The First Lady of China

Unlike first ladies in Western countries, for example the U.S.A., the first ladies in China were so low-profile they would be totally ignored by the public. I can't remember a single first lady of the past, neither their names, nor their faces. The only impression I have of one or two of the previous first ladies is of a short old woman dressed in old-fashioned clothes, walking in the shadow of her husband and drawing no attention to herself. In China, you could never see a first lady giving a speech in support of her husband's latest policy, launching a charity campaign, or hosting international guests on her own. They seemed to be determined not to make their presence felt, which is quite confusing to me.

But Peng Liyuan, the current first lady of China, has changed the stereotype completely. Once a household name as a Party singer, she is beautiful, demure and elegant, fitting perfectly the image of "the mother of the country", as is how the Chinese call their first ladies. Years of experience in the spotlight lends her incredible ease and charisma in front of the public, and her gorgeous looks make her a perfect model for the display of Chinese traditional elements in a trendy way--she's become a new fashion icon, just like Michelle Obama and Princess Kate did. She has also made her own headlines--there is never a lack of news featuring her fashion and her presence at important occasions, her husband not necessarily included.

Peng Liyuan reminds me of the distant past when China had an influential first lady--Madame Chiang. In fact, Madame Chiang exerted much greater power than Peng Liyuan does due to her direct and impressive involvement in politics at a turmoiled time when China was being ravaged by the Japanese. The highlight of her career was her making a speech at the U.S. congress in impeccable English with a slight Southern accent, appealing forcefully for support for China's hard-fought war against Japan. She was so powerful that "Time Magazine" made her the cover of the magazine twice. 

As a Chinese person, I feel so proud that we finally have another first lady that makes her own voice heard and displays a positive image to the world.

The First Lady of China

Unlike first ladies in Western countries, for example the U.S.A., the first ladies in China were so low-profile they were totally ignored by the public. I can't remember a single first lady of the past, neither their names, nor their faces. The only impression I have of one or two of the previous first ladies is of a short old woman dressed in old-fashioned clothes, walking in the shadow of her husband and drawing no attention to herself. In China, you could never see a first lady giving a speech in support of her husband's latest policy, launching a charity campaign, or hosting international guests on her own. They seemed to be determined not to make their presence felt, which is quite confusing to me.

But Peng Liyuan, the current first lady of China, has changed the stereotype completely. Once a household name as a Party singer, she is beautiful, demure and elegant, fitting perfectly the image of "the mother of the country", as is how the Chinese call their first ladies. Years of experience in the spotlight lends her incredible ease and charisma in front of the public, and her gorgeous looks make her a perfect model for the display of Chinese traditional elements in a trendy way--she's become a new fashion icon, just like Michelle Obama and Princess Kate did. She has also made her own headlines--there is never a lack of news featuring her fashion and her presence at important occasions, where her husband not necessarily included.

Peng Liyuan reminds me of the distant past, when China had an influential first lady--Madame Chiang. In fact, Madame Chiang exerted much greater power than Peng Liyuan does now due to her direct and impressive involvement in politics during a time of turmoil, when China was being ravaged by the Japanese. The highlight of her career was her making a speech at the U.S. congress in impeccable English with a slight Southern accent, appealing forcefully for support for China's hard-fought war against Japan. She was so powerful that even "Time Magazine" made her the cover of the magazine twice.

As a Chinese person, I feel so proud that we finally have another first lady that makes her own voice heard and displays a positive image to the world.