Yao Yecheng

Who was Yao Yecheng?

Yao Yecheng, along with Chen Jieru was among the two concubines of Nationalist Chinese leading figure Chiang Kai-shek during the time when latter was also in an arranged marriage to Mao Fumei. In 1921, Chiang married Jennie. In 1927, Chaing divorced Mao Fumei and exiled Jennie—denying any association with the latter. In the busy year of 1927, Chiang also dropped Yao and married Soong May-ling.

Yao was a sing-song girl whom Chiang "took as his concubine" though at the time she "belonged to an elderly man who became jealous of her relationship" with Chiang. Once as she was serving bubbling-hot soup at a meal with both Chiang and the elderly patron present, the elder seized the bowl and emptied it onto her head while chiding her about the contacts with Chiang—an assault in which "the boiling liquid disfigured her, and ruined her career of entertaining men in teahouses."

Yao lived with Chiang for a time at a villa at 99 Daichengqiao Road in Suzhou. The spacious villa, later renamed Garden Hotel Suzhou, still stands and was used by the Communist Chinese government as an "official state guest house for leaders of the Party, the State and foreign countries" and visiting celebrities. It is now a hotel open to the general public.