French
DeutschFirst Lady of the Republic of China
| First Lady of Republic of China (Taiwan) | |
|---|---|
 | |
Incumbent Vacant since 20 May 2016 | |
| Inaugural holder | Lu Muzhen (1912) Soong Mei-ling (1949) |
| Formation | 1 January 1912 |
The First Lady of the Republic of China refers to the wife of the President of the Republic of China.[1] Since 1949, the position has been based in Taiwan, where they are often called by the title of First Lady of Taiwan,[1] in addition to First Lady of the Republic of China (ROC).[1]
The position has been vacant since 2016, as incumbent President Tsai Ing-wen, the first woman to be elected to the presidency, is unmarried.[2]
First Ladies (before the 1947 Constitution)[edit]
| Spouse | Image | President | Took office | Left office | |
|---|---|---|---|---|---|
| 1 | Lu Muzhen (30 July 1867 – 7 September 1952) |  | Sun Yat-sen | 1 January 1912 | 10 March 1912 |
| 2 | Yu Yishang (1872-1956) |  | Yuan Shikai | 10 March 1912 | 6 June 1916 |
| 3 | Oei Hui-lan (2 December 1889 – 1992) | _with_baby.jpg) | V. K. Wellington Koo | 1 October 1926 | 16 June 1927 |
| 4 | Soong Mei-ling (5 March 1898 – October 23, 2003) |  | Chiang Kai-shek | 1 August 1943 | 20 May 1948 |
First Ladies (after the 1947 Constitution; based in Taiwan after 1949)[edit]
Since 1949, individuals in this position have been known as the First Lady of Taiwan, in addition to the First Lady of the Republic of China.[1]
| No. | Spouse | Image | Tenure | President | Notes |
|---|---|---|---|---|---|
| 4 | Soong Mei-ling 宋美齡 (5 March 1898 – 23 October 2003) | | 20 May 1948 – 5 April 1975 | Chiang Kai-shek m. December 1, 1927 | Also known as Madame Chiang Kai-shek or Madame Chiang[3] |
| 5 | Liu Chi-chun 劉期純 (1908 – 24 December 1999) |  | 6 April 1975 – 20 May 1978 | Yen Chia-kan m. December 14, 1924 | Was 1st to take office on the island. |
| 6 | Chiang Fang-liang 蔣方良 (Faina Vakhreva) (15 May 1916 – 15 December 2004) |  | 20 May 1978 – 13 January 1988 | Chiang Ching-kuo m. March 15, 1935 | Born Faina Epatcheva Vahaleva in Orsha in the Russian Empire, (present-day Belarus).[4] She met her husband Chiang Ching-kuo while both were working at the Ural Heavy Machinery Factory in Sverdlovsk, USSR (present-day Yekaterinburg).[4] Epatcheva adopted the Chinese names Chiang Fang-liang or Faina Chiang Fang-liang.[4] She avoided politics during her time as first lady.[1] |
| 7 | Tseng Wen-hui 曾文惠 (born 31 March 1926) |  | 13 January 1988 – 20 May 2000 | Lee Teng-hui m. February 9, 1949 | Wife of the first popularly elected president.[1] |
| 8 | Wu Shu-chen 吳淑珍 (born 11 July 1953) |  | 20 May 2000 – 20 May 2008 | Chen Shui-bian m. February 20, 1975 | Member of the Legislative Yuan from 1987 until 1990. |
| 9 | Christine Chow Ma (Chow Mei-ching) 周美青 (born 30 November 1952) |  | 20 May 2008 – 20 May 2016 | Ma Ying-jeou m. August 20, 1977 | Born Chow Mei-ching (周美青) in British Hong Kong, Chow headed the legal department of Mega International Commercial Bank, where she worked as a lawyer for more than 20 years, prior to becoming first lady.[5] |
| – | None | 20 May 2016 – Incumbent | Tsai Ing-wen unmarried | President Tsai Ing-wen, the first female head of state in the Republic's history, is unmarried.[2][6] | |
First Lady-designate[edit]
| No. | Spouse | Image | Tenure starts | President | Notes |
|---|---|---|---|---|---|
| 10 | Wu Mei-ju 吳玫如 (born 1962) |  | 20 May 2024 | Lai Ching-te m. 1986 |
Longevity[edit]
| Rank | First Lady | Born | Died | Age |
|---|---|---|---|---|
| 1 | Soong Mei-ling | March 5, 1898 | October 23, 2003 | 105 years, 232 days |
| 2 | Oei Hui-lan | 2 December 1889 | 1992 | 102 years, 364 days to 103 years, 29 days |
| 3 | Tseng Wen-hui | 31 Mar 1926 | Alive | 98 years, 21 days |
| 4 | Liu Chi-chun | 1908 | 24 December 1999 | 90 years, 358 days to 91 years, 327 days |
| 5 | Chiang Fang-liang | 15 May 1916 | 15 Dec 2004 | 88 years, 214 days |
| 6 | Lu Muzhen | 30 July 1867 | 7 September 1952 | 85 years, 39 days |
| 7 | Yu Yishang | 1872 | 1956 | 84 years, 334 days to 84 years, 365 days |
| 8 | Christine Chow Ma | 30 Nov 1952 | Alive | 71 years, 143 days |
| 9 | Wu Shu-chen | 11 Jul 1953 | Alive | 70 years, 285 days |
See also[edit]
References[edit]
- ^ a b c d e f Ko, Shu-ling (2010-05-17). "FEATURE: ROC's first ladies play varying roles". Taipei Times. Archived from the original on 2020-07-29. Retrieved 2020-07-29.
- ^ a b Liu, Shan-Jan Sarah (2010-02-10). "Taiwan's first female president easily won reelection. Are Asian women taking note?". Washington Post. Archived from the original on 2020-07-30. Retrieved 2020-07-30.
- ^ Faison, Seth (2003-10-24). "Madame Chiang, 105, Chinese Leader's Widow, Dies". New York Times. Archived from the original on 2020-03-03. Retrieved 2020-07-30.
- ^ a b c Bowring, Philip (2020-03-20). "BOOK REVIEW: China's Russian Princess". Asia Sentinel. Archived from the original on 2020-07-31. Retrieved 2020-07-31.
- ^ Ko, Shu-ling (2008-03-30). "Newsmaker: Chow Mei-ching: the career-minded first lady". Taipei Times. Archived from the original on 2020-07-30. Retrieved 2020-07-30.
- ^ "President Tsai biography". Office of the President of the Republic of China (Taiwan). Archived from the original on 2020-07-18. Retrieved 2020-07-30.