Soong Ai-ling
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Soong Ai-ling (宋藹齡 Pinyin: Sòng Àilíng), or Eling Soong (June 14, 1890 – October 18, 1973), eldest of the Soong sisters, was the wife of H. H. Kung, who was the richest man in the early 20th Century Republic of China. The first character of her given name is written as 靄 (same pronunciation) in some texts. Her Christian name was Nancy.
Born in Shanghai, Soong arrived in the United States on May 28, 1904 at the age of 14 to begin her education at Wesleyan College in Macon, Georgia. She returned to China in 1909 after her graduation. In late 1911, she worked as a secretary for Sun Yat-sen, a job later succeeded by her sister, Soong Ching-ling. She met her future husband, Kung, in 1913, and married the following year in Yokohama. After marrying, Soong taught English for a while and engaged in child welfare work.
She went to the United States in the 1940s, and died later at the age of 83 on October 18, 1973 in the New York-Presbyterian Hospital, New York.
Her children were:
- Kung Ling-i (孔令儀), female
- Kung Ling-kai (孔令侃), male
- Kung Ling-chun (孔令俊), female
- Kung Ling-wei (孔令偉), female
- Kung Ling-chie (孔令傑), male
[edit] Media portrayal
In the 1997 Hong Kong movie The Soong Sisters (宋家皇朝), she was portrayed by actress Michelle Yeoh.
[edit] See also
[edit] Further reading
- Seagrave, Sterling. The Soong Dynasty. Corgi Books, 1996. ISBN 0-552-14108-9.
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