Gate to the Former House of Jiang Jingguo 蒋经国
The years after the fall of the Qing dynasty were tumultuous to say the least. First was the outbreak of World War II where large parts of China was taken over by the Japanese. Then came the civil war which broke out between the Communists and the Nationalists, the leader of the Nationalists was Jiang Zhongzheng or better known as Chiang Kai Shek. The Nationalists were routed and they eventually retreated to the island province of Taiwan which eventually broke away from Mainland China. Issues between the two neighbors still linger although they have simmered down a lot in the recent years.
Difficult to See Anything from the Outside
In Hangzhou, Chiang Kai Shek’s son, Jiang Jingguo, who would later succeed his father as president, had a villa along the shores of the West Lake. The villa was a two story residential house with a Western Design. Unfortunately, the gate was closed and it is not open to visitors. It doesn’t seem like anyone has been here in years. Although it is said that the government welcomes the former occupiers to come back and stay, I don’t think the former owners have reciprocated this act of hospitality.
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