Chang Kaishi’s widow is long-liver

The day before yesterday, not mass, but rather splendid celebrations took place in New York: Chang Kaishi’s widow celebrated her birthday. At the beginning of last century, the most famous marriageable girls were Ailin, Tsinlin, and Mailin, daughters of rich Shaghai businessman Charles Sung, whose commercial success was much caused by his belonging to Orthodox Church. The three of his daughters were handsome, they studied in the US and married influential Chinese of their time: Kung Syansi, Sun Yatsen and Chang Kaishi. The first was one pf the four richest Chinese oligarchs, the second was the leader of Chinese democratic revolution which overthrew monarchy and the founder of the republic and of Gomindan party, the third was Sun Yatsen’s successor and the President of Chinese Republic, while after defeat in the civil war and creation of Chinese People’s Republic – the “president” in Taiwan, under US protection. For the whole century, two of the three sisters were a kind of rivals, especially after they turned out to be on opposite sides of the civil war’s barricade. Finally, Sun Tsinlin became deputy chairman of Chinese People’s Republic, while Sun Mailin – only “first lady in Taiwan. But in return, the youngest sister excelled her sisters as for longevity. Ailin died in 1973, being 83 years old, 88-year-old Tsinlin died in 1981, while Mainlin celebrated the day before yesterday her 105th birthday and was reported to be in good form. Andrei Krushinski PRAVDA.Ru Beijing Translated by Vera Solovieva

Read the original in Russian: http://www.pravda.ru/main/2002/03/27/38875.html]