Department of Cultural Affairs

Shilin Official Residence

The late President Chiang Kai-shek and First Lady Soong May-ling lived inseparably shoulder to shoulder through an era that was critical to the fate of the Republic of China (ROC). Their lives were both splendid and poetic, tied closely to epochal historic events while at the same time wrapped in a plain yet romantic aura.

On March 1, 1950, Chiang resumed his position as the head of the state, moving into the Shilin Official Residence in Taipei on the following March 31. The couple lodged in the residence for 26 years until Chiang passed away April 5, 1975, after which Madame Soong moved to the United States.

The abode therefore serves as a record of the lives of the then First Family and played an important role in the establishment of the ROC. The lush green area surrounding the residence was opened to the public in 1996 after being sequestered more than 40 years.

The principal building of the Shilin Official Residence, a two-story house, has been reconstructed using wood and reinforced concrete based on the guest house built by the then Taiwan Province Government in 1949. The Presidential Office initiated repair work in 2006 and finished construction at the end of November 2009.

Structures throughout the residence, from the principal building to the camps for guards and police, are all painted in blackish green to help them blend into the background and therefore enhance security.

In addition to the four historic buildings on the site—the principal building, a guest house, a pavilion and a church, the Shilin Official Residence also includes several parks, making it an ideal place for visitors to relax and enjoy a few hours of leisure.