Editing Soong sisters

{{Short description|Powerful siblings in 20th century China}}
{{Use dmy dates|date=June 2022}}
{{Infobox family
| name = Soong family
| native_name = 宋嘉澍家族
| native_name_lang = zh-hant
| other_names = 
| coat_of_arms = 
| coat_of_arms_size = 
| alt = 
| coat_of_arms_caption = 
| image = Soong sisters.jpg
| image_size = 
| alt2 = 
| image_caption = The Soong sisters
| type = [[Chinese people|Chinese]] [[political family]]
| origin = [[Wenchang]], [[Hainan]]
| parent_family = <!-- Family (or house, clan) from which the family in subject is descended -->
| country = [[China]]
| region = Mainly the [[United States]]
| early_forms = 
| etymology = <!-- Etymology; name origin and/or meaning -->
| founded = 
| founder = [[Charlie Soong]]
| current_head = 
| dissolution = <!-- {{End date|YYYY}}, removal of public status applicable primarily to royal and aristocratic houses -->
| final_ruler = <!-- I.e. last sovereign; applicable primarily to sovereign aristocratic dynasties -->
| final_head = <!-- I.e. last person with family name or else subject to end of continuous consistency -->
| seat = <!-- the current [[Family seat]], if one exists, if not use the historic seat (see below) -->
| historic_seat = <!-- the Family historic seat, i.e. the place commonly associated with the family ([[Manor house]], [[Château]], etc.), and where the head(s)/chieftain(s) of the family used to resided -->
| members = 
| connected_members = [[Chiang Kai-shek]]<br>[[H. H. Kung]]<br>[[Sun Yat-sen]]
| other_families = [[Chiang family]]<br>[[H. H. Kung|Kung family]]<br>[[Sun Yat-sen|Sun family]]
| distinctions = <!-- Primarily associated distinctions such as orders, prizes, awards, etc. -->
| traditions = [[Methodism]]
| motto = <!-- For non-English motto, use: ''Motto in italics'' -->
| motto_lang = 
| motto_trans = 
| heirlooms = <!-- Inheritances; antiques, mementos, jewelry, etc. -->
| estate = <!-- Residence, seat, etc. -->
| properties = 
| website = <!-- {{URL|example.com}}, website of the family association/foundation/memorial, etc. -->
| footnotes = 
| titles = <!-- If multiple ones, please consider using {{tlx|Template:Collapsible list}} -->
| styles = <!-- Styles (manners of address) -->
| deposition = <!-- {{End date|YYYY}}, removal of authority applicable primarily to royal houses -->
| cadet_branches = <!-- Branches families - if multiple ones, please consider using {{tlx|Template:Collapsible list}} -->
}}

The '''Soong sisters''',{{notetag|{{zh|t=宋氏姐妹|s=宋氏姐妹|p=Sòngshì Jiěmèi}}}} [[Soong Ai-ling]], [[Soong Ching-ling]], and [[Soong Mei-ling]], were three prominent women in modern Chinese history. All three sisters married powerful men, respectively, from eldest to youngest, [[H. H. Kung]], [[Sun Yat-sen]], and [[Chiang Kai-shek]]. Along with their husbands, they became among [[China]]'s most significant political figures of the early 20th century. 

Of [[Hakka]] descent, with [[Ancestral home (Chinese)|ancestral roots]] in [[Wenchang]], [[Hainan]], the sisters were born to American-educated [[Methodism|Methodist]] minister [[Charlie Soong]], who made a fortune in banking and printing, and [[Ni Kwei-tseng]], also a [[Methodism|Methodist]] who came from an [[Anglicanism|Episcopalian]] family.<ref>{{Cite book|url=https://books.google.com/books?id=Q8265IWx-MsC&dq=ni+kwei+tseng+soong+methodist&pg=PA182|isbn = 9789622098022|title = Carl Crow – A Tough Old China Hand: The Life, Times, and Adventures of an American in Shanghai|date = October 2006|publisher = Hong Kong University Press}}</ref><ref>{{Cite web|url=https://www.wesleyancollege.edu/about/history/soongsisters.cfm|title = The Soong sisters}}</ref> The sisters were raised as Christians in [[Shanghai]] and educated in the United States, where they all attended [[Wesleyan College]];<ref>{{cite web|title=The Soong Sisters|url=http://www.wesleyancollege.edu/About/HistoryoftheCollege/TheSoongSisters/tabid/135/Default.aspx|work=History of the College|access-date=3 October 2011|url-status=dead|archive-url=https://web.archive.org/web/20110927003637/http://www.wesleyancollege.edu/About/HistoryoftheCollege/TheSoongSisters/tabid/135/Default.aspx|archive-date=27 September 2011}}</ref> Mei-ling, however, left Wesleyan and eventually graduated from [[Wellesley College]]. Their three brothers were all high-ranking officials in the [[Republic of China (1912–49)|Republic of China]] government, one of whom was [[T. V. Soong]].

