The First Lady of the Republic of China (Chinese: 中华民国第一配偶; pinyin: Zhōnghuá mínguó dì yī pèi'ǒu) refers to the wife of the President of the Republic of China.[1] Since 1949, the position has been based in Taiwan, where they are often called by the title of First Lady of Taiwan,[1] in addition to First Lady of the Republic of China (ROC).[1]
| First Lady of Republic of China (Taiwan) | |
|---|---|
| 中华民国第一配偶 | |
 | |
| Inaugural holder | Lu Muzhen (1912) Soong Mei-ling (1949) |
| Formation | 1 January 1912 |
The position had been vacant from 2016 to 2024, as ex-President Tsai Ing-wen, the first woman to be elected to the presidency, is unmarried.[2]
First Ladies (before the 1947 Constitution)
| Spouse | Image | President | Took office | Left office | |
|---|---|---|---|---|---|
| 1 | Lu Muzhen (30 July 1867 – 7 September 1952) |  | Sun Yat-sen | 1 January 1912 | 10 March 1912 |
| 2 | Yu Yishang (1872-1956) |  | Yuan Shikai | 10 March 1912 | 6 June 1916 |
| 3 | Oei Hui-lan (2 December 1889 – 1992) | _with_baby.jpg) | V. K. Wellington Koo | 1 October 1926 | 16 June 1927 |
| 4 | Soong Mei-ling (5 March 1898 – October 23, 2003) |  | Chiang Kai-shek | 1 August 1943 | 20 May 1948 |
First Ladies (after the 1947 Constitution; based in Taiwan after 1949)
Since 1949, individuals in this position have been known as the First Lady of Taiwan, in addition to the First Lady of the Republic of China.[1]
| No. | Spouse | Image | Tenure | President | Notes |
|---|---|---|---|---|---|
| 4 | Soong Mei-ling 宋美齡 (5 March 1898 – 23 October 2003) | | 20 May 1948 – 5 April 1975 | Chiang Kai-shek m. December 1, 1927 | Also known as Madame Chiang Kai-shek or Madame Chiang[3] |
| 5 | Liu Chi-chun 劉期純 (1908 – 24 December 1999) |  | 6 April 1975 – 20 May 1978 | Yen Chia-kan m. December 14, 1924 | Was 1st to take office on the island. |
| 6 | Chiang Fang-liang 蔣方良 (Faina Vakhreva) (15 May 1916 – 15 December 2004) |  | 20 May 1978 – 13 January 1988 | Chiang Ching-kuo m. March 15, 1935 | Born Faina Epatcheva Vahaleva in Orsha in the Russian Empire, (present-day Belarus).[4] She met her husband Chiang Ching-kuo while both were working at the Ural Heavy Machinery Factory in Sverdlovsk, USSR (present-day Yekaterinburg).[4] Epatcheva adopted the Chinese names Chiang Fang-liang or Faina Chiang Fang-liang.[4] She avoided politics during her time as first lady.[1] |
| 7 | Tseng Wen-hui 曾文惠 (born 31 March 1926) |  | 13 January 1988 – 20 May 2000 | Lee Teng-hui m. February 9, 1949 | Wife of the first popularly elected president.[1] |
| 8 | Wu Shu-chen 吳淑珍 (born 11 July 1953) |  | 20 May 2000 – 20 May 2008 | Chen Shui-bian m. February 20, 1975 | Member of the Legislative Yuan from 1987 until 1990. |
| 9 | Christine Chow Ma (Chow Mei-ching) 周美青 (born 30 November 1952) |  | 20 May 2008 – 20 May 2016 | Ma Ying-jeou m. August 20, 1977 | Born Chow Mei-ching (周美青) in British Hong Kong, Chow headed the legal department of Mega International Commercial Bank, where she worked as a lawyer for more than 20 years, prior to becoming first lady.[5] |
| – | None | 20 May 2016 – 20 May 2024 | Tsai Ing-wen unmarried | President Tsai Ing-wen, the first female head of state in the Republic's history, is unmarried.[2][6] | |
| 10 | Wu Mei-ju 吳玫如 (born 1964) |  | 20 May 2024 – Incumbent | Lai Ching-te m. 1986 | |
Longevity
| Rank | First Lady | Born | Died | Age |
|---|---|---|---|---|
| 1 | Soong Mei-ling | March 5, 1898 | October 23, 2003 | 105 years, 232 days |
| 2 | Oei Hui-lan | 2 December 1889 | 1992 | 102 years, 364 days to 103 years, 29 days |
| 3 | Tseng Wen-hui | 31 Mar 1926 | Alive | 98 years, 51 days |
| 4 | Liu Chi-chun | 1908 | 24 December 1999 | 90 years, 358 days to 91 years, 327 days |
| 5 | Chiang Fang-liang | 15 May 1916 | 15 Dec 2004 | 88 years, 214 days |
| 6 | Lu Muzhen | 30 July 1867 | 7 September 1952 | 85 years, 39 days |
| 7 | Yu Yishang | 1872 | 1956 | 84 years, 334 days to 84 years, 365 days |
| 8 | Christine Chow Ma | 30 Nov 1952 | Alive | 71 years, 173 days |
| 9 | Wu Shu-chen | 11 Jul 1953 | Alive | 70 years, 315 days |
| 10 | Wu Mei-ju | 1964 | Alive |
See also
References
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