Ching-ling SOONG (née SOONG, aka Madame Sun Yat-sen) [1893-1981]

Soong Ching-ling spent the years after the outbreak of the Sino-Japanese war in 1937 in Chongqing and Hong Kong.

As the widow of Dr Sun Zhongshan (Yat-sen), generally seen as the founder of the Chinese Republic (1911) she was a very important figure in Hong Kong life - her China Defence League, for example, could draw the Governor and other important officials to its events.

After the Japanese attack, she resisted pressure to leave, but was eventually persuaded her presence in Hong Kong would lead to many deaths because people would feel impelled to defend her from the Japanese. She was flown to safety by CNAC.