Their life stories have been summarized in a saying: "One loved money, one loved power, one loved her country",{{notetag|{{zh|c=一個愛錢、一個愛權、一個愛國|p=Yīgè ài qián, yīgè ài quán, yīgè ài guó}}}} referring to Ai-ling, Mei-ling, and Ching-ling in that order.<ref name="donovan2007">{{cite book |last1=Donovan |first1=Sandy |url=https://books.google.com/books?id=DzZb2hPNbEwC&pg=PA16 |title=Sandy Donovan, "Madame Chiang Kai-Shek: Face of Modern China", Compass Point Books, 2007 |date=July 2006 |publisher=Capstone |isbn=9780756519896}}</ref>

==History==

=== Early life ===
[[File:Song's old home.JPG|thumb|Ancestral home of the Soong family in [[Wenchang]], Hainan]]
[[Charlie Soong]], the father of the Soong sisters, was born in [[Wenchang]], [[Hainan]], in 1866, with the birth name Han Chiao Shun. He initially traveled to [[Java]] with his brother before being adopted by his uncle, who took them to [[Boston]], United States, where Charlie worked as a shop assistant. His name was misunderstood by Americans as Charlie Soon and later became Charlie Soong.<ref name=":1">{{Cite web |last= |date=2015-03-09 |title=宋氏家族之父与美国海岸警卫队 |url=https://archive-share.america.gov/zh-hans/charlie-soong/ |access-date=2024-11-25 |website=ShareAmerica |publisher=U.S. Department of State |language=zh-hans}}</ref>

In Boston, Charlie met New Shan-chow and {{Ill|Wen Bingzhong|zh|溫秉忠}}, frequent visitors to the shop, who encouraged him to pursue further education. In 1879, he fled the store and boarded the [[USS Albert Gallatin|USS ''Albert Gallatin'']] of the [[United States Revenue Cutter Service]], where he was adopted by Captain Eric Gabrielson. Charlie became a Christian in [[Wilmington, North Carolina|Wilmington]] in 1880, becoming the first [[Baptism|baptised]] Chinese person in [[North Carolina]]. With the support of a local church, he studied at [[Trinity College, Duke|Trinity College]] and later [[Vanderbilt University]].<ref name=":1" />
[[File:Family portrait of the Soong family in Shanghai in 1917.jpg|thumb|The Soong family in 1917]]
He returned to China as a missionary in 1885 and later married [[Ni Kwei-tseng]], a match arranged by Wen Bing-chung.<ref name=":1" /> The couple initially engaged in missionary work and business in [[Kunshan]], later continuing their missionary efforts in [[Chuansha County|Chuansha]].<ref name="'倪桂珍余姚">{{cite web |date=2010-10-20 |title=“宋家王朝”的余姚巾帼倪桂珍 |url=http://cul.cn.yahoo.com/ypen/20101020/55137.html |archiveurl=https://web.archive.org/web/20130115120137/http://cul.cn.yahoo.com/ypen/20101020/55137.html |archivedate=2013-01-15 |accessdate=2011-12-29 |website=Yahoo China |publisher= |language=zh-hans}}</ref> Their first daughter, Ai-ling, was born on 15 July 1889 in Kunshan,{{Sfn|Zhang|2019|p=39}} followed by two more daughters, Ching-ling and Mei-ling, as well as three sons, Tse-ven (T. V.), Tse-liang (T. L.) and Tse-an (T. A.).{{Sfn|Zhang|2019|p=39}} Charlie resigned from the mission in 1892, due to insufficient fund to support his family and became a successful businessperson for printing the [[Bible]].{{Sfn|Zhang|2019|p=39}}

