Chiang Kai-shek and his two wives were photographed in 1937, Mao Fumei and Soong Meiling sitting together in front of the Wenchang Pavilion at the southern end of Wushan Mountain in Xikou Town. In this rare **, Mao Fumei is sitting in the main seat, her aura is strong, and Song Meiling on the side is holding her grandson, with a painful expression on her face, obviously avoiding the camera.
Some people describe her as dressed like an aunt's wife. On the other hand, Mao Fumei, her expression is complicated, and she doesn't seem to like such a group photo. This Wenchang Pavilion was built in the ninth year of Yongzheng in the Qing Dynasty (1731), because the pavilion is dedicated to the first Kui Xing, also known as "Kui Pavilion".
It used to be a place for sacrifices and literati gatherings such as "Wenchang Society", "Wenwu Society" and "Jinxi Study" in Xikou, and it was also one of the ten scenic spots in Xikou Town.
When Chiang Kai-shek returned to Xikou from Guangzhou in 1924, he found the Wenchang Pavilion in a dilapidated state, so he generously asked his half-brother Chiang Kai-hing to rebuild it.
After a year of hard work, the Wenchang Pavilion was finally completed in September 1925. Compared with the previous one, the newly built Wenchang Pavilion is extraordinary, with a total area of 500 square meters and a total of two floors.
According to Chiang Kai-shek's original intention, he rebuilt Wenchang Pavilion so that the villagers could have a place to play. After its completion, he named the building "Leting" and wrote the "Legend of Leting" himself.
In the article, he wrote: "This building is located between mountains and rivers, and no matter where comrades from afar visit, they will linger here. Both their love and wisdom can find pleasure here, so I chose the name 'Rakuting'. ”
However, although Chiang Kai-shek's original intention was to provide a place for the villagers to play, in fact, after he married Soong Meiling, Wenchang Pavilion eventually became his private villa and library.
This fully shows that he attaches great importance to this photo of the three people in front of Wenchang Pavilion, because it is enough to reflect the importance he attaches to this group photo.
Chiang Kai-shek and Mao Fumei: The Collision of Love and Feudal Etiquette In 1901, Mao Fumei, arranged by his parents, married Chiang Kai-shek, who was only 14 years old, and became the epitome of tens of millions of feudal women in China.
Mao Fumei's family is a famous local family, but she kept her duty in marriage and did not disobey her parents' orders. After Chiang Kai-shek went to Japan to study, Mao Fumei returned to Xikou Town to accompany her mother-in-law Wang Caiyu to take charge of housework.
The marriage between Chiang Kai-shek and Mao Fumei was full of contradictions and struggles, both the sweetness of love and the constraints of feudal etiquette. Mao Fumei's dedication and sacrifice have become a typical representative of traditional Chinese marriage.
Although the later marriage between the two was not happy, Mao Fumei's experience is still worthy of our reflection and respect.
After losing the company of her husband's relatives, Mao Fumei's position was seriously challenged in 1927. Chiang Kai-shek fell in love with Soong Meiling at first sight, which made her feel that her position was threatened.
Eventually, Chiang Kai-shek and Soong Meiling had a lavish wedding in Shanghai, which was labeled with various political labels, such as political marriage, East-meets-West, and beautiful heroines.
The wedding was held in the Grand Ballroom of the Majestic Hotel, attended by more than 1,300 people, and the round table was filled with flowers and bells made of flowers, as well as a huge portrait of Sun Yat-sen, the party flag of the blue sky and the white sun, and the word "happiness".
The wedding photos of Chiang Kai-shek and Soong Meiling have been widely circulated, and a major event in Shanghai's modern history has also become a major event in China's political life, which is worthy of our careful appreciation and study.
Chiang Kai-shek was so excited that he wrote in his diary: "When I see my beloved, I am like a cloud falling. It was a love I've never had in my life, and it was all on display at that moment, and I didn't know where I was anymore! ”
However, we cannot ignore Mao Fumei, who was ruthlessly abandoned by Chiang Kai-shek. After deciding to marry Song Meiling, Chiang Kai-shek resolutely decided to return to Xikou Town and divorce Mao Fumei.
Despite the fact that they already have a child. We can't imagine the pain in Mao Fumei's heart, she was resolutely against divorce and made a lot of noise about it.
Mao Fumei signed the divorce agreement and agreed to Chiang Kai-shek's conditions: she would continue to live in the Feng Ho house, the old mansion of the Chiang family, and the Chiang family would be responsible for her food, clothing, housing and transportation, and recognize her as an important member of the Chiang family.
Although Mao Fumei was not at fault, she was forced to divorce her husband, and the pain in her heart was indescribable. Despite this, Chiang Kai-shek and Soong Meiling still called Mao Fumei "eldest sister" after returning to their hometown, and the three of them seemed to get along harmoniously.
The tomb of Mao Fumei, as the saying goes, there are unforeseen circumstances in the sky, and people have good fortune and misfortune. On December 12, 1939, Mao Fumei was tragically killed by a Japanese air raid at the age of 57.
Due to identity reasons, the tombstone is engraved with "The tomb of Xian Yan Mao Taijun is respected by the country", and the word "Jiang" is not engraved. "