Twin Oaks was the official residence for nine ambassadors from the Republic that Dr. Sun founded—from 1937, when Grace Hubbard leased it to the ROC government, till the break in formal Taipei-Washington diplomatic relations in 1979. The Republic of China purchased Twin Oaks from Ms. Hubbard in 1947.
The sudden ROC diplomatic absence in Washington resulted, for a time, in Twin Oaks' abandonment and subsequent deterioration. Following a one-year renovation effort, which began in 1983, Twin Oaks was put to use by the ROC's Coordination Council for North American Affairs (CCNAA) for various entertainment and social functions.
The restoration and redecoration of the estate owe much to the personal concern lavished by Julie Chien, wife of Fredrick F. Chien, CCNAA representative in Washington. Among others, she personally selected many of the furnishings and art pieces for each room.
American leaders and members of the foreign diplomatic (community) gather frequently for special functions in these elegant Twin Oaks surroundings.
Elegant Julie Chien is virtually a perfect hostess, backing up her husband's mission in the important "semi-official" social whirl of Washington, busy capital of the democratic international community. Confronting the same problems as her husband (because of the absence of ROC-U.S. diplomatic relations), Mrs. Chien makes friends with American Congressmen and other leaders, and diplomatic representatives of other countries and their wives in a quite active way. She and her husband host tea parties, luncheons, or dinners almost every other day in a sustained effort to cement relationships with important people in the city.
With the help of an aide, Mrs. Chien, herself, writes out invitation cards to provide an authentic personal touch. She also keeps accurate files to indicate the occasions each person has been invited, and noting family members and other personal data, even including their photos sometimes.
For some very special dinner receptions, Mrs. Chien does some of the cooking personally to add home-made specialties to the menu. In most cases, she goes over guest lists beforehand, checking background data to identify special preferences or needs—vegetarian, salt free, etc.
Since ROC receptions are mostly held at Twin Oaks, Mrs. Chien makes it a regular practice to lead guests on a tour of the graceful mansion and its surrounding gardens. Introducing the colorful history of Twin Oaks, she takes that opportunity to discuss developments in the Republic of China on Taiwan.
To introduce Chinese culture to others, Mrs. Chien sometimes hosts a Chinese Historical Costumes Show; fourteen models, CCNAA female employees and staff wives, display different costumes in styles from the Chinese ages. Reactions have been notably favorable among guests at such performances.
Meanwhile, Julie Chien is also very active in area women's clubs, such as the Welcome to Washington International Club, and in charitable functions and activities. Her (truly) diplomatic role overcomes many of the obstacles posed for this nation's "unofficial mission" in Washington.
But above all, no matter how busy, Mrs. Chien stresses that she is a "two-career" woman who gives top priority to her family, including a son and daughter, along with her mission responsibilities.