Song Qingling and her bodyguard

Author: Tang Xiong
Publisher:
Publish Date: 2006-01-01
Features: For more than half a century, the story of Song Qingling and her bodyguard commander has remained shrouded in mystery and legend due to conflicting accounts, with little documented evidence available. It was not until February 2004, following the death of Song Qingling's last personal secretary and bodyguard commander, Jin Shanwang, who had previously served as her bodyguard commander, that this historical enigma came to light. This has provided invaluable historical material, filling gaps in the study of Song Qingling's life, thoughts, character, and personal experiences, presenting a more complete and vivid image of her to the world.
After the founding of New China, several bodyguard commanders (personal secretaries) served as Song Qingling's protectors. This article records the stories between Song Qingling and four of these bodyguard commanders (personal secretaries) who made significant contributions or left lasting emotional impacts on her: Why did Song Qingling give her bodyguard commander a nickname like "Cannon" (as detailed in the 2004 People's Publishing House collection Song Qingling's Letters? Part 2) and sincerely call him a "maniac"? Why did the loyal bodyguard commander give an excuse to leave Song Qingling's side? What dangers did Song Qingling face during her later visits to India, Myanmar, and Pakistan, and what clever measures did her incredibly loyal bodyguard commander take to protect her? Later, why did Song Qingling, heartbroken, transfer her personal secretary out of the second floor where she lived, arranging separate accommodations, and why did she strictly prohibit any male from ascending the second floor without her permission? Why did Song Qingling, in anger, kill her beloved pigeons, and why did she ultimately resort to the Central Security Unit's force to disarm that personal secretary? What were the final fates of these four bodyguard commanders (personal secretaries)? These are the secrets this article seeks to uncover—truthful and unembellished historical facts.
The attentive reader may notice that the author uses the terms "bodyguard commander" and "personal secretary" to distinguish the security personnel who served Song Qingling. Here, the author believes it necessary to clarify: The roles of bodyguard commander and personal secretary are distinct positions. A bodyguard commander is a cadre sent by the Ministry of Public Security to Song Qingling's side to oversee security, possessing the authority to command and deploy guards around her, with a focus on armed protection. In contrast, a personal secretary is a security official assigned by government agencies (such as the National Administration of Government Affairs) to Song Qingling, specializing in safety management. Indeed, as the regime consolidated, the role of bodyguard commander gradually gave way to that of personal secretary, a natural outcome.
The protagonist of this article, Jin Shanwang, was not only Song Qingling's bodyguard commander but also her last one. Beyond his military background (graduated from the eighth department of the Central Police College) and his special assignment by the Ministry of Public Security's eighth bureau in 1953, he had already served as a platoon leader in the political and security division of the Central Security Division before that. In 1958, after leaving Song Qingling's side, he was assigned to serve as the bodyguard and deputy of Vice-Chairman Shen Junru and Marshal Liu Bocheng. In 1959, he was transferred to the Central Security Brigade as the security commander for Premier Zhou Enlai. Thus, calling him Song Qingling's bodyguard commander is entirely justified.
The author spent 20 years interviewing and writing Song Qingling and Her Three Maids (published by Dongfang Press in September 2003, reprinted in January 2004). This time, with a sense of responsibility to history and future generations, he traveled to Xi'an, Beijing, and Shanghai for interviews, visited surviving staff members who had worked with Song Qingling, and received strong support from He Dazhang, Deputy Director of the Song Qingling Foundation Research Center in Beijing. He successfully completed the second installment in the "In the Company of Song Qingling" series, Song Qingling and Her Bodyguard Commanders.
Now, the author nervously presents this work to the readers, hoping for their criticism and corrections.