=== Education ===
Charlie was deeply committed to education in the United States for his daughters.<ref name=":3">{{Cite news |last=Salisbury |first=Harrison E. |date=June 3, 1972 |title=Dinner With Mrs. Sun Yat‐sen in Old Peking |url=https://www.nytimes.com/1972/06/03/archives/dinner-with-mrs-sun-yatsen-in-old-peking.html |work=New York Times}}</ref> He wanted them to receive a Methodist education, so he enrolled them at McTyeire School for Girls in Shanghai,{{sfn|Hahn|1941|pp=35}} where Ching-ling studied from 1904 to 1907.<ref name=":5">{{Cite web |last=China Soong Ching Ling Foundation |title=Part 2: Dr Sun Yat-sen, Madam Soong Ching-ling and Hong Kong |url=https://exhibition.hkrf.org.hk/en/exhibition-content-ii-en/ |access-date=2024-11-23 |website=“Dr Sun Yat-sen, Madam Soong Ching-ling and Hong Kong” Photos Exhibition |publisher=Hong Kong Rosamond Foundation Company Limited |place=Hong Kong |language=en-US}}</ref> Acting on the advice of his missionary friend William Burke, who had ties to the Mulberry Street United Methodist Church in [[Macon, Georgia|Macon]], Charlie sent his eldest daughter Ai-ling to [[Wesleyan College]] in 1904.<ref name=":4">{{Cite journal |last=Brannon |first=Barbara A. |date=1997 |title=China’s Soong Sisters at Wesleyan |url=https://www.wesleyancollege.edu/about/history/soongsisters.cfm |journal=Wesleyan Magazine}}</ref>

Ching-ling and Mei-ling was among the first government-funded female Chinese students to study in the United States. The group, consisting of ten male and four female students, departed from [[Shanghai]] on 1 August 1907 and arrived in [[Seattle]] on 28 August, under the escort of {{Ill|Wen Bingzhong|zh|溫秉忠}}, the director of the Foreign Office of the [[Viceroy of Liangjiang]].<ref>{{Cite journal |last=Chen |first=David |date=2022 |title=Dr. Chi Che Wang's foreign hometown: the career path of the first Chinese woman professional scientist and her transnational migration options in early 1920s |url=http://www.sciencehistory.url.tw/wp-content/uploads/2023/01/21論述6-1115-陳達維-日久他鄉是故鄉-定稿-11-22-2022.pdf |journal=Bulletin of Association for the History of Science |language=zh |location=Taipei, Taiwan |publisher=Association for the History of Science |issue=27 |pages=138-143}}</ref> Ching-ling first attended school in [[Summit, New Jersey|Summit]], New Jersey, to study [[Latin]] and [[French language|French]] to fulfil Wesleyan's entrance requirements.<ref name=":7">{{Cite journal |last=Peng |first=Juanjuan |date=2023 |title=Searching the early lives of the Soong sisters in Macon, Georgia: three Chinese overseas students in the American South |url=https://www.cambridge.org/core/services/aop-cambridge-core/content/view/F79FFCB847C412A93444E2172145F070/S1479591423000049a.pdf/searching_the_early_lives_of_the_soong_sisters_in_macon_georgia_three_chinese_overseas_students_in_the_american_south.pdf |journal=International Journal of Asian Studies |language=en |volume=20 |issue=2 |pages=777–792 |doi=10.1017/S1479591423000049 |issn=1479-5914}}</ref> She joined Ai-ling as a full-time college student at Wesleyan in the autumn of 1908, with their youngest sister Mei-ling accompanying them despite being only ten years old.<ref name=":4" />

Although the Soong sisters spent most of their time on campus, they also travelled across the United States, navigating the prevailing [[Anti-Chinese sentiment in the United States|anti-Chinese sentiments]] of the time. They were warmly received by local communities in the [[Southern United States|American South]]. In the summer of 1910, Ching-ling and Mei-ling attended summer school together at [[Fairmount College]]. In the summer of 1912, they participated in a church-sponsored [[YMCA]] conference in [[Montreat, North Carolina|Montreat]], North Carolina. During several Christmas holidays, they visited [[Washington, D.C.]], where they were hosted as guests of the [[List of ambassadors of China to the United States|Chinese ambassador]].<ref name=":7" />

