Reunited at long last

The Soong sisters are today still revered for their contributions to China's political scene and war-time efforts. [Photo provided to China Daily]

In 1940, when the Japanese occupied the capital city of Nanjing, the three reunited in Chongqing and established the Chinese Industrial Cooperatives. The three sisters had provided aid to numerous schools, hospitals, air raid shelters and war-torn communities.

Following the fall of the Kuomintang in 1948, Mei-ling and Ai-ling moved to Taiwan with their family, while Ching-ling stayed in the Chinese mainland. The three sisters never again met in person. Ai-ling and Mei-ling later moved to New York where they spent their last days while Ching-ling died in Beijing.

"The Soong sisters were born and raised in Shanghai. This is the first time the three of them are reunited since 1949 when they went their separate ways," says Chen Qiwei, chief editor of Xinmin Evening News.

"They were the elites of their time and role models for women in China. The exhibition features the bond between the sisters, as well as their shared patriotic love for the nation. These are people of historical significance, and yet ordinary folks at the same time. It's really the details of family life that reveal the true colors of people," adds Chen.

The Soong sisters were born to American-educated Methodist minister Charles Soong and all three of them attended Wesleyan College in Georgia.

Mei-ling left Wesleyan College and later graduated from Wellesley College in Massachusetts. She spoke excellent English, and with a Georgia accent, which helped her to connect with American audiences, according to records from Wellesley College.