THROUGHOUT Chinese history, the marriages of the prominent, famous or notorious were often marriages of convenience - by marrying they formed alliances that would benefit each other. So it was with Chiang Kai-shek and Soong Mei-ling.

Chiang Kai-shek's marriage to Soong Meiling paved his way to supreme power. Their wedding was celebrated in the old Majestic Hotel, where a Russian orchestra played Mendelssohn and an American tenor sang "Oh, Promise Me.”

Chiang Kai-shek was inextricably linked to the Shanghai underworld. He allied himself with Du Yuesheng, known as the Godfather of Shanghai.

However, Chiang was an ambitious schemer who would not confine himself to underworld circles.

In order to whitewash his unsavoury origins, he decided to forge a connection with someone of noble blood. The Soongs were one of the city's most influential families.

Chiang's marriage to Soong Mei-ling, the younger sister of Sun Yat-sen's widow, Soong Ching Ling, paved the way to realizing his wild ambition.

The wedding ceremony of these two famous characters of the past century was a spectacular occasion.

On December 1, 1927, Soong and Chiang held a private religious wedding ceremony in the Soong mansion, which was on Seymour Road (now Shaanxi Beilu).

David Uii, then general secretary of the Chinese Young Men's Christian Association, officiated at the ceremony.

Afterward, they moved to a four-leaf-clover-shaped ballroom in the Majestic Hotel, which stood on today's Majestic Theatre, to hold a Chinese-style wedding before the public.

More than 1,300 guests were invited to the ceremony. Thousands crowded the streets trying to catch a glimpse of the famous couple.

The bride was led down the red carpet by her brother, T.V. Soong, who later became finance minister in the Kuomintang government.

Chiang's best man was his chief secretary, Liu Chiwen.

According to W. Smith, band leader at the wedding, the most important part of the ceremony was the procedure of bowing.

A life-sized portrait of Sun Yat-sen hung over the platform in the centre of the ballroom, flanked by Kuomintang flags. The bride and groom bowed three times toward the picture.

Then David Uii read aloud the marriage certificate and sealed it in an envelope. In succession, the bride and groom bowed to each other once, once to the witnesses and once to the guests.

According to the band leader, Chiang appeared uncomfortable in his western-style suit. Soong, however, was beautiful in her western-style bridal gown made of white satin and lace.

After the wedding, they left the Majestic ballroom for the hometown of Chiang.

(By Zou Huilin)