緊湊的南京之行，在週日上午前往有「遠東第一別墅」之譽的「美齡宮」訪勝。
原是南京國民政府主席官邸的美齡宮近年成為網紅— 從空中俯視，依山勢修造的建築整體，猶如一串鑲有寶石掛墜的珍珠項鍊，兩邊通往美齡宮主樓、長滿了法國梧桐的環形路是「項鍊」，隨季節變換色彩，大門口是「項鍊」的連接處，深綠色的琉璃瓦猶如項鍊的寶石掛墜，十分浪漫。
別墅被蔥蘢的樹木環繞，桂花香簇擁著一座三層重檐山式宮殿式建築，頂覆綠色琉璃瓦。在其房檐的琉璃瓦上雕著1000多只鳳凰。別墅裡完整呈現了蔣介石、宋美齡夫婦當年的起居、會客、禮拜、工作、休閒。
即使冬雨連綿，還是有絡繹不絕的訪客。我欣賞了蔣夫人功底深厚的國畫作品和她傳奇人生的紀錄後，在二樓的咖啡廳喝杯「夫人咖啡」…寒煙芳草凝綠，舊事已隨烽烟。這棟老建築裡的故事和情感，和口中啜飲的咖啡一般濃郁。
Meiling Villa is built for Song May-ling, the forth wife of the president of the Republic of China–Chiang Kai-shek, is a world-renowned politician, diplomat and painter who enjoyed the highet compliments from World leaders. She is also the first woman who give a public speech in the US Congress and the first cover girl on the magazine Times that come from China.
Except being as an excellent diplomat and politician, You can also find her other talents here, thus generate a deeper understanding why she enjoyed the lifelong respect, and memorization of so many top leaders and enjoy such a high reputation in the history.
One interesting legend about the palace is that people has used UMV(un-maned vehicle) to photograph its panorama which demonstrate the shape of a necklace, the zigzag path wich is covered by phoenix tree looks just like the chain of the necklace, while the surrounded palace is the gem on the pendant.
This thoughtful and delicate arrangement is believed to be a gift from Chiang Kai-shek to demonstrate his love to Song Mayling. Although some historican complain that Chiang and Song actually spent too much money on their own good, dispite the difficulity and poverty being suffered by the common people, I do cannot forget the beauty of this love story.