=== Marriage ===
[[File:孙中山同宋庆龄、宋美龄在广州白云山留影.jpg|thumb|Soong Ching-ling, Soong Mei-ling and Sun Yat-sen in Guangzhou]]
After graduating, Ching-ling's elder sister, [[Soong Ai-ling|Ai-ling]], returned to Shanghai in 1908 and became the secretary to Sun Yat-sen.<ref name=":42">{{Cite journal |last=Brannon |first=Barbara A. |date=1997 |title=China’s Soong Sisters at Wesleyan |url=https://www.wesleyancollege.edu/about/history/soongsisters.cfm |journal=Wesleyan Magazine}}</ref> Sun became fascinated with Ai-ling, constantly gazing at her, although Ai-ling did not reciprocate his feelings in the same way.{{Sfn|Zhang|2019|pp=53-54}} Ching-ling graduated from Wesleyan in 1913, and returned to China via [[Yokohama]], Japan, where she met Sun.<ref name=":52">{{Cite web |last=China Soong Ching Ling Foundation |title=Part 2: Dr Sun Yat-sen, Madam Soong Ching-ling and Hong Kong |url=https://exhibition.hkrf.org.hk/en/exhibition-content-ii-en/ |access-date=2024-11-23 |website=“Dr Sun Yat-sen, Madam Soong Ching-ling and Hong Kong” Photos Exhibition |publisher=Hong Kong Rosamond Foundation Company Limited |place=Hong Kong |language=en-US}}</ref> Ai-ling resigned in 1914 to marry [[H. H. Kung]], passing the position on to Ching-ling,<ref name=":42" /> who admired Sun as the hero who founded the Chinese Republic.{{Sfn|Zhang|2019|p=66}} In the summer of 1915, Ching-ling returned to Shanghai, asking her parents for their permission to marry Sun, which shocked the family.{{Sfn|Zhang|2019|p=68}} Ching-ling was confined at home in Shanghai, during which Sun divorced with his wife [[Lu Muzhen|Lu Mu-zhen]].{{Sfn|Zhang|2019|p=69}}

Despite objections from her father,<ref name=":43">{{Cite journal |last=Brannon |first=Barbara A. |date=1997 |title=China’s Soong Sisters at Wesleyan |url=https://www.wesleyancollege.edu/about/history/soongsisters.cfm |journal=Wesleyan Magazine}}</ref> Ching-ling married Sun Yat-sen on 25 October 1915.<ref name=":53">{{Cite web |last=China Soong Ching Ling Foundation |title=Part 2: Dr Sun Yat-sen, Madam Soong Ching-ling and Hong Kong |url=https://exhibition.hkrf.org.hk/en/exhibition-content-ii-en/ |access-date=2024-11-23 |website=“Dr Sun Yat-sen, Madam Soong Ching-ling and Hong Kong” Photos Exhibition |publisher=Hong Kong Rosamond Foundation Company Limited |place=Hong Kong |language=en-US}}</ref> There were limited witnesses in their wedding ceremony in Tokyo, which included Wada Mizu, who provided his home for the wedding, &nbsp;[[Liao Zhongkai|Liao Zhong-kai]] and Liao's 11-year-old daughter Cynthia.{{Sfn|Zhang|2019|p=69}} The Soong family chased Ching-ling to Tokyo, attempting to dissuade her from the marriage, with her father Charlie even appealing to the [[Government of Japan|Japanese government]] to denounce Sun. Additionally, many of Sun’s colleagues did not acknowledge Ching-ling as his wife, referring to her as Miss Soong rather than Mrs Sun.{{Sfn|Zhang|2019|p=70}} 

During a visit to Sun's residence in Shanghai, Chiang Kai-shek encountered Ching-ling's younger sister, [[Soong Mei-ling|Mei-ling]], for the first time and became enamoured with her. Subsequently, Chiang divorced his wife in [[Fenghua, Ningbo|Fenghua]] and sought Sun's counsel on pursuing Mei-ling. When Sun consulted Ching-ling on the matter, she expressed her strong disapproval. Sun then advised Chiang to wait, and Chiang obeyed.{{Sfn|Hahn|1941|p=105|pp=}} In 1927, Mei-ling married Chiang, who was about to launch a purge against the CCP.<ref>{{Cite news |date=2012-10-11 |title=The Soong sisters: Women of influence in 20th Century China |url=https://www.bbc.com/news/magazine-19910975 |access-date=2024-11-23 |work=BBC News |language=en-GB}}</ref> Ching-ling protested and left China after the purge.<ref name=":16">{{Cite book |last=Zhu |first=Jiulin |url=https://sswgw.org.cn/wcm.files/upload/CMSsszxw/201909/201909260147034.pdf |title=Sun Yat-sen & Soong Ching Ling: Archives & Research |publisher=Shanghai Bookstore Publishing House |year=2009 |editor-last=Shanghai Sun Yat-sen Soong Ching-ling Cultural Relics Management Committee |volume=1 |location=Shanghai |language=zh |chapter=Study on Soong Ching Ling and Deng Yanda after the Great Revolution |issue=12}}</ref>

