臺北市政府文化局

Whether viewed from a distance on the Zhongshan Expressway or up close from Mt. Jiantan, the Grand Hotel presents an imposing figure, one of grandeur, luxury, and sophistication. And this was precisely as its designers intended, as the hotel initially hosted foreign dignitaries and the First Family’s elite guests. 

Initially, the hotel was run by the Duen-Mou Club, headed by First Lady Soong Mei-ling. According to writer Lee Tung-hao, parties would be held every three to five days, with “ambassadors and dignitaries dancing gracefully to music until dawn”. In an era when public dancing and singing were prohibited throughout Taiwan, the Grand Hotel was one of the few places where nighttime revelry continued. With the threat of war still looming, the hotel also constructed secret passageways east and west to guarantee the safety of President Chiang Kai-shek and his esteemed guests. The passages are now open for tourists to explore.

The actual running of the hotel unsurprisingly fell into the hands of members of the First Family. Soong Mei-ling appointed her niece Kung Ling-wei as general manager. Also known as “Kung Er”, Kung Ling-wei was the second daughter of former Premier Kung Hsiang-hsi and a descendant of the union between the powerful Kung and Soong families. Often described as “domineering”, Kung had direct access to the First Lady, which meant she had a free hand in the running of the Grand Hotel. 

In the conservative social atmosphere of the time, Kung Ling-wei defied norms by wearing male attire, enjoying cigars, and remaining unmarried throughout her life. Born into an influential family, she was one of the few women of that era to confidently present a nontraditional gender image to the public.