75 years ago today, on September 3, 1950 (July 21, 1950 in the lunar calendar), Zhang Jingjiang, a rare man of the Republic of China, passed away. Zhang Jingjiang (1877-September 3, 1950), with the name Zengcheng, the word Jingjiang, Renjie, and the nickname Yinguang and Wo Chan, was the second party chairperson of the Chinese Kuomintang. Zhang Jingjiang's family was originally from Xiuning County, Huizhou Prefecture, Anhui Province. In the late Ming Dynasty, to avoid war, they moved to Zhejiang. During the Kangxi period of the Qing Dynasty, they began to settle in Nanxun Town, Wucheng County, Huzhou Prefecture, Zhejiang Province (now Nanxun District, Huzhou City). Zhang Jingjiang's grandfather, Zhang Songxian, was a rich man in the south of the Yangtze River. He traveled between Nanxun, Shanghai and Hangzhou, operating the export of Jili silk and the salt industry in Zhejiang and Zhejiang provinces. He amassed more than 10 million taels of silver and was known as one of the "Four Elephants" in Nanxun (Nanxun people refer to rich households as "elephants", "cows" and "little yellow dogs" according to their family wealth. There are "four elephants and eight cattle and seventy-two piers of small yellow dogs" in the town, and the four elephants are Liu, Zhang, Pang, and Gu). Zhang Jingjiang's father, Zhang Baoshan (1856-1926), was the second son of Zhang Songxian. Because his eldest brother Zhang Baoqing was frail and sickly, he continued Zhang Songxian to run a huge family business. He also took advantage of the family business salt to further open numerous sauce gardens. Zhang Jingjiang's maternal grandfather, Pang Yunzeng (1833-1889), was also one of the "Four Elephants" of Nanxun, not only exporting raw silk, but also involved in the arms industry; Zhang Jingjiang's two uncles, Pang Laichen and Pang Qingcheng, were cultural celebrities. Zhang Jingjiang had seven brothers (Zhang Benqun, Zhang Jingjiang, Zhang Danru, Zhang Mogeng, Zhang Rangzhi, Zhang Jiuxiang, and Zhang Jingfu), and he ranked second. On September 19, 1877 (the third year of the Qing Dynasty), he was born in Zunde Hall (No. 1 of Zhang Songxian's mansion) on the East Street of Nanxun Town. When Zhang Jingjiang was a teenager in his hometown, he was "very stubborn in sex, but very intelligent." He loved Go and horseback riding, and often galloped in the narrow streets and alleys of Nanxun, his hometown. In 1895 (the twenty-first year of Guangxu), 18-year-old Zhang Jingjiang suffered from bone pain, became lame and had difficulty walking; soon he suffered from eye disease and his eyesight was greatly affected. Therefore, his father agreed that he should give up taking the imperial examinations and instead study calligraphy and painting, imitating Li Yong (Li Beihai) and Zhao Mengxuan in calligraphy, and imitating Dong Qichang and Wang Jian in painting. In 1896, since Zhang Jingjiang had no hope of the imperial examinations, his father Zhang Baoshan donated 100,000 taels of silver to donate a title of alternate Taoist in Jiangsu Province to 19-year-old Zhang Jingjiang. And in the same year, Zhang Jingjiang was able to marry Yao Hui, a native of Suzhou and the daughter of Yao Juqi of Shandong Xuetai. Yao Hui grew up in a scholarly family and specializes in Chinese classical literature. After Zhang Jingjiang got married, he lived in a building in the backyard of Zunde Hall in a mansion on a high platform, with a tennis court and lotus pond to the east. The other brothers and parents lived in the old-fashioned new house and the old house in front. However, the mansion where Zhang Jingjiang lived in his youth was burned down by the Japanese army in 1938. Only the old house survived and opened as Zhang Jingjiang's old house. Zhang Jingjiang and his wife 1902-1911: Doing business and financing Sun Wen in Paris In 1900, Zhang Jingjiang traveled to Beijing with his father-in-law, Yao Qiju, and met Li Shizeng, the son of Li Hongzao, the minister of military aircraft, at a banquet held by Huang Siyong's family. In 1902 (the twenty-eighth year of Guangxu), Zhang Jingjiang heard that Li Shizeng was going to travel to France with Sun Baoqi, the ambassador of the Qing court to France, so through Li Shizeng's intercession, he also obtained the status of first-class commercial counselor. On October 14, he left Shanghai on the French cruise ship Annan, arrived in Marseille, France more than a month later, and then changed trains to arrive in Paris on December 17. Li Shizeng went to France and entered university for further study, while Zhang Jingjiang was keen on trade. The following year, he opened a transportation company at No. 4 