=== Reunion in the war ===
[[File:軍事委員會委員長蔣中正偕宋美齡宋靄齡宋慶齡於重慶范莊招待各界婦女人士.jpg|thumb|The Soong sisters with [[Chiang Kai-shek]] in [[Chongqing]]]]
In 1937, when the [[Second Sino-Japanese war]] broke out, all three of them got together after a 10-year separation in an effort to unite the Kuomintang and Communists against the [[Imperial Japanese army]]. Soong Ai-ling devoted herself to social work such as helping wounded soldiers, refugees and orphans. She donated five ambulances and 37 trucks to the army in [[Shanghai]] and the air force, along with 500 leather uniforms. When the Japanese occupied [[Nanjing]] and [[Wuhan]], the three sisters moved to [[Hong Kong]]. In 1940, they returned to [[Chongqing]] and established the [[Chinese Industrial Cooperatives]], which opened job opportunities for people through weaving, sewing and other crafts. The sisters frequently visited schools, hospitals, orphanages, air raid shelters and aided war torn communities along the way.<ref name="Peterson">Peterson, Barbara Bennett (ed.). (2000). ''Notable Women of China: Shang Dynasty to the Early 20th century''. M.E. Sharp publishing. {{ISBN|0-7656-0504-X}}.</ref>

=== Break-up and deaths ===
[[File:Jawaharlal Nehru in Peking with Chou En-Lai and Madam Sun Yat-sen, 1954.jpg|thumb|Soong Ching-ling met [[Jawaharlal Nehru|Nehru]] with [[Zhou Enlai]] in [[Beijing]], 1954]]
[[File:蔣夫人宋美齡與在臺美軍一同勞軍 01.jpg|thumb|Soong Mei-ling visited [[United States Taiwan Defense Command|American soldiers in Taiwan]], 1964]]
In 1944, Soong Ai-ling left China for Brazil to receive medical treatment and later settled in the United States in 1946. In November 1948, Soong Mei-ling travelled to the United States to seek support for her husband, Chiang Kai-shek, and the Kuomintang. In May 1949, she wrote to Soong Ching-ling, asking if there was anything she could do for her sister in China. This letter marked the last communication between Mei-ling and Ching-ling. Following the Kuomintang's defeat in the Chinese Civil War, Mei-ling arrived in Taipei, Taiwan, in 1950, while Ching-ling remained on the mainland and joined the Communist-led government. In 1957, Ching-ling wrote to Ai-ling, requesting her to return to China.<ref name=":14">{{Cite web |title=宋庆龄晚年思念宋美龄：不断假设其回国接待程序-中新网 |url=https://www.chinanews.com.cn/cul/2013/01-28/4525599.shtml |access-date=2024-11-23 |website=www.chinanews.com.cn}}</ref>

In 1969, Ai-ling and Mei-ling attended the funeral of their brother T. A. Soong in San Francisco, but Ching-ling was absent. In 1971, T. V. Soong passed away in San Francisco, and his funeral was scheduled to take place in New York. Mei-ling flew from Taiwan to Hawaii for a stopover, during which Chiang Kai-shek urged her to cancel her trip. She later learned that the Communist Chinese government had informed the U.S. government of Ching-ling’s intention to attend the funeral in New York. Consequently, Mei-ling and Ai-ling both cancelled their trips, and none of the sisters attended their brother's funeral. Ai-ling died in New York in 1973. Ching-ling had planned to reunite with Mei-ling in Japan before her death, which did not come true.<ref name=":14" />

