As we all know, Snow was introduced by Song Qingling in June 1936 to go to Yan'an for an interview, and wrote a famous book that shocked the world, "Red Star Shines on China", and became famous.
But what is less well known is that Snow's Journey to the Beginning, published in the United States in 1958, details his dealings with soong ching-ling, Gandhi, and Roosevelt. The book also received high praise. However, after reading it in 1959, Soong Ching Ling was very dissatisfied with some of the descriptions of her in the book, because Snow quoted her words incorrectly in some places, and some of her descriptions were dishonest and unfriendly, many of which were conceived by Snow, especially the description of Chiang Kai-shek's proposal to her, and Soong Qingling was very annoyed.
Snow described it this way: Chiang Kai-shek proposed to Soong Ching Ling through an intermediary after the death of Dr. Sun Yat-sen, "She thought it was politics, not love, and refused." Song Qingling was very angry at Snow's description, she said: "It seems that if it is 'love', I will accept his marriage proposal!" What a despicable judgment to me! ”
So, did Chiang Kai-shek ever propose marriage like Soong Ching-ling? The answer can be found in a letter from Song Qingling to General Stilwell. Soong Ching Ling mentioned that Barbara Tatchman wrote in her book that "Chiang Kai-shek once proposed to her 'through the middleman', but she refused", soong Ching Ling said: "We have never had such a thing, let alone that we are politically opposed, but there is still such a ridiculous statement!" Tuchman had visited me, but I hadn't read her book at the time, or I would have asked her to immediately delete the untrue and untrue remarks. ”
Therefore, Snow's depiction of Chiang Kai-shek proposing to Soong Ching Ling was entirely imagined and fabricated in order to make his works have a sensational effect.