Abstract
Liu Xiaoqing, a name known in almost every Chinese household, symbolizes beauty and charm, female strength, avant-garde femininity, female entrepreneurship, and also rebellion. Through both her on-screen persona and her off-screen life, Liu Xiaoqing reflects changes in the thinking and behavior of contemporary Chinese women and the transformation of post-socialist Chinese society. From a feminist perspective, and serving as a social and cultural icon of a “strong woman” in contemporary China, the Liu Xiaoqing phenomenon highlights the many changes and trends in the lives of women in post-socialist China. As an avant-garde female figure in the post-Mao era, during which China has opened up to the outside world economically and culturally, Liu Xiaoqing’s case is worthy of an in-depth analysis. Her case illustrates how Chinese women’s attitudes toward professional career success, love, marriage, and family issues have negotiated these ongoing vicissitudes and changes; and how transformation of thought has led to an evolution in the development of feminist narratives and discourses in present-day China.
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Notes
- 1.
The Golden Rooster and Hundred Flowers Awards were established in 1981 and 1962, respectively. The Golden Rooster Awards, together with the Hong Kong Film Awards and Taiwan’s Golden Horse Awards, are considered to represent the highest standards of Sinophone film. The Golden Rooster Awards are judged by professional film critics and practitioners, and the Hundred Flowers Award by film audiences.
- 2.
Liu Xiaoqing was sentenced and jailed between 2002 and 2003 for tax evasion, which was very common among Chinese celebrities during the Opening Up times.
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Cai, S., Dunn, E. (2019). A Feminist Reading of Chinese Actress Liu Xiaoqing’s Screen Roles and Life Story. In: Cai, S. (eds) Female Celebrities in Contemporary Chinese Society. Palgrave Macmillan, Singapore. https://doi.org/10.1007/978-981-13-5980-4_2
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