The Shilin Official Residence () is the former residence of late
Republic of China President
Chiang Kai-shek located on Zhongshan North Road in
Shilin District
Shilin District (also spelled Shihlin District, zh, t=士林區, p=Shìlínqū, poj=Sū-lîm-khu) is a district of Taipei. The central command center of the Republic of China Navy (ROCN) is located in Shilin.
History
The name ''Shilin'' w ...
,
Taipei
Taipei (), officially Taipei City, is the capital and a special municipality of the Republic of China (Taiwan). Located in Northern Taiwan, Taipei City is an enclave of the municipality of New Taipei City that sits about southwest of the ...
,
Taiwan
Taiwan, officially the Republic of China (ROC), is a country in East Asia, at the junction of the East and South China Seas in the northwestern Pacific Ocean, with the People's Republic of China (PRC) to the northwest, Japan to the nort ...
.
History
During the
Japanese Colonial era on Taiwan, it was the location of the Shilin Horticultural Experimental Station. After the
Republic of China lost the
Chinese Civil War
The Chinese Civil War was fought between the Kuomintang-led government of the Republic of China and forces of the Chinese Communist Party, continuing intermittently since 1 August 1927 until 7 December 1949 with a Communist victory on m ...
in 1949 and retreated to Taiwan, the property was requisitioned to the
government
A government is the system or group of people governing an organized community, generally a state.
In the case of its broad associative definition, government normally consists of legislature, executive, and judiciary. Government is ...
and transformed into the residence of
Chiang Kai-shek and
Soong Mei-ling
Soong Mei-ling (also spelled Soong May-ling, ; March 5, 1898 – October 23, 2003), also known as Madame Chiang Kai-shek or Madame Chiang, was a Chinese political figure who was First Lady of the Republic of China, the wife of Generalissimo a ...
by architect
Yang Cho-cheng
Yang Cho-cheng (; 1914 – 26 November 2006) was an internationally renowned Chinese architect. One of his best-known works is the Chiang Kai-shek Memorial Hall, a major landmark in Taipei – with his design being chosen from entries in an in ...
. Construction was completed by the
Continental Engineering Corporation
Continental Engineering Corporation (CEC; ) is a large Taiwanese construction company.
History
The company was originally founded by Glyn T. H. Ing in 1941 as Wei Dah Corporation in Chungking, Sichuan. In 1945, the company was restructured to be ...
In the early days of the
Republic of China on Taiwan, the residence was heavily militarized, fortified, and closed to the public.
Since 1996, it has been open to the public and is a popular place for viewing the gardens. The gardens include both Chinese- and Western-style horticulture. In addition to the gardens, the official residence includes the former home of
Chiang Kai-shek and
Soong Mei-ling
Soong Mei-ling (also spelled Soong May-ling, ; March 5, 1898 – October 23, 2003), also known as Madame Chiang Kai-shek or Madame Chiang, was a Chinese political figure who was First Lady of the Republic of China, the wife of Generalissimo a ...
. The official residence is a two-story western-style home. The residence is currently open to the public as of 2 January 2011. In addition, the grounds include Madame Chiang Kai-shek's former
Cadillac limousine, Chiang Kai-shek's personal Victory Chapel, and the Xinlan Pavilion (新蘭亭) with inscription by
Yu Youren
Yu Youren (); (April 11, 1879 – November 10, 1964) was a Chinese educator, scholar, calligrapher, and politician.
Early life
He was born on April 11, 1879, in the town of Hedaogang (), Sanyuan County (north of Xi'an), Shaanxi Province, Qing Chi ...
, which hosted Chiang's birthday celebrations. Former President
Chen Shui-bian
Chen Shui-bian (; born 12 October 1950) is a retired Taiwanese politician and lawyer who served as the president of the Republic of China (Taiwan) from 2000 to 2008. Chen was the first president from the Democratic Progressive Party (DPP) whic ...
revealed that the grounds contain the entrance to a hidden tunnel that connects to the
Presidential Office Building in
Zhongzheng District
Zhongzheng District (also Jhongjheng District) is a district in Taipei. It is home to most of the national government buildings of the Republic of China (Taiwan), including the Presidential Office, the Executive Yuan, the Control Yuan, the ...
, Taipei.
Famous guests
The residence has hosted famous guests and foreign dignitaries visiting
Taiwan
Taiwan, officially the Republic of China (ROC), is a country in East Asia, at the junction of the East and South China Seas in the northwestern Pacific Ocean, with the People's Republic of China (PRC) to the northwest, Japan to the nort ...
, including then
President of the United States of America
The president of the United States (POTUS) is the head of state and head of government of the United States of America. The president directs the executive branch of the federal government and is the commander-in-chief of the United States ...
,
Dwight D. Eisenhower
Dwight David "Ike" Eisenhower (born David Dwight Eisenhower; ; October 14, 1890 – March 28, 1969) was an American military officer and statesman who served as the 34th president of the United States from 1953 to 1961. During World War II, ...
, and
U.S. Secretary of State
The United States secretary of state is a member of the executive branch of the federal government of the United States and the head of the U.S. Department of State. The office holder is one of the highest ranking members of the president's Ca ...
John Foster Dulles. In 1971, then Governor of
California
California is a state in the Western United States, located along the Pacific Coast. With nearly 39.2million residents across a total area of approximately , it is the most populous U.S. state and the 3rd largest by area. It is also the m ...
,
Ronald Reagan, stayed at the residence when he was in Taipei as the
United States
The United States of America (U.S.A. or USA), commonly known as the United States (U.S. or US) or America, is a country primarily located in North America. It consists of 50 states, a federal district, five major unincorporated territori ...
representative to the
Double Ten Day
The National Day of the Republic of China ( zh, 中華民國的國慶日) or the Taiwan National Day, also referred to as Double Ten Day or Double Tenth Day, is a public holiday on 10 October, now held annually in Taiwan (officially the Republi ...
Celebrations.
Transportation
The residence is within walking distance of
Shilin Station Shilin may refer to:
China
*Shilin Yi Autonomous County (石林彝族自治县), of Kunming, Yunnan
** Stone Forest (石林), limestone formations in Shilin County, Yunnan
* Shilinxia, scenic area in Pinggu District, Beijing
Taiwan
*Shilin Distric ...
on the
Taipei Metro
Taipei Mass Rapid Transit (MRT), branded as Metro Taipei, is a rapid transit system serving the areas of Taipei and New Taipei in Taiwan, operated by the government-owned Taipei Rapid Transit Corporation, which also operates the Maokong Gondo ...
.
See also
*
Guesthouses of Chiang Kai-shek
*
Seven Seas Residence
Seven Seas Residence ( ; "Republic of China Navy Command Headquarters"), also called Chihai, located in Taipei, Taiwan on Beian Street within the grounds of the ROC naval headquarters, was the official residence of Republic of China President C ...
References
External links
*{{commonscat-inline
Taipei City Government Shilin
Buildings and structures in Taipei
Presidential residences in Taiwan
National monuments of Taiwan