Madeleine Square in Paris, setting a precedent for Chinese companies in France. The shipping company dealt in Chinese raw silk, tea and antiques. With his family's business tradition and his knowledge of antique calligraphy and painting, Zhang Jingjiang quickly accumulated wealth in the Sino-French trade, and set up branches in London, England, and New York, USA. "The profit is huge, and it is impossible to estimate." In 1905, due to Wu Zhihui's visit, Zhang Jingjiang accepted the influence of anarchist ideas, and his ideas were radical. He advocated anarchy, no family, and no religion, saying that "the world attaches too much importance to sexual relations, which is the most wrong. The division of the relationship between men and women in society is so obvious because of traditional habits, and all kinds of evils are produced. This habit is not impossible to reform. For example, if our hands can shake hands and our mouths can kiss, why can't we use sexual relations to salute?" Therefore, Wu Zhihui and Li Shi were once called the "Three Musketeers" among the Chinese living in France. "At the end of 1906, the three of them and Cai Yuanpei founded the World Society in Paris. In 1907, they published the New Century Weekly and the World Pictorial (published by Yao Hui), which mainly exposed the corruption of the Manchu Qing government, promoted the revolution, and introduced European and American culture and scenery. Of course, all these activities were financed by Zhang Jingjiang. In early 1906, in order to prepare a magazine, Zhang Jingjiang had to go to Singapore, a British colony, to buy Chinese typesetting models and hire a Chinese typesetter. According to Hu Hanmin's recollection, on this voyage, Zhang Jingjiang met Sun Yat-sen by chance and expressed his willingness to support the revolution. If Sun Yat-sen needed it, he would represent the amount of funds required in five letters in the telegram (such as A for 10,000 francs, E for 50,000 francs). Since 1907, Zhang Jingjiang has repeatedly financially supported Sun Yat-sen and the activities of the Alliance. Sun Yat-sen once said: "Since the establishment of the Alliance, there has been an act of raising funds from outside. At that time, Zhang Jingjiang also contributed the most and the most. He poured 60,000 to 70,000 yuan from his Paris store to help with his salary." When Sun Yat-sen went to Paris to raise funds, he often held meetings in Zhang Jingjiang's apartment, and slept on the carpet in Zhang Jingjiang's reception room after the meeting. 1912-1927: The Revolution and the Qing Party After the 1911 Revolution, Zhang Jingjiang returned from Paris and settled in Shanghai. He lived in Daqing Lane, near the Nanjing intersection of Xizang Road, the center of the public concession, where his grandfather Zhang Songxian's Salt General Administration Office (also known as "Zhang Hengyuan's old account house") had earlier. At this time, Jiang Zhongzheng had just returned to Shanghai after studying at the Japanese Army School. He met Zhang Jingjiang's cousin Zhang Naihua (Zhang Shiming's fourth son) through the introduction of his classmate from his studies in Japan and Zhang Jingjiang's nephew Zhang Bingsan (Jiang Zhongzheng's father was Zhang Bingsan's salt stack manager in Fenghua). Zhang Naihua introduced him to Zhang Jingjiang. Later, Zhang Jingjiang introduced Jiang Zhongzheng to Sun Yat-sen. In 1913, Jiang Zhongzheng participated in the second revolution against Yuan and failed. He was wanted by Zheng Rucheng, the guard of Songhu, and fled to Japan. The following year, when Jiang Zhongzheng was preparing to launch a military operation against Yuan again in Shanghai, the headquarters located on Xiaosha Du Road (now Xikang Road) was attacked and the operation failed. Jiang Zhongzheng took refuge in Zhang Jingjiang's home and left day and night. When Jiang Zhongzheng joined the Chinese Revolutionary Party, Zhang was the oath-taker. In May 1916, Chen Qimei was assassinated by Yuan Shikai, and Jiang Zhongzheng lost his support. Soon, he and Zhang Jingjiang (who were 10 years apart in age) and Xu Chongzhi (a student at the Japanese Army Non-commissioned Officer School, a member of the Old Alliance Association, and a former commander of the Grand Marshal Sun Yat-sen's mansion. He was a powerful faction with military power in Guangdong.) He joined Zhang Jingjiang and other "Hengtai Kee" on the Shanghai Stock Exchange to do stock business during this time. Zhang Jingjiang was an important figure of the Kuomintang and one of the "Four Veterans of the Kuomintang". He served as the chairperson of the Central Executive Committee of the