| Nancy Soong Ai-ling | |
|---|---|
| Born | 14 June 1890 Shanghai, Qing China |
| Died | 18 October 1973 (aged 83) New York City, New York, United States |
| Spouse | Kung Hsiang-hsi (1881-1967), married 1914 |
| Children | Kung Ling-i Kung Ling-kai Kung Ling-chun Kung Ling-chieh (Louis C. Kung) |
| Parents | Charlie Soong Ni Kwei-Tseng |
Soong Ai-ling (traditional Chinese: 宋藹齡; simplified Chinese: 宋蔼龄; pinyin: Sòng Àilíng), or Eling Soong (July 15, 1889 – October 18, 1973), eldest of the Soong sisters, was the wife of H. H. Kung (Kung Hsiang-Hsi), who was the richest man in the early 20th century Republic of China. The first character of her given name is written as 靄 (same pronunciation) in some texts. Her Christian name was Nancy.
Born in Shanghai, Soong arrived in the United States at the Port of San Francisco, CA on June 30, 1904 aboard the SS Korea at the age of 14 to begin her education at Wesleyan College in Macon, Georgia. She returned to China in 1909 after her graduation. In late 1911, she worked as a secretary for Sun Yat-sen, a job later succeeded by her sister, Soong Ching-ling. She met her future husband, Kung Hsiang Hsi, in 1913, and married the following year in Yokohama. After marrying, Soong taught English for a while and engaged in child welfare work.
She went to the United States in the 1940s, and died later at the age of 83 on October 18, 1973 in the New York-Presbyterian Hospital, New York.
Her children were:
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In the 1997 Hong Kong movie The Soong Sisters (宋家皇朝), she was portrayed by actress Michelle Yeoh.