According to Chiang Ching-kuo, his diary is also his autobiography. A generation's joys and sorrows, happiness and misfortunes, were all recorded under Ching-kuo's attentive eye. From the first entry written on May 4th, 1937, to the last one on December 31st, 1979, Ching-kuo's diary, a record of those 42 years, has become a priceless document of the history of the Republic of China.

Ching-kuo's habit of keeping a diary was initiated by his father; after Ching-kuo left the family at 15 and studied abroad in Russia for 12 years, Chiang Kai-shek wanted to understand the extent of the influence Ching-kuo's experience brought on his thoughts and values. Afterward, diary-keeping became Chiang Kai-shek's special method of educating his son. In 1972, as Chiang Kai-shek turned 85 years old, he still checked Ching-kuo's diary frequently. Before Chiang Kai-shek passed away, he wrote, “I feel at peace after reading Ching-kuo’s entries from June and July the previous year. He has inherited my ambitions and aspirations, and he will pass on my legacy.”