Former Site of Wang Jingwei’s Mansion

Former Site of Wang Jingwei’s Mansion

The former site of Wang Jingwei’s Mansion is a cultural relic protection unit of Jiangsu Province.

The former residence of Wang Jingwei is located at No. 38 Yihelou, Gulou District, Nanjing City, Jiangsu Province.

The building was constructed in 1938 in the style of Western modern architecture. Originally the official residence of Chu Minyi, Wang Jingwei moved here in 1940. After Wang’s death from illness in 1944, the property was taken over by the Kuomintang Field Service Corps. At that time, Zhang Qun, who was serving as the President of the Executive Yuan of the Nationalist Government, converted the site into an officers’ club for American military personnel due to its proximity—just a few steps away—from the then U.S. Embassy at No. 33 Xikang Road.

Chu Minyi (1884–1946), a well-known amateur Kunqu opera performer, a veteran member of the Kuomintang, and a collaborator with the Japanese puppet regime.

Wang Jingwei (1883–1944), courtesy name Jixin, pen name Jingwei (by which he is commonly known in history), was originally from Wuyuan, Jiangxi. He was the Vice Chairman of the Kuomintang and the leader of the pro-Japanese faction. From 1922 to 1923, during Sun Yat-sen’s preparations to reorganize the Kuomintang, Wang joined the party. In January 1924, at the First National Congress of the Kuomintang, Wang was elected as a Central Executive Committee member and Head of the Propaganda Department. In 1931, he rallied various anti-Chiang factions and established an alternative Nationalist Government in Guangdong. When the War of Resistance against Japan broke out in July 1937, Wang was appointed Vice Chairman of the Supreme National Defense Council, Vice Chairman of the Kuomintang, and Chairman of the National Political Council—though his power remained subordinate to Chiang Kai-shek’s. In December, he fled to Vietnam and issued the “Yan Telegram,” publicly surrendering to Japan. In May 1939, Wang and others traveled to Japan to conduct direct negotiations with Japanese authorities. Upon returning, in August, he secretly convened the Sixth National Congress of the puppet Kuomintang in Shanghai, announcing the basic policy of “anti-communism and neighborly harmony.” In December, he signed the “Outline for Adjusting New Sino-Japanese Relations” with Japanese secret service agencies, trading away the nation’s territorial sovereignty in exchange for Japan’s support in establishing the puppet regime. In March 1940, the puppet Nationalist Government led by Wang Jingwei was formally established in Nanjing, with Wang serving as “Premier” and “Chairman of the National Government.” He died of illness in Nagoya, Japan, in November 1944.

Further Reading:

· Fifth Batch of Cultural Relic Protection Units of Jiangsu Province