Former Residence of Kong Xiangxi

Former Residence of Kong Xiangxi

The former residence of Kong Xiangxi is a cultural relic protection unit of Jiangsu Province.

Kong Xiangxi (1880–1967), courtesy name Yongzhi, was a native of Taigu, Shanxi. In his early years, he managed a money shop and studied abroad in the United States in 1901. He successively served as Minister of Industry of the Nationalist Government, Minister of Finance, President of the Executive Yuan, President of the Central Bank, and President of the Bank of China. He moved to the United States in 1948 and passed away in New York in 1967. He owned multiple mansions and villas in Nanjing, including those in Xiangpu Camp, Tietangchi, and in the scenic area of the Sun Yat-sen Mausoleum in the eastern suburbs. Today, the Tietangchi official residence and the Gaoloumen mansion still remain. The Kong Xiangxi Residence is located within the campus of Taigu Normal School, west of the Boundless Temple in downtown Taigu. The residence faces south with a northward orientation, measuring 91 meters from east to west and 69 meters from north to south, covering a total area of 6,325 square meters.

The Tietangchi Official Residence, now situated within the compound of the Logistics Department of the Nanjing Military Region at No. 128 East Zhongshan Road, is a building that blends Chinese and Western architectural styles. It has three stories, a brick-and-wood structure, and a yellow exterior wall. The entrance features a striking semi-circular porch. After becoming Minister of Finance in November 1933, Kong Xiangxi oversaw the nation’s fiscal and financial affairs for 12 years. This was one of his primary residences.

No. 80 Gaoloumen was originally the residence of senior officials from the Nationalist Government's Customs Administration. After the victory in the War of Resistance in 1945, Kong Xiangxi moved here upon returning to Nanjing. This mansion was built in 1932 and is a typical example of Spanish-style architecture. The two-story building has a brick-and-wood structure, a yellow exterior wall, large round arch windows, a sloped roof covered with red barrel tiles, and an overall complex and varied design. The interior is fully equipped, and the front features a parking lot, lawn, and rockery, offering a serene and beautiful environment. It is now a residential property.

Kong Xiangxi (1880–1967), courtesy name Yongzhi, art name Ziyuan, was a native of Taigu, Shanxi.

Born on September 10, 1882, in Kong Family Residence, Chengjiazhuang, western suburb of Taigu County, Shanxi, he was the 75th-generation descendant of Confucius. Kong Xiangxi lost his mother at age six, and his father did not remarry afterward. In 1901, he went to study at Oberlin College in the United States and later entered the Yale University Graduate School in 1905 to study mineralogy. He returned to China in 1909 after completing his studies. He declined official positions offered by the Qing government’s Postal and Communications Ministry and others, expressing his desire to follow the spirit of Oberlin and serve in remote and impoverished areas... More details about Kong Xiangxi ++

Soong Ai-ling was born in 1889 in Shanghai. Her father was Charlie Soong (Song Jiashu), also known as Yiaosu. On May 15, 1904, at the age of 15, she traveled to the United States to attend Wesleyan College in Georgia, becoming the first Chinese woman to study in America. In 1905, she attended a White House banquet hosted by U.S. President Theodore Roosevelt, accompanied by her uncle, W. W. Burgess. In 1910, Soong Ai-ling graduated with honors from Wesleyan College. After returning to China, she was recommended by her father to work as secretary to Sun Yat-sen. Fluent in five languages, she traveled across the country with Sun Yat-sen... More details about Soong Ai-ling ++

Further Reading:

· Fifth Batch of Cultural Relic Protection Units of Jiangsu Province