Nanyue He Mansion – Former Site of the Chiangs’ Official Residence and WWII Military Conference

Nanyue He Mansion – Former Site of the Chiangs’ Official Residence and WWII Military Conference

Nanyue He Mansion – Former Site of the Chiangs’ Official Residence and WWII Military Conference is a cultural relic protection unit of Nanyue District and a patriotic education base.

Nanyue He Mansion – Former Site of the Chiangs’ Official Residence and WWII Military Conference is located at Group 4, Yanshou Village, Nanyue Town, Nanyue District, Hengyang City.

He Mansion was a private villa built by He Jian in 1933. Between 1932 and 1936, he constructed his own villas at two sites at the foot of Nanyue Mountain — the nursery and the Mirror-Polishing Terrace. The villa at the Mirror-Polishing Terrace was called “He Mansion.” From 1938 to 1944, the Military Committee of the Nationalist Government held four military conferences at the Nanyue Bible School, during which Chiang Kai-shek and his wife resided in “He Mansion,” hence it was also known as the “Chiangs’ Official Residence.”

The Mirror-Polishing Terrace is located at the foot of Zhibaofeng (Throwing-Bowl Peak), one of the seventy-two peaks of Nanyue. During his tenure as Governor of Hunan Province, He Jian specially built a two-story building here as a summer villa. In the autumn of 1938, to avoid bombings by Japanese aircraft, a sturdy concrete air-raid shelter was specially constructed behind the house. This villa had long been favored by Chiang Kai-shek and his wife during their visits to Nanyue. When Chiang was preparing for the first military conference, on the morning of November 9, 1938, Japanese aircraft intruded into Nanyue airspace, dropping bombs and strafing. Due to the terrace’s location in a valley surrounded by towering peaks and anti-aircraft guns deployed at Banshipavilion firing at enemy planes, although Chiang and the attending officials heard the piercing alarm sirens, they remained safe inside the underground air-raid shelter built by He Jian.

From November 25 to 28, 1938, the first Nanyue Military Conference presided over by Chiang Kai-shek was held at the Bible School. This conference took place at a critical juncture when the initial defensive phase of the War of Resistance transitioned into the stalemate phase of the second stage. It was also the first high-level, large-scale military conference held on the Chinese battlefield after the reorganization of the Nationalist Government’s Military Committee. On November 5, Chiang Kai-shek held the preparatory meeting for the first Nanyue Military Conference at He Jian’s villa at the Mirror-Polishing Terrace. Attendees included heads of various departments, commissions, and offices of the Military Committee such as He Yingqin, Xu Yongchang, Bai Chongxi, Chen Cheng, Yu Feipeng, Qian Dajun, Zhang Qun, He Yaizhu, as well as political advisors Chen Bulei and Dai Li, and Zhang Zhizhong, Governor of Hunan Province. Zhou Enlai and Guo Moruo also came to attend the meeting from Changsha on the 8th.

On February 8, 1943, Soong Mei-ling, entrusted by Chiang Kai-shek to visit North America to promote China’s war effort, attended a special speech session held in her honor by the U.S. Congress. As China’s “First Lady,” she stepped onto the podium of the U.S. Congress and delivered an impromptu speech titled “War and Peace” in fluent and passionate English. At the end of her speech, Soong Mei-ling brilliantly concluded with the legendary story of the Mirror-Polishing Terrace. After the speech, all U.S. congressmen were moved by Soong’s sincerity, and they all stood up to applaud. The ancient legend of the Mirror-Polishing Terrace also gained international fame through Soong Mei-ling’s remarkable speech.

Nanyue He Mansion – Former Site of the Chiangs’ Official Residence and WWII Military Conference was designated as a Hengyang Municipal Patriotic Education Base by the Hengyang Municipal Party Committee Propaganda Department in May 2010.

He Jian

(1887–1956)

A Nationalist Army general, executive member of the Central Committee of the Kuomintang, and Governor of Hunan Province.

Native of Liling County (now Liling City), Hunan Province, born in March 1887 in Chashanling Township, Liling County. In 1906, he enrolled in the Chonggu Academy at Yuelu Mountain in Changsha, and three years later transferred to the Hunan Law and Politics School. After the Xinhai Revolution, he successively attended the Hunan Officers Training School, the Third Army Middle School in Wuchang, and the Third Class Infantry Department of the Baoding Military Academy. After graduating in 1916, he served as a platoon… More details about He Jian++

Chiang Kai-shek (October 31, 1887 – April 5, 1975), given name Zhongzheng, courtesy name Jieshi. Childhood name Ru yuan, lineage name Zhou tai, school name Zhi qing. Ancestral home in Yixing, Jiangsu, born in Fenghua, Zhejiang. He was a renowned political figure and military leader in modern China, serving successively as President of the Whampoa Military Academy, Commander-in-Chief of the National Revolutionary Army, Chairman of the National Government, President of the Executive Yuan, Chairman of the Military Affairs Commission of the National Government, Generalissimo of the Republic of China, Supreme Leader of the Kuomintang, Commander of the Three People’s Principles Youth Corps, Supreme Commander of the China Theater of the Allied Forces in World War II, and President of the Republic of China.

Chiang Zhong… More details about Chiang Kai-shek++

Soong Mei-ling (March 5, 1897 – October 24, 2003), from Wenchang, Guangdong (now part of Hainan). Former First Lady of the Republic of China and Chiang Kai-shek’s fourth wife. In addition to her outstanding English proficiency, Soong Mei-ling could speak six languages, had considerable accomplishments in traditional Chinese painting, and wrote elegant calligraphy. It is said that her piano playing was also quite excellent, making her proficient in music, chess, calligraphy, and painting. She served as Chiang Kai-shek’s diplomatic aide. Soong Mei-ling, along with her sisters Soong Ai-ling and Soong Qing-ling, were known as the Soong Sisters… More details about Soong Mei-ling++

Yanshou Village: Yanshou Village… More details about Yanshou Village++