In 1981, Ching-ling fell critically ill. Her family sent a telegram to Mei-ling, hoping for a reunion. Mei-ling responded, suggesting that Ching-ling be sent to New York, United States instead.<ref name=":14" /> As a potential family reunion in Beijing was seen as a threat to the legitimacy of her stepson, Taiwanese President [[Chiang Ching-kuo]]. Xinhua noted that other family members were present at the time of Soong's passing, she did not reunite with her sister.<ref>{{Cite web |title=Soong Ching Ling, honorary president of China and the... - UPI Archives |url=https://www.upi.com/Archives/1981/05/29/Soong-Ching-Ling-honorary-president-of-China-and-the/7106359956800/ |access-date=2024-11-24 |website=UPI |language=en}}</ref> She was later invited by the Communist Chinese government for the funeral,<ref name=":15">{{Cite news |last=The Associated Press |date=1981-05-30 |title=Soong Ching-ling dies in Peking; Widow of Sun Yat-sen was 90 |url=https://www.nytimes.com/1981/05/30/obituaries/soong-ching-ling-dies-in-peking-widow-of-sun-yat-sen-was-90.html |work=New York Times}}</ref> but she told Chiang Ching-kuo, her stepson, that she would not come.<ref name=":14" /> Deng Xiaoping mentioned that Soong, the aunt of [[Chiang Ching-kuo]], had expressed hope for reunification talks between the governments of Beijing and Taipei in the near future.<ref>{{Cite news |last=Sterba |first=James P. |date=June 4, 1981 |title=Soong Ching-Ling is eulogized by Deng |url=https://www.nytimes.com/1981/06/04/world/soong-ching-ling-is-eulogized-by-deng.html |work=[[New York Times]]}}</ref>

Ching-ling was buried in the Soong family graveyard in June. In January 1984, the cemetery was re-organised as the Mausoleum of Soong Ching Ling, Honorary Chairman of the People's Republic of China, which came under state protection in February 1982.<ref name="ndcnc">{{Cite web |title=宋庆龄陵园建设的前前后后 |url=http://www.ndcnc.gov.cn/datalib/2004/Opus/DL/DL-230 |archive-url=https://archive.today/20121127171416/http://www.ndcnc.gov.cn/datalib/2004/Opus/DL/DL-230 |archive-date=2012-11-27 |accessdate=2010-05-16}}</ref><ref>{{Cite journal |last=Qin |first=T. |last2=Wang |first2=Y. |last3=Li |first3=J. |last4=Tang |first4=Z. |last5=Dai |first5=S. |date=2021-08-28 |title=Conservation and Maintenance Concepts of Soong Ching Ling’s Dolomite Marble Statue in Shanghai and Supporting Survey Methods |url=https://isprs-archives.copernicus.org/articles/XLVI-M-1-2021/579/2021/ |journal=The International Archives of the Photogrammetry, Remote Sensing and Spatial Information Sciences |language=English |volume=XLVI-M-1-2021 |pages=579–584 |doi=10.5194/isprs-archives-XLVI-M-1-2021-579-2021 |issn=1682-1750 |doi-access=free}}</ref> Before Mei-ling died in 2003, she had refused to be buried in Taiwan and hoped to be buried with her parents in Shanghai, which was not acceptable for the Kuomintang. As a result, she was buried in the United States instead.<ref>{{Cite book |last=Müller |first=Gotelind |url=https://fid4sa-repository.ub.uni-heidelberg.de/4474 |title=Chinese Grave Problems: The Historical Trajectory of the Republican-Era, Sun-Chiang-Soong Families as Mirrored in Their Tombs |date=2021 |publisher=[object Object] |doi=10.11588/xarep.00004474}}</ref>

==Family members==

=== Three sisters ===
{| class="wikitable"
! rowspan="2" |Name
! rowspan="2" |'''Portrait'''
! colspan="2" |Life span
! rowspan="2" |Resting place
! rowspan="2" |Description
|-
!From
!To
|-
|[[Soong Ai-ling]]
|[[File:Soong Ai-ling.jpg|136x136px]]
|15 July 1889
|20 October 1973
|[[Ferncliff Cemetery|Ferncliff Cemetery and Mausoleum]]
|Soong Ai-ling{{notetag|{{zh|c=宋蔼龄|p=Sòng Ǎilíng}}}} (1890–1973) was a Chinese socialite and political figure. She married H. H. Kung, a prominent financier and government official. After the Chinese Civil War, she moved to the United States, where she became involved in philanthropy and maintained ties with the Kuomintang. Ai-ling was noted for her wealth, remaining a significant figure in the Chinese diaspora until her death in 1973.
|-
|[[Soong Ching-ling]]
|[[File:Madame Sun Yat-Sen - Cecil Beaton.jpg|110x110px]]
|27 January 1893
|29 May 1981
|[[Tomb of Soong Ching-ling|Soong Ching-ling Mausoleum]]
|Soong Ching-ling{{notetag|{{zh|c=宋庆龄|p=Sòng Qìnglíng}}}} (1893–1981) was a Chinese political leader and the wife of Sun Yat-sen, the founding father of the Republic of China. After Sun's death, she was initially aligned with the Kuomintang, and later supported the Communists, advocating for the Chinese revolution and national unity. Soong played a key role in promoting social welfare and women's rights. After the Chinese Civil War, she remained in mainland China, where she became a vice-chairperson of the People's Republic of China. She continued her political work until her death in 1981.
|-
|[[Soong Mei-ling]]
|[[File:Madame Chiang Kai-Shek.jpg|107x107px]]
|4 March 1898
|23 October 2003
|Ferncliff Cemetery and Mausoleum
|Soong Mei-ling{{notetag|{{zh|c=宋美龄|p=Sòng Měilíng}}}} (1898–2003) was a Chinese political figure and the wife of Chiang Kai-shek. As First Lady of the Republic of China, she garnered support for China from Western nations during the Second Sino-Japanese War. Educated in the United States, she was fluent in English and often acted as a spokesperson for her husband's government. After the Kuomintang's defeat in the Chinese Civil War, Soong Mei-ling moved to Taiwan with Chiang, where she remained active in politics. She was a symbol of the Kuomintang cause in shaping Taiwan until her death in 2003.
|}

