The weddings of Jiang and Song were held twice on December 1, 1927.
The book "Secret History of the Song Family" compiled by the Chinese Historical Archives gives a detailed introduction to the weddings held by Chiang Kai-shek and Song Dynasty at that time. It is quoted as follows:
The layout of the auditorium:
Chiang Kai-shek and Soong Meiling had two wedding halls: one at the Song Mansion on Seymour Road and the other at the Dahua Hotel. The flower hall of the Song Dynasty is located in the west. The portrait of Yaoru, the father of Song Dynasty, hangs in the middle. There is a mahogany rectangular table with two flower baskets on it. From the first living room to the west flower hall , both sides are filled with flower baskets donated by all walks of life. There is a walkway in the middle with a red cloth on it. The right side of the auditorium is where relatives and friends watch the wedding ceremony, and the right side of the hall is where the music band stands. The auditorium of the Majestic Hotel is located in the ballroom. In the middle of the east side of the dance hall, a pavilion was built with cypress red cloth and flowers. The party flag and national flag were hung high behind the pavilion. A portrait of Sun Yat-sen was hung on the front of the pavilion. A hanging bell was built with cypress red cloth and flowers at the back of the center. In front of the pavilion, a rectangular mahogany stage was placed in the middle. There were flowers, marriage certificates, ink pad boxes, etc. on the stage. There were some special seats in front of the hall for the family members of the Jiang and Song families to sit. There were refreshment seats around the pavilion, and a music seat opposite. From the gate to the auditorium, there is a line in the middle, covered with red cloth, through which the bride and groom enter the auditorium.
Guests from all walks of life
Kuomintang dignitaries attended the wedding with various attitudes. Political circles include: Wang Jingwei , Wu Yahui, He Xiangning, Chu Minyi , Dai Jitao , Ye Chuqian , Chen Guofu , Zhang Shouyong , Miao Bin , Shao Lizi, Shao Yuanchong , Wu Tiecheng, Shen Junru, Chen Brai , Zhu Jiahua , Pan Gong Zhan , Zhou Fohai , Zeng Yangfu , Han Shiyuan (representative of Nanjing Special City), etc.; the military circles include: Bai Wenwei, Chen Mingshu , Ma Fuxiang , Xiong Kewu, Jiao Yitang, Chen Jiading (representing He Yaozu, Ye Kaixin), Li Zuohui (representing Zhao Hengti), Yang Zhenchun (representing Li Jinglin), etc.
Consuls and journalists from various countries also attended the Jiang-Song Jiali ceremony. they are : U.S. Consul General Buckingham and his wife, U.S. Ambassador to the United States Pandey and his wife, "Miller" reporter Powell, National Association of YMCA Welburg, Mr. and Mrs. Brandy of the Public Law Firm, Mr. and Mrs. Olmen of the Liming Law Firm, British Attorney General Lou Densi and his wife , the wife of Madi, the general manager of Madi Company, Mr. and Mrs. Shayi from Shanghai Times, Fryer of the School for Blind Children, Baldwin of the International Business Group, Japanese Consul General Yada and his wife, German Consul General Barr, and the Bristol Admiral of the United States, etc.
The presence of so many foreign guests at the wedding means that the international community recognizes Chiang Kai-shek. This is a major gain besides the wedding!
Wedding alert
From the morning of December 1st to 12pm, there were Public Concession Bao detectives, several Hua arresters, and two Western arresters outside the Song mansion. The security was very tight, and anyone who entered the mansion could not enter without the permission of the owner.
Regarding the Majestic Hotel, since 1 pm, about a dozen of Chiang Kai-shek's plainclothes guards and his subordinates from the French Concession Huang Jinrong stood guard at the door. All guests must present an invitation to enter, otherwise they will be turned away. The arresting house also sent four additional people from the West to maintain order in front of Dahua Gate.
A church ceremony was held in the Song Dynasty's residence.
