The tragic lives of a national hero turned traitor and the wife who stayed loyal

The lives of Wang Jingwei and his wife are the stuff of Shakespearean tragedy.

Wang was born in May 1883 in Panyu , Guangdong province, one of nine children; his parents died when he was 14 and 15. He finished first in the province's exams for the imperial civil service, and the Qing government sent him to study at Tokyo's University of Politics and Law.

In 1905, he joined the Tong Meng Hui, the party of Sun Yat-sen, and edited a revolutionary newspaper. He became an ardent supporter of Sun and his revolution and followed him in his travels in Southeast Asia.

Wang became famous as an excellent public speaker and supporter of Chinese nationalism. He advocated a republic and the end of the monarchy.

In March 1910, he went to Beijing to assassinate the regent. The plot was discovered, and he was arrested and sentenced to life in prison. He wrote his will.

After the success of the Wuchang revolution in 1911, Wang was released from prison and became a national hero. He became a close adviser to Sun and also studied in France. In 1921, he became the head of the education department of Guangdong, an adviser to the government and a member of the Senate. Wang lived an ascetic life; he did not drink or smoke or keep mistresses, unlike many of his fellow leaders.