=== Parents ===
{| class="wikitable"
! rowspan="2" |Name
! rowspan="2" |'''Portrait'''
! rowspan="2" |Relation
! colspan="2" |Life span
! rowspan="2" |Resting place
! rowspan="2" |Description
|-
!From
!To
|-
|[[Charlie Soong]]
|[[File:Charles_soong.jpg|link=https://zh.wikipedia.org/wiki/File:Charles_soong.jpg|127x127px]]
|Father
|17 October 1861
|3 May 1918
| rowspan="2" |[[Shanghai International Cemetery]] (renamed as Soong Ching-ling Mausoleum)
|Charlie Soong (1866–1918) was a prominent Chinese businessman, missionary, and political figure. He played a key role in funding the revolutionary activities of Sun Yat-sen, contributing to the overthrow of the Qing Dynasty and the establishment of the Republic of China.
|-
|[[Ni Kwei-tseng]]
|[[File:Soong Ching-ling, Soong Ai-ling and their mother.jpg|113x113px]]
|Mother
|22 June 1869
|23 July 1931
|Ni Kwei-tseng (1869–1931) was a prominent Chinese matriarch best known as the wife of Charlie Soong and the mother of the influential Soong sisters: Soong Ai-ling, Soong Ching-ling, and Soong Mei-ling. Her daughters played pivotal roles in 20th-century Chinese history.
|}

=== Brothers ===
{| class="wikitable"
! rowspan="2" |Name
! rowspan="2" |'''Portrait'''
! rowspan="2" |Relation
! colspan="2" |Life span
! rowspan="2" |Resting place
! rowspan="2" |Description
|-
!From
!To
|-
|[[T. V. Soong]]
|[[File:TVSoong.jpg|link=https://zh.wikipedia.org/wiki/File:TVSoong.jpg|117x117px]]
|Brother
|4 December 1894{{cn|date=January 2025}}
|25 April 1971{{cn|date=January 2025}}
|[[Ferncliff Cemetery|Ferncliff Cemetery and Mausoleum]]
|T. V. Soong, a prominent Chinese politician and financier. He played a pivotal role in stabilising the economy and securing foreign aid during the Second Sino-Japanese War. Known for his negotiation skills, he established strong ties with international powers, particularly the United States, which bolstered China's wartime efforts. Despite his achievements, he was also criticised for the perception of wealth accumulation by the Soong family, a narrative that became part of China's political discourse.
|-
|[[T. L. Soong]]
|[[File:Song_Ziliang.jpg|link=https://zh.wikipedia.org/wiki/File:Song_Ziliang.jpg|124x124px]]
|Brother
|27 March 1903
|11 May 1987
|Ferncliff Cemetery and Mausoleum
|T. L. Soong is known for his role as a Chinese diplomat and for his work in fostering international relations during the Second Sino-Japanese War.
|-
|[[T. A. Soong]]
|[[File:Charlie_Soong_and_friends.jpg|link=https://zh.wikipedia.org/wiki/File:Charlie_Soong_and_friends.jpg|80x80px]]
|Brother
|27 April 1906
|25 February 1969
|[[Mountain View Cemetery (Oakland, California)|Mountain View Cemetery]]
|T. A. Soong, a lesser-known member of the influential Soong family, was primarily involved in the banking and financial sector.
|}

