The Three Sisters
| English name | Chinese name | Description |
|---|---|---|
| Soong Ai-ling | Simplified Chinese: 宋蔼龄 Traditional Chinese: 宋藹齡 Pinyin: Sòng Ǎilíng |
The eldest (1890–1973). Was married to the richest man and finance minister of China, H. H. Kung. |
| Soong Ching-ling | Simplified Chinese: 宋庆龄 Traditional Chinese: 宋慶齡 Pinyin: Sòng Qìnglíng |
The second in order of seniority (1893–1981). Was married to Father of Modern China and first President of the Republic of China, Sun Yat-sen in Japan on 25 October 1915. She became joint President of the People's Republic of China with Dong Biwu from 1968 to 1972 and Honorary President in 1981, just before the passing of the Constitution of 1982. |
| Soong May-ling | Simplified Chinese: 宋美龄 Traditional Chinese: 宋美齡 Pinyin: Sòng Měilíng |
The youngest (1898–2003). Was a prominent political leader in her own right, the wife and partner in power of the leader of the Kuomintang (KMT), Generalissimo of the Chinese armies, and later President, Chiang Kai-shek. |
Their marriages and alleged motivations have been summarized in the Maoist saying "One loved money, one loved power, one loved her country" (Chinese: 一個愛錢、一個愛權、一個愛國; pinyin: Yīgè ài qián, yīgè ài quán, yīgè àiguó) referring to Ai-ling, May-ling, and Ching-ling in that order.
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Famous quotes containing the word sisters:
“The quickness with which all the “stuff” from childhood can reduce adult siblings to kids again underscores the strong and complex connections between brothers and sisters.... It doesn’t seem to matter how much time has elapsed or how far we’ve traveled. Our brothers and sisters bring us face to face with our former selves and remind us how intricately bound up we are in each other’s lives.”
—Jane Mersky Leder (20th century)