Female Member of Kuomintang / China People’s National Party

Female Member of Kuomintang / China People’s National Party

The portrait is likely to be of Mdm Chen Miao Xin who is wearing a Kuomintang / Republic of China badge, with the white 12 pointed star badge.

The script on the rear can be translated as follows:  

“钟伟兰君 (To Mr. Zhong Wei Lan)

 为国争荣 (Win glory for one’s country)

 陈妙兴赠 (Gift from Chen Miao Xin )”

The Kuomintang (KMT or CNP) a Chinese political party that ruled China from 1927–48 and then moved to Taiwan. The name translates as “China’s National People’s Party” and was historically referred to as the Chinese Nationalists.

The KMT governed most of China until it was defeated in the civil war by the Communists in 1949.

The leadership, the remaining army, and hundreds of thousands of businessmen and other supporters, two million in all, then fled to Taiwan. They continued to operate there as the ‘Republic of China’ and dreamed of invading and reconquering what they called “Mainland China”. The United States, however, set up a naval cordon after 1950 that has since prevented an invasion in either direction.

Taiwan’s flag a white 12 pointed star on a blue background is similar to the badge worn by the person in the photo.

The circumstances of why & how Des was in the possession of this photo is unknown.