The current “Exhibition of Soong Ching Ling’s Life”, which officially opened on Tuesday and runs until next Tuesday, commemorates her 130th birthday and highlights her patriotic activities during her long life.
Soong passed away in Beijing on May 29, 1981, aged 88. She was appointed Honorary President of the People’s Republic of China (PRC) during her final illness was given the special title of Honorary President of the PRC.
The exhibition is being held at the China-Portuguese-speaking Countries Commercial and Trade Service Platform Complex (aka Forum Macao Complex) in Nam Van.
Organised by the China Soong Ching Ling Foundation, the inauguration of the exhibition on Tuesday was attended, among others, by Chief Executive Ho Iat Seng, the China Soong Ching Ling Foundation’s Communist Party of China (CPC) Secretary and Vice President Shen Beili, Liaison Office of the Central People’s Government in the Macau Special Administrative Region (MSAR) Director Zheng Xincong and Commissioner of the Ministry of Foreign Affairs in Macau Liu Xianfa.
Secretary for Social Affairs and Culture Elsie Ao Ieong said during the inauguration ceremony she believed the exhibition would encourage young people in Macau to prepare themselves to contribute to the long-term development of Macau and the nation, adding she also believed the exhibition would allow Macau residents to deeply appreciate Soong’s perseverance and spirit of selfless dedication.
Ao Ieong also said that the exhibition aimed to encourage Macau youths to seize the opportunities of development under the “One Country, Two Systems” principle.
Soong was the wife of Dr Sun Yat-sen, the “Forerunner of the Revolution”. She played a prominent role in the nation’s political affairs for most of her life.
A cheongsam presented by Soong Ching Ling to her friend Polly Babcock, who wore it to collect donations overseas for the Gung Ho (Chinese Industrial Cooperatives) movement.
Dr Sun Yat-sen and Soong Ching Ling had their wedding photo taken in Japan on April 24, 1916.
Photos taken yesterday show the exhibition at the Forum Macao Complex. - All photos by Ginnie Liang
