Nanjing:The No.1 Villa of the Far East — Meiling Palace
Meiling Palace is located on Xiaohong Mountain of the Nanjing Zhongshan Scenic Area. Its official name is the “Mansion of the Chairman of the National Government of China”, and is also called the “Chairman’s Xiaohong Mountain Mansion”. It was called the “Number One Villa of the Far East” by the American Ambassador to China at the time, John Leighton Stuart. Meiling Palace was originally designated as the dwelling place of the Chairman of the National Government. Later on it was changed into a lounge for high level officials when paying formal visits to the Sun Yat-sen Mausoleum.
This place became Chiang Kai-shek’s mansion after the National Government moved the capital from Chongqing to Nanjing. Chiang Kai-shek and Song Meiling came here frequently to relax and spend their holidays. Chiang Kai-shek also hosted many foreign guests here. Later on in the 30’s and 40’s it was called “Meiling Palace” because Song Meiling would frequently come here to attend religious services, and would stay here and rest with Chiang Kai-shek.
The mansion project to build the palace went into full swing in the winter of 1931. Because the entire building was overly grandiose, expenditures during its construction went greatly over budget. The project was publicly criticized with the result that construction halted for a period of time. Completion of the project was not announced until 1934. The total construction cost for the villa was 360 thousand silver dollars.
Before the War of Resistance Against Japan this place was specially provided to high level officials of the National Government to use as a place to rest when paying formal visits to the Sun Yat-sen Mausoleum. Japanese aircraft bombed this place multiple times during the War of Resistance Against Japan. In the most dangerous instance the bombing blew up a small house that was only 10 steps away from the villa. Later on the famous designer Yang Tingbao presided over the repair of Meiling Palace.
Chiang Kai-shek and Song Meiling frequently resided, attended church, entertained guests, and held receptions here from when the National Government moved the capital to Nanjing to 1949. John Leighton Stuart, the American Ambassador to China, and General Marshall and his wife also once came to Kaige Hall to attend religious services. Matters concerning economic assistance and agreements, and strategies for negotiating with the Communist Party were discussed before and after the church services.
Meiling Palace was once changed into a high level Sanitarium after the establishment of the People’s Republic of China. Later on it served as a State Guesthouse, and received national leaders and foreign heads of state. Starting in 1984, this Republic of China building that had always been under military control was officially opened to the public. In July 2001 Meiling Palace was listed as a National Key Cultural Relic Protection Site.
Meiling Palace’s design is ingeniously original. Its designer, Zhao Zhiyou, is from Ningbo in Zhejiang Province, and a distant relative of Chiang Kai-shek’s. Meiling Palace’s main building is a three storey double eave gable and hip roof style palatial architecture. The roof is covered in green glass tiles. It has carved beams and painted rafters and overhanging eaves at rake angles. Looking down at it from above, Meiling Palace was built according to the terrain like a pearl necklace embedded in an emerald pendant. The ring road that has French parasol trees growing all over it and heads towards the main building of Meiling Palace from both directions is the “necklace”.
Republic of China architecture research expert Lu Haiming believes that Meiling Palace was an act of affection toward Song Meiling. Meiling Palace is a “Phoenix Palace”. A phoenix with outspread wings is carved onto each of the over 1000 water drop eave tiles that surround the colored glaze tile roof. This is the first instance of this in China. The 34 white marble handrails surrounding the second floor southern terraces “Phoenix Viewing Platform” have been meticulously scrubbed. There are also 34 light columns that surround the small building. “34” happens to coincide with Song Meiling’s birthday, March 4th, and so this is possibly a birthday present given to Song Meiling by Chiang Kai-shek.
Due to the flux of history Meiling Palace was not repaired for a long time, and had relatively severe potential safety hazards. Under the care of the Nanjing Municipal Party Committee and Municipal Government, in 2013 the Sun Yat-sen Mausoleum Park Management Bureau initiated the first comprehensive protective renovation of already over “80 year old” architecture complex .The renovation project lasted nine months. It was open to the public anew starting on October 1st, 2013.
Source: mapclub, WeChat ID: imapclub
IJOBINCHINA
AWESOME! I wanna visit the first Villa in the world. i have been living in Nanjing. How can i get there? Visiting time? What about admission fee?
Ticket: 30RMB
Opening Time: Summer 7:30-18:00,
Winter 8:30-17:30
Location: 玄武区钟山风景名胜区内, by metro line 2, Xiamafang Station.