of her death — May 29, 1981.

The room next to her bedroom is her office. The stationery she used are still on the desk. And hanging on the wall is the group photo of her, Mao Zedong, Zhou Enlai, Chen Yi, and Zhang Wentian, which was taken in Zhongnanhai. And in the office there is a piano. Song Qingling enjoys playing the piano in her leisure hours. And beside the office is the room for Li Yan' e, who accompanied and took care of Song Qingling all her life.

In the garage off the main building parked a Red Flag sedan and another car presented to her by Stalin in 1952.

Address: No.1843 Middle Huaihai Road

Tel.: 021-64376268 021-64747183

Open Hour: 9:00-11:00 13:00-16:30