Chinese Kuomintang. He served as a member of the Central Executive Committee and a member of the Central Supervisory Committee. In 1925, Sun Yat-sen was seriously ill in Beijing, and Zhang Jingjiang went north to visit, so he became one of the witnesses who signed the will when Sun Yat-sen was critically ill. On March 12, Sun Yat-sen died, and Zhang Jingjiang was one of the 12 funeral organizers. From then on, he participated in the construction of Zhongshan Mausoleum in Nanjing until the completion of the "Feng'an Ceremony" in 1929. After Sun Yat-sen's death, Zhang Jingjiang became an important pillar to support Jiang Zhong In June 1925, Chiang Zhongzheng took control of the military and political power in Guangdong and Guangdong, and immediately sent Zhang Jingjiang to Guangzhou to assist him. On July 1, 1925, the Guangzhou National Government was established, and Zhang Jingjiang was listed as one of the 16 members. In May 1926, at the Second Plenary Session of the Second Central Committee of the Kuomintang, Zhang Jingjiang was elected chairperson of the Standing Committee of the Central Executive Committee of the Kuomintang and became the second official leader of the Chinese Kuomintang. On July 6, 1926, Zhang Jingjiang resigned as chairperson of the Standing Committee of the Central Executive Committee on the grounds of foot illness, and was replaced by Jiang Zhongzheng. However, since Chiang was going to direct the Northern Expedition as a military leader, the chairpersonship was still served by Zhang Jingjiang. Zhang Jingjiang nominated Jiang Zhongzheng as the commander-in-chief of the National Revolutionary Army by the party and state elders, and swore to the Northern Expedition in Guangzhou After the Northern Expedition Army captured Nanchang, Jiang Zhongzheng invited Zhang Jingjiang to Nanchang for talks. After that, Zhang Jingjiang went to Shanghai to carry out activities in the business community, creating conditions for Jiang Zhongzheng to control the wealthy Yangtze River Delta, establish the capital of Nanjing, and thus generally unify China. On March 24, 1927, the Nanjing Incident took place. On March 28, Zhang Jingjiang, Wu Jingheng, Cai Yuanpei, Li Shizeng and other Kuomintang Central Supervisory Commissioners proposed to protect the party and save the country in Shanghai. On April 2, it was officially decided to purge the Communist Party members within the Kuomintang, and on April 12, the Battle of the Qing Party began in Shanghai. After that, Zhang Jingjiang served as the chairperson of the Zhejiang Provincial Government and presided over the affairs of Zhejiang Province and the work of the Qing Party. In 1928, Jiang Zhongzheng stepped down, and Zhang Jingjiang also left the post of governor; in the same year, Jiang Zhongzheng was reinstated and served as the chairman of the National Government, and Zhang Jingjiang once again served as the chairman of the Zhejiang Provincial Government. After Zhang Jingjiang returned to Shanghai to settle down, he married his wife, Zhu Yimin. When Zhu Yimin was studying at the Shanghai Patriotic Girls' High School founded by Cai Yuanpei, a 5-year-old classmate, Chen Jieru (1905-1971), often visited the Zhang family in Daqing, Xizang Road. In 1919, Jiang Zhongzheng met Chen Jieru at Zhang Jingjiang's home in Shanghai, and after that, he began to pursue her passionately. Chen Jieru's mother rejected Jiang's marriage proposal after discovering that Chiang Kai-shek had wives and concubines, and that she had no proper occupation and residence in Shanghai. So Chiang Kai-shek communicated with Chen's mother through Zhu Yimin and Zhang Jingjiang's wife, saying that Chen Jieru would be Jiang's "unique legal wife," so that Chiang Zhongzheng and Chen Jieru could be married at the Yong'an Building in Shanghai on December 5, 1921, with Zhang Jingjiang as the witness. In 1927, before Chiang Zhongzheng was about to marry Soong Meiling (1897-2003), he came forward through Zhang Jingjiang and his wife, and arranged for Chen Jieru to "temporarily leave China for 5 years". After the Northern Expedition was successful, the marriage was still resumed. In August 1927, Chen Jieru left Shanghai for the United States, accompanied by Zhang Jingjiang's eldest daughter Zhang Ruiying and second daughter Zhang Zhiying. Later, Chiang Zhongzheng apparently had no intention of fulfilling his promise to Chen Jieru, and Zhang Jingjiang's relationship with Jiang Zhongzheng also cooled down. 1928-1938: Ten Years of Construction During his two years as Chairperson of Zhejiang Province, Zhang Jingjiang oversaw the construction of the Hangzhou Power Plant, the Hangzhou