At 3 o'clock in the afternoon, the Song Dynasty's residence was filled with music and a singer sang. After the singing, the sound of the piano suddenly started, and the tone was sonorous. Chiang Kai-shek's best man Liu Jiwen came to the auditorium and stood beside the rectangular table. Then the bride slowly walked into the room, and the officiant Yu Rizhang began to deliver a wedding speech: "Dear brothers and sisters, today in front of God and the relatives and friends of the two mansions of Chiang Kai-shek and Song Meiling, we honor Mr. Chiang Kai-shek and his daughter Soong Meiling. The Sacrament of Marriage is held by the people. Marriage is the greatest human relationship in China. The Book of Changes says that there is no parallel in the sanctity and nobility of a husband and a wife. When Christ was on earth, he went to the wedding feast in Cana to pay attention to the meaning of marriage. St. Paul said that marriage is very precious and should not be taken lightly. We should obey God's will and accomplish this great event."After
delivered his speech, Yu Rizhang handed over the pre-prepared oath to the bride and groom. The bride and groom recited one after another.
"I, Jiang Zhongzheng, am willing to obey God's will and marry Soong Meiling. From now on, no matter happiness or suffering, health or disease, everything will be with you. I will love, respect and protect you with all my heart, and I will do so for the rest of my life. God has learned from this, and this is what I sincerely promised you. Now I give you this ring to solidify this alliance."
"I, Soong Meiling, am willing to obey God's will, marry you, Jiang Zhongzheng, and be your husband. From now on, no matter happiness or suffering, health or disease, everything will be with you. I will do my best to love and respect you and protect you, forever. God has shown me this, and this is my sincere promise to you. Now I give you this ring to solidify this alliance."
Then, the two parties exchanged rings and expressed their thanks. When Chiang Kai-shek put the ring on the bride's finger, he lowered his head and kissed the bride gently on the cheek. He smiled. The bride's face turned rosy and she looked back with a smile.
After the exchange of rings, the officiant Yu Rizhang began to read out the announcement: "Mr. Chiang Kai-shek and Ms. Soong Meiling have exchanged rings today in front of God and the relatives and friends of the two houses of Chiang Kai-shek and Song Dynasty, and have made a covenant with each other to become husband and wife. I now solemnly declare that the two of them have officially become husband and wife."
Then read out the prayer. And the blessing words: "Our Father in heaven, you are the great master who rules all the peoples of the world and the source of true love for mankind. In your name today, we marry Mr. Jiang and Ms. Song as husband and wife. We thank you for your great kindness. Please make their love as husband and wife grow day by day, make them love and help each other in everything, and achieve complete happiness in life; please make them organize an ideal and perfect family and establish a good foundation for Chinese society. ; Today, the Chinese people are suffering greatly, and I beg you to have great mercy, so that the couple will always be vigilant and work hard to carry out revolutionary work; I ask you to give them the courage to sacrifice for the country, and to be able to move forward and overcome any difficulties; Please enable them to make greater contributions to the great cause of establishing New China from now on, so that the people of the whole country can enjoy supreme happiness and blessings. May God and Heavenly Father protect them, bless them, guide and help them, and let them glorify your holy name throughout their lives. Amen!" After the blessing, the bride and groom bowed to Yu Rizhang. The wedding ceremony of the religious ceremony ended at 3:20. After the wedding at the Song Dynasty, Chiang Kai-shek and his best friend Liu Jiwen took a car to the Majestic Hotel. Onlookers crowded the road, blocking the driveway. Everyone wanted to catch a glimpse of Chiang Kai-shek. Unexpectedly, Chiang Kai-shek and his entourage had already passed through the side door of Jing'an Temple and sat quietly in the hotel auditorium. Until the ceremony at the Majestic Hotel had begun, many uninformed spectators on the street were still looking at each other.
Officiant and Witnesses
The officiants at the marriage of Jiang and Song Dynasties were Jiang Xihou from the male family and Song Ziwen from the female family; the witnesses were Tan Yanai, Cai Yuanpei, Wang Rutang, Yu Rizhang, He Xiangning, Ms. Li Dequan (Ms. Li is the wife of Feng Yuxiang, the commander-in-chief of the Northwest National Revolutionary Army) and other 6 people. The male best friend is Liu Jiwen, and the female best friend is the eldest son of Wang Rutang.
