Chang Ya-juo

Chang Ya-juo
Chang Ya-juo
章亞若
Born	Chang Mao-li (章懋李); 1913; Jiujiang, Republic of China
Died	1942 (aged 28–29); Guilin, Guangxi, Republic of China
Known for	Being the mother of Chiang Ching-kuo's illegitimate twin sons
Partner	Chiang Ching-kuo
Children	John Chiang (蔣孝嚴); Winston Chiang (蔣孝慈);

Chang Ya-juo^[a] (died 1942^[2]) was the mistress of Chiang Ching-kuo and bore twin sons for him, John Chiang and Winston Chang.^[1] She was born in Jiujiang and met Chiang when she was working at a training camp for enlistees in the fight against Japan while he was serving as the head of Gannan Prefecture.^[3]^[4]

The twins took their mother's surname. Chang Ya-juo died under mysterious circumstances; after dining at a friend's house, she came home complaining of stomach cramps. She was admitted to the hospital in Guilin and died the next day.^[2]^[3]

After their mother's death, the twins were raised by Chang's brother and sister-in-law, Chang Hau-juo (章浩若; Zhāng Hàoruò) and Chi Chen (季琛; Jì Chēn), respectively, who were officially listed as their parents.^[5] They escaped to Taiwan with their uncle and aunt in 1949 and settled near Hsinchu.

After a legal process^[6] that included obtaining written declarations from Chi's sons, documents attesting to the father-sons relationship between Chiang Ching-kuo and the twins from retired general Wang Sheng (王昇; Wáng Shēng), the birth certificate listing Chang Ya-juo as his mother and DNA testing to prove that Chi was not his birth mother, John Chiang was able to obtain a new ID card listing Chiang Ching-kuo and Chang Ya-juo as his biological parents in December 2002.^[5] John Chiang officially changed his surname to Chiang in March 2005.^[7]

In 2006, Chiang stated he knew the identity of his mother's murderer, to be revealed as one of Chiang Ching-kuo's aides in his forthcoming memoirs, but that Chiang Ching-kuo had not ordered the murder and was not aware it was to take place.^[2]^[8]

Family tree

Chiang family tree

Soong May‑ling
宋美齡

Mao Fumei
毛福梅

Chiang Kai‑shek
蔣介石

Yao Yecheng
姚冶誠

Chen Jieru
陳潔如

Faina Chiang Fang‑liang
蔣方良

Chiang Ching-kuo
蔣經國

Chang Ya‑juo
章亞若
(mistress)

Shih Chin‑i
石靜宜

Chiang Wei‑kuo
蔣緯國
(adopted)

Chiu Ju‑hsüeh
丘如雪

Chen Yao‑kuang
陳瑶光
(adopted)

Alan Chiang Hsiao‑wen
蔣孝文

Amy Chiang Hsiao‑chang
蔣孝章

Alex Chiang Hsiao‑wu
蔣孝武

Eddie Chiang Hsiao‑yung
蔣孝勇

Winston Chang Hsiao‑tzu
章孝慈

John Chiang Hsiao‑yen
蔣孝嚴

Chiang Hsiao‑kang
蔣孝剛

Nancy Xu Nai‑jin
徐乃錦

Yu Yang‑ho
俞揚和

Wang Zhang‑shi
汪長詩

Michelle Tsai Hui‑mei
蔡惠媚

Elizabeth Fang Chi‑yi
方智怡

Chao Chung‑te
趙申德

Helen Huang Mei‑lun
黃美倫

Wang Yi‑hui
王倚惠

Theodore Yu Tsu‑sheng
俞祖聲

Chang Ching‑sung
章勁松

Chang Yo‑chu
章友菊

Vivian Chiang Hui‑lan
蔣惠蘭

Chiang Hui‑yün
蔣惠筠

Chiang Wan‑an
蔣萬安

Chiang Yo‑mei
蔣友梅

Alexandra Chiang Yo‑lan
蔣友蘭

Johnathan Chiang Yo‑sung
蔣友松

Demos Chiang Yo‑bo
蔣友柏

Edward Chiang Yo‑chang
蔣友常

Andrew Chiang Yo‑ching
蔣友青

Chiang Yo‑chüan
蔣友娟

Chiang Yo‑chieh
蔣友捷

Notes

Dashed lines represent marriages
Dotted lines represent extra-marital relationships and adoptions
Solid lines represent descendants

Notes and references

Notes

^ traditional Chinese: 章亞若; simplified Chinese: 章亚若; pinyin: Zhāng Yāruò; Wade–Giles: Ch'ang Ya-jo

References

^ ^a ^b ^c 章亚若故居 [Former residence of Zhang Yaruo]. Poyang Lake Wucheng Migratory Bird Town Tourism Scenic Spot (in Chinese). 18 July 2019. Retrieved 5 December 2022 – via wchnxz.com.
^ ^a ^b ^c ^d ^e "John Chiang says he has solved mother's murde". Taipei Times. 27 Jan 2006. Retrieved 28 March 2015. She died in a hospital in Guilin, China, in 1942, shortly after giving birth to John and his twin brother Winston
^ ^a ^b Demick, Barbara (20 June 2003). "A Scion's Story Full of Twists". Los Angeles Times. Archived from the original on 2 April 2015. Retrieved 28 March 2015.
^ Bradsher, Keith (11 January 2003). "Taiwan Lawmaker's Skill May Be Hereditary". The New York Times. Archived from the original on 19 December 2013. Retrieved 28 March 2015.
^ ^a ^b Hsu, Crystal (14 December 2002). "John Chang gets new identity". Taipei Times. Retrieved 28 March 2015.
^ Tsai, Ting-I (13 July 2002). "Legislator will have to clear hurdles in bid to alter ID card". Taipei Times. Retrieved 28 March 2015.
^ "Chang has become Chiang". Taipei Times. CNA. 8 March 2005. Retrieved 28 March 2015.
^ 蔣孝嚴; Chiang, John (2006). 蔣家門外的孩子 : 蔣孝嚴逆流而上 [The Chiang family's outside children : John Chiang's upstream journey] (in Chinese). Taipei: 天下遠見出版股份有限公司. ISBN 9789864176816. OCLC 70663153.

External links

蒋孝严谈母亲章亚若离奇死亡真相 [John Chiang reveals the truth behind the mysterious death of his mother Chang Ya-juo]. News163 (in Chinese). 7 August 2009. Retrieved 28 March 2015.