River Railway, the Hangzhou-Chang Highway, the Hangping Highway, and the Hangzhou-Hui Highway. The construction of the Hangjiang Railway caused a huge sensation in the 1930s. Most of China's railways were built in the last decade of the Qing Dynasty with foreign loans. Railways built by Chinese capital were difficult and could not be completed after many years of delay. For example, the construction period of the Guangdong-Han Railway was more than 20 years. The Hangjiang Railway was more than 200 kilometers long and was completed entirely by Chinese capital in a few years, which promoted another climax of Chinese railway construction in the 1930s. In 1929, Zhang Jingjiang successfully held the West Lake Exposition in Hangzhou, which promoted the development of urban construction and tourism in Hangzhou. However, in November 1930, the conflict between Zhang Jingjiang and Jiang Zhongzheng intensified and he resigned as chairperson of the Zhejiang Provincial Government. In 1936, he founded the World School in Shanghai with Cai Yuanpei, Tao Xuan, Li Shizeng and others to save the country through education and science, and to train students to study abroad and useful talents from an early age. After the establishment of the Nanjing National Government, Zhang Jingjiang and a group of elders tried their best to advocate that Sun Yat-sen's will be transferred to the construction period. In February 1928, the Kuomintang Central Political Conference made a resolution to establish a construction committee directly under the National Government and promoted Zhang Jingjiang as chairperson. During the ten years of the existence of the construction committee (1928-1938), Zhang Jingjiang presided over the construction of a number of infrastructure, spending only more than 100,000 yuan of public funds, while creating more than 50 million yuan of property for the country. Zhang Jingjiang presided over the construction of infrastructure, starting with the electric power industry. First, the capital power plant was built in Xiaguan on the Nanjing River, which promoted the construction of Nanjing's capital. Subsequently, the original private Zhenhua and Yaoming Electric Lighting Company combination was expanded into a 6,400-kilowatt Qishuyan power plant to provide power support for the long-term development of the industrial zones in Wuxi and Changzhou. Finally, preparations were made for the construction of a 100,000-kilowatt thermal power plant in Wangting at the junction of Wuxi and Suzhou to supply the needs of industrialization and urbanization in the entire Yangtze River Delta. In the spring of 1937, more than 200 acres of Wangting's new factory base had been purchased, and a 33,000-volt high-voltage transmission line from Changzhou to Danyang was completed. However, due to the outbreak of the Sino-Japanese Songhu War on August 13 of the same year, all plans came to naught. The second infrastructure that Zhang Jingjiang presided over the construction of was the telecommunications industry. The Construction Committee was responsible for managing the existing radio stations across the country, and prepared for the establishment of national radio stations and the establishment of Zhenru International Radio. After that, Zhang Jingjiang started to solve the energy problem, taking over the Changxing Coal Mine and the Mantoushan Coal Mine, and founded the Huainan Coal Mine Company. He also took into account the construction of transportation, founding the Jiangnan Automobile Company, the Jiangnan Railway and the Huainan Railway to promote the development of transportation. From 1928 to 1937, during the rule of the Nanjing National Government, China's economy developed to the highest level since modern times, which was called the "Golden Decade". When the Anti-Japanese War broke out in 1937, Zhang Jingjiang's family first retreated to Hankou, but by 1938, instead of moving west with the government to Chongqing, they transferred to Switzerland via Hong Kong to recuperate. The following year, he settled in New York via Paris, France. Zhang Jingjiang was a strong believer in Buddhism in his later years. In August 1936, he visited Master Yinguang and cried aloud before leaving. From then on, he was enthusiastic about chanting sutras, meditating, and practicing vegetarianism. He established a Buddhist Association in Shanghai and established a Buddhist temple in Moganshan. On September 3, 1950, Zhang Jingjiang died of heart failure in New York, USA, at the age of 73. He was buried in FerncliffCemetery outside New York (Kong Xiangxi, Song Ziwen, Song Ziliang, Song Meiling, Gu Weijun and others are buried here).75 