Meilu Villa
美庐
The Lushan residence of Chiang Kai-shek and Soong Mei-ling, and also a villa where Mao Zedong stayed after 1959. This British-style stone house has witnessed the leaders of both the Nationalist and Communist parties.
Meilu Villa stands on Hedong Road in the East Valley of Guling Town. It is a two-story British-style stone house built in 1903. In 1933 a British man gave it to Soong Mei-ling. Chiang Kai-shek took the name “Meilu” from her name and personally inscribed it on a stone tablet. In the 1930s and 1940s the villa was the core of the Nationalist government's “summer capital,” where Chiang received foreign envoys and held meetings. After 1959, Mao Zedong also stayed here during the Lushan Conference, making it the only residence used by the top leaders of both the Nationalist and Communist parties. The interior preserves the furniture, piano, study and office furnishings of that era. In the courtyard are the stone inscription of “Meilu” in Chiang Kai-shek's handwriting, and the trumpet creepers and golden larches planted by Soong Mei-ling. The second floor displays historical photographs. Admission is about 25 yuan, and it is not included in the Lushan Gate ticket. A visit takes about 45 minutes to an hour. Nearby is the East Valley, where old villas are most densely clustered. You can also visit the former site of the Lushan Conference (Lushan People's Theatre, with a separate fee), the Zhou Enlai Memorial Room, and the Old Villas Story scenic area. Getting there: it is about a 15-minute walk from Guling Street. Notes: flash photography is not allowed indoors. Tour groups crowd the villa in peak season, so mornings or evenings are quieter.
Opening hours
08:00–17:30
Nearby sights
- Guling Town
- Lushan Conference Site
- Lushan Museum & Lulin Lake
- Huajing Garden & Ruqin Lake
- Jinxiu Valley & Immortal Cave
- Xiaotianchi & Wangjiang Pavilion
- Lushan Botanical Garden
- Hanpokou (Hanpo Pass)