Zhang Xueliang, Zhao Yidi Private Album: Years of Seclusion in Hot Springs 1946--1960

Author: Zhang Luheng et al.
Publisher:
Publishing Date: 2006-12-01
Features: This book authentically records the imprisonment life of Zhang Xueliang and Zhao Yidi in Taiwan. He was the eldest son of a gangster family, a dashing young warlord who intimidated the three provinces of Northeast China, a young general who had fought on the battlefield, and he once owned the vast forests and black soil of Northeast China. He once carried the infamous title of the "Unresisting General," driven by national and family grievances, he could not sleep at night. On December 12, 1936, he launched the Xi'an Incident alongside General Yang Huicheng, saying, "I poked a hole in the sky," which required how much courage and boldness. The Xi'an Incident led to the cooperation between the Kuomintang and the Communist Party, forming the anti-Japanese united front and marking the beginning of China's full-scale war of resistance. The Xi'an Incident was a turning point in modern Chinese history and also a turning point in Zhang Xueliang's life. When he "shouldered the burden of apology" and escorted Chiang Kai-shek back to Nanjing, he lost his freedom from then on. He had a burning heart but no chance to return to the battlefield. Under "strict supervision," he kept moving and wandering. After the war of resistance, he was sent to the remote hot spring in Tianshui, Taiwan, surrounded by mountains, enduring more than ten years of isolated imprisonment, fortunately accompanied by a confidante. Zhang Xueliang and Zhao Yidi supported each other, walking hand in hand through countless sunrises and sunsets, tides and ebb tides. The past honors and disgraces had gradually faded. During his imprisonment in Taiwan, reading became Zhang Xueliang's only hobby. In addition to reading, he wandered among the green mountains and clear waters. His early life was a military life written with swords and guns, while his later life was recorded with pens, documenting his inner journey. He loved taking photos, preserving a precious collection of images for himself and his family. Though the man is gone, his charm remains. This hidden mountain life, little known to the world, deserves to be fully understood. To allow more people to learn about this history, this book selects a collection of precious images from Zhang Xueliang and Zhao Yidi's imprisonment life from 1946 to 1960, compiled and edited based on Zhang Xueliang's diaries and oral accounts. The images of Zhang Xueliang and Zhao Yidi in Taiwan selected for this book are published for the first time. The publication of this private album of Zhang Xueliang and Zhao Yidi is only a part of their imprisonment life in Taiwan. In the future, more volumes will be published based on the compilation of image materials. This book is dedicated to commemorating the 70th anniversary of the Xi'an Incident and honoring this legendary figure in modern Chinese history—General Zhang Xueliang.