years ago today, on September 3, 1950 (July 21, 1950 in the lunar calendar), Zhang Jingjiang, a rare man of the Republic of China, passed away. Zhang Jingjiang (1877-September 3, 1950), with the name Zengcheng, the word Jingjiang, Renjie, and the nickname Yinguang and Wo Chan, was the second party chairperson of the Chinese Kuomintang. Zhang Jingjiang's family was originally from Xiuning County, Huizhou Prefecture, Anhui Province. In the late Ming Dynasty, to avoid war, they moved to Zhejiang. During the Kangxi period of the Qing Dynasty, they began to settle in Nanxun Town, Wucheng County, Huzhou Prefecture, Zhejiang Province (now Nanxun District, Huzhou City). Zhang Jingjiang's grandfather, Zhang Songxian, was a rich man in the south of the Yangtze River. He traveled between Nanxun, Shanghai and Hangzhou, operating the export of Jili silk and the salt industry in Zhejiang and Zhejiang provinces. He amassed more than 10 million taels of silver and was known as one of the "Four Elephants" in Nanxun (Nanxun people refer to rich households as "elephants", "cows" and "little yellow dogs" according to their family wealth. There are "four elephants and eight cattle and seventy-two piers of small yellow dogs" in the town, and the four elephants are Liu, Zhang, Pang, and Gu). Zhang Jingjiang's father, Zhang Baoshan (1856-1926), was the second son of Zhang Songxian. Because his eldest brother Zhang Baoqing was frail and sickly, he continued Zhang Songxian to run a huge family business. He also took advantage of the family business salt to further open numerous sauce gardens. Zhang Jingjiang's maternal grandfather, Pang Yunzeng (1833-1889), was also one of the "Four Elephants" of Nanxun, not only exporting raw silk, but also involved in the arms industry; Zhang Jingjiang's two uncles, Pang Laichen and Pang Qingcheng, were cultural celebrities. Zhang Jingjiang had seven brothers (Zhang Benqun, Zhang Jingjiang, Zhang Danru, Zhang Mogeng, Zhang Rangzhi, Zhang Jiuxiang, and Zhang Jingfu), and he ranked second. On September 19, 1877 (the third year of the Qing Dynasty), he was born in Zunde Hall (No. 1 of Zhang Songxian's mansion) on the East Street of Nanxun Town. When Zhang Jingjiang was a teenager in his hometown, he was "very stubborn in sex, but very intelligent." He loved Go and horseback riding, and often galloped in the narrow streets and alleys of Nanxun, his hometown. In 1895 (the twenty-first year of Guangxu), 18-year-old Zhang Jingjiang suffered from bone pain, became lame and had difficulty walking; soon he suffered from eye disease and his eyesight was greatly affected. Therefore, his father agreed that he should give up taking the imperial examinations and instead study calligraphy and painting, imitating Li Yong (Li Beihai) and Zhao Mengxuan in calligraphy, and imitating Dong Qichang and Wang Jian in painting. In 1896, since Zhang Jingjiang had no hope of the imperial examinations, his father Zhang Baoshan donated 100,000 taels of silver to donate a title of alternate Taoist in Jiangsu Province to 19-year-old Zhang Jingjiang. And in the same year, Zhang Jingjiang was able to marry Yao Hui, a native of Suzhou and the daughter of Yao Juqi of Shandong Xuetai. Yao Hui grew up in a scholarly family and specializes in Chinese classical literature. After Zhang Jingjiang got married, he lived in a building in the backyard of Zunde Hall in a mansion on a high platform, with a tennis court and lotus pond to the east. The other brothers and parents lived in the old-fashioned new house and the old house in front. However, the mansion where Zhang Jingjiang lived in his youth was burned down by the Japanese army in 1938. Only the old house survived and opened as Zhang Jingjiang's old house. Zhang Jingjiang and his wife 1902-1911: Doing business and financing Sun Wen in Paris In 1900, Zhang Jingjiang traveled to Beijing with his father-in-law, Yao Qiju, and met Li Shizeng, the son of Li Hongzao, the minister of military aircraft, at a banquet held by Huang Siyong's family. In 1902 (the twenty-eighth year of Guangxu), Zhang Jingjiang heard that Li Shizeng was going to travel to France with Sun Baoqi, the ambassador of the Qing court to France, so through Li Shizeng's intercession, he also obtained the status of first-class commercial counselor. On October 14, he left Shanghai on the French cruise ship Annan, arrived in Marseille, France more than a month later, and then changed trains to arrive in Paris on December 17. Li Shizeng went to France and entered university for further study, while Zhang Jingjiang was keen on trade. The following year, he opened a transportation company at No. 4 