The scene during a formal wedding
At 4:10 pm, the master of ceremonies Shao Lizi shouted for the guests to take their seats, and Western musicians played music and sang. The content is the same as before. After the wedding, the officiant and witnesses took their seats. Cai Yuanpei stood in the middle, He Xiangning, Wang Zhengyan, Jiang Xihou, etc. stood on the left, and Li Dequan, Tan Yanai, and Yu Rizhang stood on the right. Then, the groom, Chiang Kai-shek, and his best man walked slowly into the hall, and the sound of the piano continued to play in a melody. The melodious wedding tune leads to a pair of fairy-like beautiful girls. They held flower baskets in their hands and scattered flowers on the corridor paved with pines and cypresses as they walked. Then two pairs of bridesmaids floated out. In the front was Miss Guo Baozhu and the eldest son of Wang Zhengting , and behind was Miss Ni Jizhen and the eldest daughter of the Kong family, Ling Yi. They moved lightly and gracefully.The bride Meiling is holding a bouquet of light red carnations . She is supported by her brother Ziwen and comes with the music of the piano. She is quiet and dignified, and her clothes are especially novel and pleasing to the eye: she wears a transparent peach blossom veil on her head, tied with a small corolla made of purple buds; she wears a beautiful and body-conscious silver cheongsam, with a white Qipao pinned with a small orange flower and draped gently on her body; The white soft satin skirt trailed softly behind her, and the long and fluttering gauze swayed... People were so stunned by the beauty of the bride that they held their breath...
After the bride and groom stood, they all stood up and bowed three times to the national flag, the party flag, and the portrait of the Prime Minister. Then, the officiant Cai Yuanpei read out the marriage certificate and sealed it after reading it. At 4:37, the bride and groom stood facing each other and bowed to each other amid the praises of the emcee. The audience applauded warmly. Chiang Kai-shek smiled and bowed first to the officiant and witnesses, and then bowed to thank the guests. At this time, the wind instruments sounded together, and American tenor singer E.L Hall sang "Oh, Promise Me".
The second wedding was completed at 4:40.
The bride and groom walked through the crowd amidst thunderous cheers and took their seats under a huge garland. At this time, a ribbon was pulled out of the garland, and thousands of rose soul petals flew out from the garland and fell on the newlyweds. The groom nodded his thanks and retreated into the lounge. At 5 o'clock, he took the car back to Song's house through the back door.
Chiang Kai-shek and Soong Meiling returned to Song's house and immediately met with Mrs. Song and her relatives. The Song residence had calmed down by this time, and they invited a photographer from Zhonghua Photography Studio to take wedding photos, making up for the lack of official photos in the crowded Dahua Hotel. At 8 o'clock, Song's house held a banquet in honor of them.
At the banquet, the eldest sister Ai Ling and his wife presented a set of four essentials to the bride and groom. Zhonghua Book Company published the four volumes 1 to 5, which are famous throughout the country for their elegant fonts, beautiful printing, exquisite selection, and careful proofreading. On the evening of November 29, Ailing and his wife went to the main store of Zhonghua Bookstore to negotiate in person. The general manager of the bureau handed over 4 specially-made teak book boxes (a total of 10 boxes in 5 volumes). They engraved inscriptions on the books overnight. The inscriptions were written by Tang Tuo . The upper inscription was "Marriage Anniversary of Brother Jieshi and Meiling Sister" and the lower inscription was "Gift from Xiangxi Ailing." Chiang Kai-shek and his wife happily accepted this great gift.
The wedding is over, and Chiang Kai-shek and Soong Meiling became husband and wife. The groom was 40 years old and the bride was 28 years old. The "Shanghai Times" reported the day after Jiang and Song got married. : "This is a glorious event in recent years and a prominent wedding ceremony for the Chinese. This marriage unites the family of the most powerful leader of the Nanjing army and the bride's brother, Dr. Song Ziwen, as well as the family of the late Dr. Sun Yat-sen, the founder of the Kuomintang."
The wedding held by Chiang Kai-shek and Song Dynasty this time reflected that it was an important political event. The wedding was attended by dignitaries from the Kuomintang government and the public as well as celebrities and tycoons in Shanghai, indicating that Chiang Kai-shek was about to regain the central power of the Kuomintang. Consuls from the United States, Britain and other countries as well as the US Navy Admiral Bristol attended the wedding, which showed that Chiang Kai-shek embarked on a more pro-British and American path by marrying Soong Meiling.
The new residence of Chiang Kai-shek and Soong Meiling after their marriage was located at No. 311 Ladu Road, Shanghai. The newlyweds spent the first day here; the next day, December 2, the newlyweds went to Hangzhou together, saying they were going to spend their honeymoon in Moganshan . But Chiang Kai-shek returned to Shanghai from Hangzhou that day. Don't enjoy the wedding ceremony, step up the steps to regain power. Chiang Kai-shek loved beauties as well as the country.
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