Zhou jinglu/Shanghai Daily news
A tree-lined park on Songyuan Road in southern Changning District is home to
a mausoleum to one of the city's most famous daughters - Soong Ching
Ling.
Established 11 years ago, the park is home to Soong's tomb, two
cemeteries and several museums.
Soong, who was named honorary chairwoman of
the People's Republic of China when she passed away in 1981, was the second
daughter to Charlie Soong, who raised a family that played a dominant role in
Shanghai and China in the early 20th century.
An old Chinese saying states:
There were once three daughters, one loved her country, one loved money and one
loved power.
Soong ching Ling, who married Dr Sun Yat-sen, founder of the
Republic of China, loved her country and is considered perhaps the greatest
female hero in modern Chinese history.
The park, which is located at 21
Songyuan Road, covers 12 hectares and is home to a memorial square, an
exhibition room with pictures from Song's whole life, a graveyard for famous
people - both Chinese and foreigners - and a children's museum. Each part has
its own characteristics.
As soon as you arrive at the mausoleum, you will
find that it is bustling with life. The area is surrounded by camphor trees - a
favorite of Soong - filled with squirrels playing happily.
Every day at 10am
and 4pm, pigeons gather in the square, waiting for visitors to feed them. Those
brave enough to offer food are likely to see birds jump right into their hands
looking for more.
A memorial square sits in front of the mausoleum. The first
thing you will see when you arrive at the mausoleum is a monument to Soong Ching
Ling, with an inscription by late Chinese leader Deng Xiaoping.
It stands at
the front of the memorial square, and creates a solemn atmosphere.
The center
of the memorial square is home to a statue of Soong, which many say is the best
depiction of her in China. She sits on a chair, with her hands crossed on her
thighs as she looks forward with a soft smile on her face.
The statue is 3.6
meters tall.
The exhibition room houses 400 photographs and 100 objects from
Soong's life, including her revolutionary career and her final days in Beijing
and Shanghai. She died of leukemia in May 1981.
Her tombstone in the center
of the square is surrounded by beautiful flowers, and her parents' graves sit
just to its left. Her father Charlie Soong was born to a peasant family on
Hainan Island, and became a missionary after studying in America.
He made a
fortune selling bibles, and all of his children played keys roles in China, and
abroad.
The mausoleum was set up on the site of the International Cemetery,
and a Celebrity Cemetery was set up in the park in 1984.
The international
Cemetery is the final resting place for more than 600 foreigners and Chinese,
including celebrities like Lu Xun and Zhang Leping.
The shanghai Children's
Museum is located to the southeast of the mausoleum. It includes an exhibition
of toys, a cinema and an aviation hall, among other attractions.