Madeleine Square in Paris, setting a precedent for Chinese companies in France. The shipping company dealt in Chinese raw silk, tea and antiques. With his family's business tradition and his knowledge of antique calligraphy and painting, Zhang Jingjiang quickly accumulated wealth in the Sino-French trade, and set up branches in London, England, and New York, USA. "The profit is huge, and it is impossible to estimate." In 1905, due to Wu Zhihui's visit, Zhang Jingjiang accepted the influence of anarchist ideas, and his ideas were radical. He advocated anarchy, no family, and no religion, saying that "the world attaches too much importance to sexual relations, which is the most wrong. The division of the relationship between men and women in society is so obvious because of traditional habits, and all kinds of evils are produced. This habit is not impossible to reform. For example, if our hands can shake hands and our mouths can kiss, why can't we use sexual relations to salute?" Therefore, Wu Zhihui and Li Shi were once called the "Three Musketeers" among the Chinese living in France. "At the end of 1906, the three of them and Cai Yuanpei founded the World Society in Paris. In 1907, they published the New Century Weekly and the World Pictorial (published by Yao Hui), which mainly exposed the corruption of the Manchu Qing government, promoted the revolution, and introduced European and American culture and scenery. Of course, all these activities were financed by Zhang Jingjiang. In early 1906, in order to prepare a magazine, Zhang Jingjiang had to go to Singapore, a British colony, to buy Chinese typesetting models and hire a Chinese typesetter. According to Hu Hanmin's recollection, on this voyage, Zhang Jingjiang met Sun Yat-sen by chance and expressed his willingness to support the revolution. If Sun Yat-sen needed it, he would represent the amount of funds required in five letters in the telegram (such as A for 10,000 francs, E for 50,000 francs). Since 1907, Zhang Jingjiang has repeatedly financially supported Sun Yat-sen and the activities of the Alliance. Sun Yat-sen once said: "Since the establishment of the Alliance, there has been an act of raising funds from outside. At that time, Zhang Jingjiang also contributed the most and the most. He poured 60,000 to 70,000 yuan from his Paris store to help with his salary." When Sun Yat-sen went to Paris to raise funds, he often held meetings in Zhang Jingjiang's apartment, and slept on the carpet in Zhang Jingjiang's reception room after the meeting. 1912-1927: The Revolution and the Qing Party After the 1911 Revolution, Zhang Jingjiang returned from Paris and settled in Shanghai. He lived in Daqing Lane, near the Nanjing intersection of Xizang Road, the center of the public concession, where his grandfather Zhang Songxian's Salt General Administration Office (also known as "Zhang Hengyuan's old account house") had earlier. At this time, Jiang Zhongzheng had just returned to Shanghai after studying at the Japanese Army School. He met Zhang Jingjiang's cousin Zhang Naihua (Zhang Shiming's fourth son) through the introduction of his classmate from his studies in Japan and Zhang Jingjiang's nephew Zhang Bingsan (Jiang Zhongzheng's father was Zhang Bingsan's salt stack manager in Fenghua). Zhang Naihua introduced him to Zhang Jingjiang. Later, Zhang Jingjiang introduced Jiang Zhongzheng to Sun Yat-sen. In 1913, Jiang Zhongzheng participated in the second revolution against Yuan and failed. He was wanted by Zheng Rucheng, the guard of Songhu, and fled to Japan. The following year, when Jiang Zhongzheng was preparing to launch a military operation against Yuan again in Shanghai, the headquarters located on Xiaosha Du Road (now Xikang Road) was attacked and the operation failed. Jiang Zhongzheng took refuge in Zhang Jingjiang's home and left day and night. When Jiang Zhongzheng joined the Chinese Revolutionary Party, Zhang was the oath-taker. In May 1916, Chen Qimei was assassinated by Yuan Shikai, and Jiang Zhongzheng lost his support. Soon, he and Zhang Jingjiang (who were 10 years apart in age) and Xu Chongzhi (a student at the Japanese Army Non-commissioned Officer School, a member of the Old Alliance Association, and a former commander of the Grand Marshal Sun Yat-sen's mansion. He was a powerful faction with military power in Guangdong.) He joined Zhang Jingjiang and other "Hengtai Kee" on the Shanghai Stock Exchange to do stock business during this time. Zhang Jingjiang was an important figure of the Kuomintang and one of the "Four Veterans of the Kuomintang". He served as the chairperson of the Central Executive Committee of the