FormerResidenceofSoongChingLing
TheFormerResidenceofSoongChingLing,lateHonoraryChairmanofthePeople'sRepublicofChina,issituatedat46NorthRiveStreetintheRearLakeareaoftheWestCityDistrict.TheresidencewasonceagardenofoneoftheQingDynastyprinces'mansions.TheareaalongthebanksofRearLakeisquietandbeautiful,withshadywillowtreesliningthestreets.WaterfromRearLakehasbeendivertedthroughanundergroundchannelintoastreamthatwindsitswaythroughthegarden.
ThislovelyBeijinggardeniselegantlylaidoutwithrockeriesandpondssetoffbypines,cypressesandflowers.Windingcorridorslinkstraditional-stylehallsandpavilionsinthegarden.Thetastefullayoutgivesthegardenanatmosphereofelegantantiquity.
Originally,thegroundsofthemansioncontainednumerousbuildings:thefronthall,calledHappinessontheHaoRiverBridge,afterastoryfromZhuangZi;thePavilionforListeningtotheOrioles;andtheeasternhall,calledtheHallforGazingatFlowers.LinkedtotheSouthBuildingbyawindingcorridorwastheWavesofKindnessPavilion.ExquisitelargerockeriesweredottedwithstructuressuchastheFanPavilionandtheRoomforListeningtotheRain.Ponds,finerocks,shadytrees,flowersandlawnsalladdedtotheenchantmentofthegarden.Butovertheyearsthewholegardenfellintodisrepair.
AfterthefoundingofNewChinain1949,thePartyandgovernmentmadeplanstobuildaresidenceforSoongChingLinginBeijing,anddecidedtorenovateoneoftheprinces'gardensforthepurpose.Newbuildingsweeconstructedtothewestofthemansion'smainhalltocreateaquietsecludedcourtyardasitstandstoday.SoongChingLingmovedintothemansionin1963andworked,studiedandlivedhereuntilshepassedawayonMay29,1981.
Ashortwayinsidethemaingateisagrapearbor,andbyitinaflowerbedstandsawoodentabletcarvedwithabriefintroductiontothehistoryofthemansion.
Walkingnortheastformthegrapearbor,onecomestotheexhibitionhalls.TheauxiliaryexhibitionhallservedasaguestroomwhereSoongChingLingreceivedguestsfromChina.
Thefirstexhibitionhallisdividedintoeightsections,eachrepresentingaperiodofSoongChingLing'slife.Theexhibitsincludelargenumbersofphotographs,documentsandobjectsofinterestdepictingherchildhoodandstudentdays,hermarriagetoSunYat-sen,herparticipationinpoliticalactivities,heorganizationoftheAssociationtoSafeguardtheRightsoftheChinesePeopleandhersupportoftheadvocatesofresistancetotheJapaneseinvasion.AlsoondisplayisacopyofoneofSoongChingLing'smostfamoussaying,takenfromheressay"SunYat-senandHisCooperationwiththeCommunistPartyofChina."
"SunYat-sen's40yearsofpoliticalstrugglefortheChinesenationandpeoplereachedtheirpeakinthelastyearsofhislife.ThehighpointofhisdevelopmentcamewithhisdecisiontocooperatewiththeCommunistPartyofChinaandworkfortheChineserevolution."
Thesecondexhibitionhallisdividedintosevensectionswiththefollowingtitles:InvitationtoCometotheNorth;OneoftheFoundersofNewChina;CloseComrade-in-ArmsoftheParty,BelovedLeaderofthePeople;PioneerinSafeguardingPeace-EnvoyoftheChinesepeople;Study;LifeandWork;GreatCommunistFight;andtheGriefofaNation,theSorrowoftheWorld.
ThethirdexhibitionhallistheChildren'sHall,reflectingSoongChingLing'sgreataffectionandconcernfortheyouthofChina.Sheoncesaid:"Childrenareourfuture,ourhope;theyareourcountry'smostvaluableasset."Includedintheexhibitionisapaintingofabasketoflongevitypeaches,presentedtoSoongChingLingbytheaffectionwhichthechildrenofNewChinafeelforher.
Thefourthexhibitionisasmalltwo-storybuilding.Thegroundfloorcontainsasmalldrawingroomandadiningroom,whileSoongChingLing'sstudy,officeandlivingquartersareonthesecondfloor.Thebedroom,studyanddiningroomareallarrangedastheywerewhenSoongChingLinglivedthere.Thelayoutissimpleandtasteful.Formerly,SoongChingLingwouldspendhertimehereplayingtheqin(Chinesezither),doingembroideryandwritingpoemsandprose.