Chiang Kai-shek Shilin Residence

The generalissmo's secret garden
Talk of the town: Chiang Kai-shek once welcomed U.S. presidents Richard Nixon and Dwight D. Eisenhower to his residence.

Word to the wise: The rose garden with 4000 flowers, Madame Chiang’s favourite, is in bloom February to May.
Chiang moved into this grand residence in 1951, where he lived with his wife Soong May-ling until his death in 1975. Off-limits to the public until 2006, the palatial grounds include Chiang’s residence, car, private chapel, fruit gardens, rose gardens and manicured lawns with Chiang’s favourite plum blossoms.

The main residence, a two-story Western-style mansion with dark green façade and slanted roof, is open for guided tours through the Eastern-style reception room, which contains Soong May-ling’s ceramics collection, the simple foyer, where Madame Chiang’s paintings are hung, a cosy living room featuring a portrait of Chiang’s mother over the mantle and the sumptuously appointed dining room.