The former residence of the President of the National Government, commonly known as the Meiling Palace, is located at No. 9 Sun Yat-sen Mausoleum, Xuanwu District, Nanjing, Jiangsu Province. Built in 1931, it served as one of the Nanjing residences of President Chiang Kai-shek and his wife, Soong Mei-ling.
The former residence covers an area of 80,000 square meters, with a construction area of over 2,000 square meters. It comprises a main building, a guardhouse, a garage, and a garden. The main structure, facing north and south, is three stories high and includes a basement. Modeled after traditional Chinese palace architecture, it embodies a blend of Chinese and Western design concepts. It is the largest single villa in Nanjing during the Republican era and one of the most complete surviving Republican-era villas, possessing high historical and artistic value.
On June 25, 2001, the former National Government Site, including the former residence, was designated by the State Council of the People's Republic of China as a fifth-batch National Key Cultural Relics Protection Site.
In 1930, Chiang Kai-shek formally proposed to the Premier's Mausoleum Management Committee the construction of a villa on Xiaohongshan Hill within the mausoleum. On October 24 of the same year, the Mausoleum Management Committee held its 24th meeting, chaired by Sun Ke, and resolved to "do as instructed."
In 1931, construction began on the Xiaohongshan Villa. Designed by Zhao Zhiyou, Director of the Nanjing Municipal Government's Public Works Bureau, Chen Pinshan, Chief Engineer, and built by the Xinjinjikanghao Construction Company, the estimated cost was 261,410 yuan.
In 1932, the Xiaohongshan Villa was completed and designated as the official residence of the President of the National Government.
In 1934, the official residence of the President of the National Government was converted to the Xiaohongshan Official Residence, serving as a resting place for senior officials visiting the Sun Yat-sen Mausoleum.
In 1947, after the National Government returned its capital to Nanjing, the Xiaohongshan Official Residence became Chiang Kai-shek's official residence. Chiang Kai-shek and Soong Mei-ling often visited the residence to rest, worship, and vacation, earning it the nickname "Meiling Palace." In 1950, the former residence of the President of the National Government was taken over by the Sun Yat-sen Mausoleum Administration as public property and converted into a sanatorium for senior cadres of Jiangsu Province. In 1951, the former residence of the President of the National Government was converted into a sanatorium for cadres directly under the Nanjing Municipal Government, and later into the Dongjiao Hotel. On September 1, 1990, the former residence of the President of the National Government was merged into the Jinling Hotel by the Jiangsu Provincial Tourism Bureau. In March 2012, the former residence of the President of the National Government was re-assigned to the management of the Sun Yat-sen Mausoleum Administration [4].