Tuesday, December 28, 2004Faina Chiang (???; pinyin: Ji?ng F?ngliáng), the Russian-born former First Lady of the Republic of China (Taiwan) and wife of the late President Chiang Ching-kuo died on December 15, 2004 of pulmonary and cardiac failure in the Taipei Vetrans Hospitial. She was 88 years old, although using the Chinese system of counting birthdays she was said to be 90.

Her funeral was held on December 27, 2004 at the Taipei Vetrans Hospital with several prominent Taiwanese politicians in attendance including President Chen Shui-bian, Kuomintang Chairman Lien Chan, and People’s First Party Chairman James Soong.

Chiang’s casket was draped with a Taiwanese Flag as well as a Kuomintang party flag.

Chiang’s body was cremated and placed in her husband’s temporary mausoleum in Taoyuan County. Current plans are to have Chiang Ching-kuo, and his father, Chiang Kai-shek‘s, remains moved from their temporary mausoleums to the Wuchih Mountain Military Cemetery. Originally, plans were to keep the two former presidents in the mausoleums until they could be buried on the Chinese mainland after reunification. However, last year a request made by Chiang Fang-liang was granted to have the remains moved to the Taipei Cemetery, Chiang Fang-liang would also be buried there.