Wu Zhao, commonly known as Wu Zetian, alternatively Wu Hou, and during the later Tang dynasty as Tian Hou, was the de facto ruler of the Tang dynasty, as an empress consort, first through her husband Emperor Gaozong and then as an empress dowager, through her sons Emperors Zhongzong and Ruizong, from 665 to 690, not unprecedented in Chinese history. She subsequently became empress regnant of the Wu Zhou dynasty of China, ruling from 690 to 705, unprecedented in Chinese history. She was the only legitimate female sovereign in the history of China. Under her 40-year reign, China grew larger, corruption in the court was reduced, its culture and economy were revitalized, and it was recognized as one of the great powers of the world.
Chien-Shiung Wu (Chinese: 吳健雄; pinyin: Wú Jiànxióng; Wade–Giles: Wu2 Chien4-hsiung2; May 31, 1912 – February 16, 1997) was a Chinese-American particle and experimental physicist who made significant contributions in the fields of nuclear and particle physics. Wu worked on the Manhattan Project, where she helped develop the process for separating uranium into uranium-235 and uranium-238 isotopes by gaseous diffusion. She is best known for conducting the Wu experiment, which proved that parity is not conserved. This discovery resulted in her colleagues Tsung-Dao Lee and Chen-Ning Yang winning the 1957 Nobel Prize in Physics, while Wu herself was awarded the inaugural Wolf Prize in Physics in 1978. Her expertise in experimental physics evoked comparisons to Marie Curie. Her nicknames include the "First Lady of Physics", the "Chinese Madame Curie" and the "Queen of Nuclear Research".
Wu Yi is a retired Chinese politician. She was one of the country's most visible leaders during the first decade of the 21st century, best known for taking on the role of Minister of Health from April 2003 during the SARS outbreak, shortly after becoming Vice Premier of the State Council, a position she served in between March 2003 and March 2008. She was also a member of the Politburo of the Chinese Communist Party. She has since retired and left public life. She was commonly referred to as the "iron lady" by Chinese media, and was known to be a tough negotiator internationally.
Jung Chang is a Chinese-born British writer now living in London, best known for her family autobiography Wild Swans, selling over 10 million copies worldwide but banned in the People's Republic of China.
"Jenny" Lang Ping is a former Chinese volleyball player and the current head coach of China women's national volleyball team. She was the former head coach of the United States women's national volleyball team, herself being the MVP of women volleyball in 1984 Olympics.
Chiung Yao or Qiong Yao is the pen name of Chen Che, a Taiwanese writer and producer who is often regarded as the most popular romance novelist in the Chinese-speaking world. Her novels have been adapted into more than 100 films and TV dramas.
Sanmao was the pen name of Echo Chen Ping, a Chinese writer and translator based in Taiwan. Her works range from autobiographical writing, travel writing and reflective novels, to translations of Spanish-language comic strips. She studied philosophy and taught German before becoming a career writer. Her pen name was adopted from the main character of Zhang Leping's most famous work, Sanmao. In English, she was also known as Echo or Echo Chan, the first name she used in Latin script, after the eponymous Greek nymph. Since young, she was said to have avoided writing the character "Mao" (懋) as she never mastered the ability to do so, which later in life, she legally changed her name to Chen Ping.
An It bag is a high-priced designer handbag that has become a popular best-seller. The phenomenon arose in the fashion industry and was named in the 1990s and 2000s. Examples of handbag brands that have been considered "It bags" are Chanel, Hermès and Fendi.
Cheng Chui Ping, also known as Sister Ping, was a Chinese woman who ran a human smuggling operation bringing people from China into the United States from 1984 to 2000. Operating from Chinatown, Manhattan, Ping oversaw a snakehead smuggling ring which brought as many as 3,000 Chinese into the United States, earning her more than $40 million. The United States Department of Justice called Ping "one of the first, and ultimately most successful, alien smugglers of all time."
Country Garden is a property development company based in Guangdong, China, owned by Yang Guoqiang's family. In 2020, it is ranked 147th in Fortune Global 500 List. Country Garden features a market capitalization of over US$29.84 billion as of 2018; with more than 200 high-end township developments throughout China, Malaysia and Australia among its vast international project portfolio. The company is incorporated in Cayman Islands.
Vera Coking is a retired homeowner whose Atlantic City, New Jersey, boarding house was the focus of an eminent domain case involving Donald Trump.
Edith Macefield was a real estate holdout who received worldwide attention in 2006 when she turned down an offer of $1 million to sell her house to make way for a commercial development in the Ballard neighborhood of Seattle, Washington. Instead, the five-story project was built surrounding her 108-year-old farmhouse, where she died at age 86 in 2008. In the process, she became something of a folk hero.
Wu Yajun (Chinese: 吴亚军; pinyin: Wú Yàjūn; born 1964) is a Chinese billionaire businesswoman who was at one time the world's richest self-made woman. She is the co-founder, chairwoman, and former CEO of Longfor Properties. From humble origins, she worked as a journalist and editor before moving into real estate in the 1990s, later investing in technology companies including Uber and Evernote.
A holdout is a property that did not become part of a larger real estate development because the owner either refused to sell. There are many examples of holdouts worldwide.
Gu Kailai is a Chinese former lawyer and businesswoman. She is the second wife of former Politburo member Bo Xilai, one of China's most influential politicians until he was stripped of his offices in 2012. In August 2012, Gu was convicted of murdering British businessman Neil Heywood and was given a suspended death sentence, later commuted to life imprisonment in December 2015.
A Touch of Sin is a 2013 Chinese anthology film written and directed by Jia Zhangke and starring Jiang Wu, Wang Baoqiang, Luo Lanshan, and Zhao Tao, Jia's wife and longtime collaborator. The film consists of four loosely interconnected tableaus set in vastly different geographical and social milieus across modern-day China, based on recent events while also drawing from wuxia stories and Chinese opera. The English title references A Touch of Zen. It was nominated for the Palme d'Or at the 2013 Cannes Film Festival, with Jia winning the award for Best Screenplay.
Amber An, born Liao Ching-ling, is a Taiwanese actress, singer, television host, and model.
Cindy Stumpo is an American entrepreneur and residential contractor. She is the founder of C. Stumpo Development, a privately owned custom home builder and developer based in eastern Massachusetts. Stumpo and her work have been featured in numerous national publications, including Forbes Magazine calling her one of the most successful residential contractors in Massachusetts. Her construction work, dynamic personality became a television series HGTV called Tough As Nails. WBZ News Radio tapped Stumpo to continue her work in the media, "Cindy Stumpo is Tough As Nails" is now a weekly radio show on iHeart Radio. The show is about "building a house, and building a life".
Mabel Ping-Hua Lee was a Chinese-American women's rights activist and minister who campaigned for women's suffrage in the United States. Later in life, Lee became a Baptist minister, working with the First Chinese Baptist Church in Chinatown.
Imperfect Love is a 2020 Chinese drama television series directed by Liu Bao and starring Zhou Xun, Kara Hui, Angie Chiu and Huang Jue. The series is a remake of the award-winning 2010 Japanese TV series Mother. It airs on Tencent Video and IQIYI from March 27 to April 4, 2020.