=== Spouses ===
{| class="wikitable"
! rowspan="2" |Name
! rowspan="2" |'''Portrait'''
! rowspan="2" |Spouse
! colspan="2" |Life span
! rowspan="2" |Resting place
! rowspan="2" |Description
|-
!From
!To
|-
|[[H. H. Kung|H.H. Kung]]
|[[File:HHKung.jpg|link=https://zh.wikipedia.org/wiki/File:HHKung.jpg|120x120px]]
|Soong Ai-ling
|11 September 1880
|16 August 1967
|Ferncliff Cemetery and Mausoleum
|H. H. Kung (Kung Hsiang-hsi) was a prominent Chinese businessman, politician, and banker. A descendant of Confucius, Kung married Soong Ai-ling. He served as China's Minister of Finance, Minister of Industry, and Vice Premier under the Nationalist government led by Chiang Kai-shek.
|-
|[[Sun Yat-sen]]
|[[File:Dr._Sun_in_London.jpg|link=https://zh.wikipedia.org/wiki/File:Dr._Sun_in_London.jpg|107x107px]]
|Soong Ching-ling
|12 November 1866
|12 March 1925
|[[Sun Yat-sen Mausoleum]]
|Sun Yat-sen (1866–1925) was a revolutionary leader and statesman known as the "Father of Modern China." He played a pivotal role in overthrowing the Qing Dynasty and establishing the Republic of China in 1912. Sun was the founder of the Kuomintang and a key proponent of the "Three Principles of the People".
|-
|[[Chiang Kai-shek]]
|[[File:Chiang_1.jpg|link=https://zh.wikipedia.org/wiki/File:Chiang_1.jpg|103x103px]]
|Soong Mei-ling
|31 October 1887
|5 April 1975
|[[Cihu Mausoleum|Mausoleum of Late President Chiang]]
|Chiang Kai-shek (1887–1975) was a Chinese military and political leader who headed the Kuomintang and led the Nationalist government in the early 20th century. After Sun Yat-sen's death in 1925, he led China during the Second Sino-Japanese War. Following World War II, Chiang's government clashed with the Chinese Communist Party, leading to the Chinese Civil War. After defeat, he retreated to Taiwan in 1949, where he continued to claim legitimacy as China's leader, imposing martial law and maintaining an authoritarian regime until his death in 1975.
|}

== Cultural materials ==
* ''[[The Soong Sisters (film)|The Soong Sisters]]'', the award-winning 1997 [[Hong Kong]] film depicting the lives of the sisters
* ''The Soong Sisters'', a 1941 book by [[Emily Hahn]]
* ''The Soong Dynasty'', a 1985 book by [[Sterling Seagrave]], {{ISBN|978-0-283-99238-4}}
* ''Big Sister, Little Sister, Red Sister'', a 2019 book by [[Jung Chang]], {{ISBN|9781910702796}}

==See also==
*[[Four big families of the Republic of China]]
*[[History of the Republic of China]]
*[[Kuomintang]]

== Notes ==
{{notefoot}}

==References==
{{Reflist}}

==Bibliography==
*{{cite book |last=Hahn |first=Emily |author-link=Emily Hahn |url=https://archive.org/details/in.ernet.dli.2015.86636 |title=The Soong Sisters |publisher=Doubleday, Doran & Co. |others=Reprinted in 2014 by Open Road Integrated Media, Inc. |year=1941 |isbn=978-1-4976-1953-1 |edition=e-book |location=New York, NY}}
* {{cite book |last=Seagrave |first=Sterling |author-link=Sterling Seagrave |url=https://archive.org/details/isbn_0552141089 |title=The Soong Dynasty |publisher=Corgi Books |year=1985 |isbn=0-552-14108-9 |location=London, England |url-access=registration}}
* {{Cite book |last=Zhang |first=Rong |title=Big sister, little sister, red sister: three women at the heart of twentieth-century China |date=2019 |publisher=Alfred A. Knopf |isbn=978-0-451-49351-4 |location=New York}}

==External links==
{{Sister project links}}
*[http://www.wesleyancollege.edu/about/soongsisters.cfm Soong Sisters] at the [[Wesleyan College]] website

{{Authority control}}

{{DEFAULTSORT:Soong Sisters}}
[[Category:Sister trios]]
[[Category:Political families of China]]
[[Category:Soong Ching-ling]]
[[Category:20th-century Chinese women]]
[[Category:People from Shanghai]]
[[Category:Family of Chiang Kai-shek]]
[[Category:Family of Sun Yat-sen]]