Madame Chiang Kai-shek, considered by many as one of the most outstanding Chinese women of the 20th century, is scheduled to celebrate her 105th birthday at her residence in Manhattan on Monday, the local media reported.
Madame Chiang, whose maiden name is Soong Mei-ling, was born in 1898, but as Chinese people usually consider everyone to be one year old at birth, she is celebrating her 105th birthday this year.
Lien Chan, chairman of Taiwan's opposition Kuomintang (KMT) had a pot of high-priced orchids sent to Madame Chiang to show the KMT's respect to her.
Madame Chiang has reportedly been in high spirits about her upcoming birthday but has asked to have her birthday celebration reduced to the simplest possible scale due to her declining physical strength as a result of old age.
Madame Chiang has spent most of the 27 years since her husband's death in seclusion in New York.
(People?s Daily March 26, 2002)
