The sale of a mansion on the former estate of Soong Mei-ling is attracting potential buyers of Chinese descent. (Provided to China Daily)

In the past week, nearly 100 people of Chinese descent have telephoned Jason Friedman about a mansion on Long Island, New York, which recently was listed for sale.

"I was kind of expecting the reaction, but it's more than what I thought it would be," said Friedman, whose firm, Friedman Team, specializes in selling large and luxury properties on Long Island.

The interest by callers from the United States, Chinese mainland, Hong Kong, Taiwan, and as far as New Zealand was because of who once owned the property: Soong Mei-ling, also known as Madame Chiang Kai-Shek, once the most influential woman in China. She lived on the property for two decades until it was sold in 1998, and then moved to an apartment in Manhattan. Madame Chiang died in 2003 at the age of 106.

Located in Lattingtown － 30 miles from Manhattan － the property is listed at $11.8 million.

The mansion of approximately 19,000 square feet has nine bedrooms, nine bathrooms, six fireplaces, a movie theatre, billiard room, gym and sauna.

The property's 12.8 acres include a par-3 golf hole. There is a barn, and a carriage house, which successive owners attached to the main house with a breezeway in 2004. A half-mile private road leads to automatic gates of the home’s private driveway.

"The whole thing together is one of the most amazing properties I’ve been on," said Friedman, "I've been on properties up to over $100 million. This is one of the nicest house I've seen.”

Friedman said he had first seven showings on Tuesday, and others "are arranging flights to come see from all over”.

He said there are other houses in the area of similar size selling for the same price, but without historical value.

"The house speaks for itself, but the historical value being added on top, it's really what makes it special," said Friedman.

A devout Christian educated at the elite Wellesley College in Massachusetts, Madame Chiang was born in southern China and married Chiang Kai-shek in 1927.

Her elder sister, Soong Ching Ling, married Dr Sun Yat-sen, a forerunner of the Chinese Revolution and the founder of the Kuomintang and the Republic of China (1912-1949). She was elected the vice-president and honorary president of the People's Republic of China for her great contributions made to the Chinese revolution.

Soong Ai-ling, another sister of Madame Chiang, married Kung Hsiang-hsi, the Nationalist financial minister, a tycoon in the Republic of China.

In 1949, Madame Chiang fled to Taiwan. When Chiang Kai-shek died in 1975, she left Taiwan and settled on the Long Island estate. 

hezijiang@chinadailyusa.com