Chinese Kuomintang. He served as a member of the Central Executive Committee and a member of the Central Supervisory Committee. In 1925, Sun Yat-sen was seriously ill in Beijing, and Zhang Jingjiang went north to visit, so he became one of the witnesses who signed the will when Sun Yat-sen was critically ill. On March 12, Sun Yat-sen died, and Zhang Jingjiang was one of the 12 funeral organizers. From then on, he participated in the construction of Zhongshan Mausoleum in Nanjing until the completion of the "Feng'an Ceremony" in 1929. After Sun Yat-sen's death, Zhang Jingjiang became an important pillar to support Jiang Zhong In June 1925, Chiang Zhongzheng took control of the military and political power in Guangdong and Guangdong, and immediately sent Zhang Jingjiang to Guangzhou to assist him. On July 1, 1925, the Guangzhou National Government was established, and Zhang Jingjiang was listed as one of the 16 members. In May 1926, at the Second Plenary Session of the Second Central Committee of the Kuomintang, Zhang Jingjiang was elected chairperson of the Standing Committee of the Central Executive Committee of the Kuomintang and became the second official leader of the Chinese Kuomintang. On July 6, 1926, Zhang Jingjiang resigned as chairperson of the Standing Committee of the Central Executive Committee on the grounds of foot illness, and was replaced by Jiang Zhongzheng. However, since Chiang was going to direct the Northern Expedition as a military leader, the chairpersonship was still served by Zhang Jingjiang. Zhang Jingjiang nominated Jiang Zhongzheng as the commander-in-chief of the National Revolutionary Army by the party and state elders, and swore to the Northern Expedition in Guangzhou After the Northern Expedition Army captured Nanchang, Jiang Zhongzheng invited Zhang Jingjiang to Nanchang for talks. After that, Zhang Jingjiang went to Shanghai to carry out activities in the business community, creating conditions for Jiang Zhongzheng to control the wealthy Yangtze River Delta, establish the capital of Nanjing, and thus generally unify China. On March 24, 1927, the Nanjing Incident took place. On March 28, Zhang Jingjiang, Wu Jingheng, Cai Yuanpei, Li Shizeng and other Kuomintang Central Supervisory Commissioners proposed to protect the party and save the country in Shanghai. On April 2, it was officially decided to purge the Communist Party members within the Kuomintang, and on April 12, the Battle of the Qing Party began in Shanghai. After that, Zhang Jingjiang served as the chairperson of the Zhejiang Provincial Government and presided over the affairs of Zhejiang Province and the work of the Qing Party. In 1928, Jiang Zhongzheng stepped down, and Zhang Jingjiang also left the post of governor; in the same year, Jiang Zhongzheng was reinstated and served as the chairman of the National Government, and Zhang Jingjiang once again served as the chairman of the Zhejiang Provincial Government. After Zhang Jingjiang returned to Shanghai to settle down, he married his wife, Zhu Yimin. When Zhu Yimin was studying at the Shanghai Patriotic Girls' High School founded by Cai Yuanpei, a 5-year-old classmate, Chen Jieru (1905-1971), often visited the Zhang family in Daqing, Xizang Road. In 1919, Jiang Zhongzheng met Chen Jieru at Zhang Jingjiang's home in Shanghai, and after that, he began to pursue her passionately. Chen Jieru's mother rejected Jiang's marriage proposal after discovering that Chiang Kai-shek had wives and concubines, and that she had no proper occupation and residence in Shanghai. So Chiang Kai-shek communicated with Chen's mother through Zhu Yimin and Zhang Jingjiang's wife, saying that Chen Jieru would be Jiang's "unique legal wife," so that Chiang Zhongzheng and Chen Jieru could be married at the Yong'an Building in Shanghai on December 5, 1921, with Zhang Jingjiang as the witness. In 1927, before Chiang Zhongzheng was about to marry Soong Meiling (1897-2003), he came forward through Zhang Jingjiang and his wife, and arranged for Chen Jieru to "temporarily leave China for 5 years". After the Northern Expedition was successful, the marriage was still resumed. In August 1927, Chen Jieru left Shanghai for the United States, accompanied by Zhang Jingjiang's eldest daughter Zhang Ruiying and second daughter Zhang Zhiying. Later, Chiang Zhongzheng apparently had no intention of fulfilling his promise to Chen Jieru, and Zhang Jingjiang's relationship with Jiang Zhongzheng also cooled down. 1928-1938: Ten Years of Construction During his two years as Chairperson of Zhejiang Province, Zhang Jingjiang oversaw the construction of the Hangzhou Power Plant, the Hangzhou