Uncover Chiang Kai-shek's desk in the presidential palace and see what exactly is on it? As an important figure in modern Chinese history, Chiang Kai-shek's life experience is full of legends, especially the details of his office in Nanjing, which makes people curious. What was the scene like when Chiang Kai-shek was in the presidential palace? What interesting objects are placed on his desk in a rather unique way?
On April 23, 1949, the day before the PLA captured the presidential palace in Nanjing, the calendar on Chiang Kai-shek's desk stopped at that date. On that day, he probably never dreamed that his time in the presidential palace would come to an end. If you want to say that Chiang Kai-shek's office in the presidential palace, except for the famous presidential office on the third floor of Zichao Building, he has actually run official offices in many places. The office of the Executive Yuan, temporary offices, etc., his office footprints have been all over the presidential palace, but this is all leisure time.
Chiang Kai-shek's favorite office location was actually his official residence in the Army Military Academy. Not only himself, but even Song Meiling often "takes care of housework" there, which can be described as a "station" of the national government. You must know that in those turbulent times, the rest house near the military academy was safer than the presidential palace. The Jiang family and his wife worked and met guests there, but they were also at ease.
Back to the layout of President Chiang Kai-shek's office, it was a lot of work. I heard that it is arranged according to feng shui, and even the desk placement is quite particular. The table is placed diagonally in one corner, which has a deep meaning. Some say it was to keep an eye on the two doors and prevent assassination. There is also speculation that this is a means of "restraint" against Vice President Li Zongren. But personally, I think it's just for the sake of light.
On the seemingly unpretentious desk, there are a direct-dial telephone, several books of Zeng Wenzhenggong, court beads, seals and other objects, reflecting Chiang Kai-shek's reverence for Zeng Guofan and some small habits of life. For example, he pays attention to personal hygiene and only drinks plain water when he is working. Gossip aside, from these subtleties alone, you can get a glimpse of Jiang's habits of being a man and doing things.
These office scenes are not luxurious, and even a little plain. However, for Chiang Kai-shek, who was born as a scholar, being able to work in the presidential palace may be his greatest luxury. When I was a child, I never dreamed that I would one day dominate here, right?
When it comes to the origin of Chiang Kai-shek's desk, it is also quite interesting. Although the Zichao Building was opened in 1936, it was called the "Chairman's Office Building" at that time, and the interior furnishings were naturally prepared for Lin Sen, the chairman of the National Government.
This desk was Lin Sen's object back then, and it was not until 1943 that Lin Sen died in a car accident that the building was artificially commemorated and renamed "Zichao Building". And Chiang Kai-shek, who "returned" to Nanjing, took over Lin Sen's old office as a matter of course.
If there is anything unique about the design of Zichaolou, it is that its shape is quite ingenious. From a distance, the pedestal of this five- or six-story building looks very wide, gradually becoming smaller upward, and the two sides are symmetrical. In addition to the two cedar trees planted by Lin Sen in front of the building, the foreground of the building also seems to echo the word "Lin Sen".
I really didn't expect that the architect of that year would be so "witty" to "cheer" Lin Sen, the chairman. I don't know if it's intentional or a coincidence, but Lin Sen's tenure obviously made this low-key old man have some "face".
The repair of Zichao Building cost 100,000 yuan in silver, which was a rare large-scale effort in those years. Walking into the interior, the spirit of the grand and generous design can be said to be reflected everywhere. The five-storey main structure is decorated with light brown refractory bricks in many places, which looks both classical and stylish. Coupled with the whitewashed stone and gravel exterior walls, the overall appearance gives people a sense of majesty and delicacy.
Chiang Kai-shek's presidential office is located in three rooms in the southeast corner of the Zichao Building. One is used as an office, the other is used as a reception room, and a small room is a temporary resting place for Mr. Jiang. It's simple, but it's all there.
There is even a Bogu frame used by Lin Sen in the reception room, which shows that Jiang has great admiration for the former chairman. He also ordered that a corridor in the Zichao Building be named "Lin Sen Corridor" to commemorate this senior. Sure enough, he is a good student and knows the principle of "worshipping ancestors".
In addition to Zichaolou, there are actually several offices of the Jiang family in the presidential palace. For example, in the office of the President of the Executive Yuan in the South Building of the Executive Yuan, he also worked when he was the President of the Executive Yuan; In the southeast corner of the second floor of the Government Affairs Bureau Building, Chiang Kai-shek's original office was located there, which was later taken over by Chen Bui; There is also a temporary office located on the east side of the reception room for domestic guests, which is mainly used for Chiang's rest and reception.
Through the description of Chiang Kai-shek's various offices in the presidential palace and their arrangement, perhaps we can have a deeper understanding of some of the character and living habits of this "old man". Some details often reveal the essence of the characters more than direct descriptions, just like a seemingly simple building like Zichaolou, which also hides a lot of ingenuity and fun.