River Railway, the Hangzhou-Chang Highway, the Hangping Highway, and the Hangzhou-Hui Highway. The construction of the Hangjiang Railway caused a huge sensation in the 1930s. Most of China's railways were built in the last decade of the Qing Dynasty with foreign loans. Railways built by Chinese capital were difficult and could not be completed after many years of delay. For example, the construction period of the Guangdong-Han Railway was more than 20 years. The Hangjiang Railway was more than 200 kilometers long and was completed entirely by Chinese capital in a few years, which promoted another climax of Chinese railway construction in the 1930s. In 1929, Zhang Jingjiang successfully held the West Lake Exposition in Hangzhou, which promoted the development of urban construction and tourism in Hangzhou. However, in November 1930, the conflict between Zhang Jingjiang and Jiang Zhongzheng intensified and he resigned as chairperson of the Zhejiang Provincial Government. In 1936, he founded the World School in Shanghai with Cai Yuanpei, Tao Xuan, Li Shizeng and others to save the country through education and science, and to train students to study abroad and useful talents from an early age. After the establishment of the Nanjing National Government, Zhang Jingjiang and a group of elders tried their best to advocate that Sun Yat-sen's will be transferred to the construction period. In February 1928, the Kuomintang Central Political Conference made a resolution to establish a construction committee directly under the National Government and promoted Zhang Jingjiang as chairperson. During the ten years of the existence of the construction committee (1928-1938), Zhang Jingjiang presided over the construction of a number of infrastructure, spending only more than 100,000 yuan of public funds, while creating more than 50 million yuan of property for the country. Zhang Jingjiang presided over the construction of infrastructure, starting with the electric power industry. First, the capital power plant was built in Xiaguan on the Nanjing River, which promoted the construction of Nanjing's capital. Subsequently, the original private Zhenhua and Yaoming Electric Lighting Company combination was expanded into a 6,400-kilowatt Qishuyan power plant to provide power support for the long-term development of the industrial zones in Wuxi and Changzhou. Finally, preparations were made for the construction of a 100,000-kilowatt thermal power plant in Wangting at the junction of Wuxi and Suzhou to supply the needs of industrialization and urbanization in the entire Yangtze River Delta. In the spring of 1937, more than 200 acres of Wangting's new factory base had been purchased, and a 33,000-volt high-voltage transmission line from Changzhou to Danyang was completed. However, due to the outbreak of the Sino-Japanese Songhu War on August 13 of the same year, all plans came to naught. The second infrastructure that Zhang Jingjiang presided over the construction of was the telecommunications industry. The Construction Committee was responsible for managing the existing radio stations across the country, and prepared for the establishment of national radio stations and the establishment of Zhenru International Radio. After that, Zhang Jingjiang started to solve the energy problem, taking over the Changxing Coal Mine and the Mantoushan Coal Mine, and founded the Huainan Coal Mine Company. He also took into account the construction of transportation, founding the Jiangnan Automobile Company, the Jiangnan Railway and the Huainan Railway to promote the development of transportation. From 1928 to 1937, during the rule of the Nanjing National Government, China's economy developed to the highest level since modern times, which was called the "Golden Decade". When the Anti-Japanese War broke out in 1937, Zhang Jingjiang's family first retreated to Hankou, but by 1938, instead of moving west with the government to Chongqing, they transferred to Switzerland via Hong Kong to recuperate. The following year, he settled in New York via Paris, France. Zhang Jingjiang was a strong believer in Buddhism in his later years. In August 1936, he visited Master Yinguang and cried aloud before leaving. From then on, he was enthusiastic about chanting sutras, meditating, and practicing vegetarianism. He established a Buddhist Association in Shanghai and established a Buddhist temple in Moganshan. On September 3, 1950, Zhang Jingjiang died of heart failure in New York, USA, at the age of 73. He was buried in FerncliffCemetery outside New York (Kong Xiangxi, Song Ziwen, Song Ziliang, Song Meiling, Gu Weijun and others are buried here).