Petite and pretty with delicate features, Chinese women have since long been admired by men all over the world. However living in the patriarchic Chinese society had never been easy for the women who for centuries had been considered as little more than property. The status of the Chinese women had begun to change only during the 20th century when more women gained access to education and opportunities to build a career other than that of being a homemaker. Today China boasts of having a large percentage of working women in its population.
Right IconThis ranking is based on an algorithm that combines various factors, including the votes of our users and search trends on the internet.
Popularly known as Fairy Sister, Liu Yifei is a famous actress, singer, and model. In 2009, she was named among the New Four Dan actresses of China. As a singer, she has released a couple of albums including a Japanese album titled All My Words. In 2020, she was ranked 30th in the Forbes China Celebrity 100 list.
Empress Dowager Cixi was a Chinese regent and empress dowager. From 1861 to 1908, Cixi served as the de facto supreme ruler of the Qing dynasty. She is credited with overseeing a series of moderate reforms called the Tongzhi Restoration, which helped the regime survive for a long period of time. She also supported military and technological reforms.
Shen Yue is a Chinese actress, model, and singer. She is known for playing important roles in TV series like A Love So Beautiful. Also known for her philanthropic efforts, Shen Yue won the Next Generation Influencers for Global Philanthropy award in 2019. The same year, she won the Philanthropy Idol of the Year at the Madame Figaro Fashion Awards.
Wu Zetian was a Chinese empress regnant who ruled the Zhou dynasty from 690 to 705. She is the only female monarch in Chinese history. Before ruling the Zhou dynasty, Wu Zetian had served as the de facto ruler of China from 665 to 690. Under her political and military leadership, the Chinese empire expanded beyond its former territorial limits.
Xi Mingze is the daughter of the Chinese President and Paramount Leader Xi Jinping. She prefers to keep a low profile, and made her first public appearance alongside her parents in 2013. In 2008, she had volunteered as a relief worker in Hanwang, Mianzhu after the Great Sichuan earthquake.
Victoria Song is a Chinese actress, singer, dancer, TV presenter, model, and author. Over the years, she has received several awards, such as an MBC Entertainment Award and China TV Drama Awards. In 2017, 2019, and 2020, she was named on the Forbes China Celebrity 100 list. Also a philanthropist, Victoria Song has worked alongside organizations like UNICEF and Red Cross.
Tiffany Tang is a Chinese singer and actress. One of the most decorated Chinese actresses of her generation, Tiffany Tang has won several prestigious awards, such as Beijing TV Drama Award, China TV Drama Awards, and Huading Awards. She has also been named on Forbes China Celebrity 100 lists on several occasions.
Faye Wong is a Hong Kong singer-songwriter and actress. She is popularly known as the "Diva of Asia." Her music features a combination of alternative music and mainstream Chinese pop. She is widely popular in Mainland China, Taiwan, Hong Kong, Japan, and Singapore. As an actress, she has starred in the films Chungking Express and 2046.
Li Na is a Chinese former tennis player. A former world No. 2, Li Na won two Grand Slam singles titles over the course of her career. She achieved international recognition in 2011 after becoming the first Asian Grand Slam singles champion. In 2019, she became the first Asian-born player to be inducted into the International Tennis Hall of Fame.
Chinese phytochemist and malariologist Tu Youyou is best remembered for her Nobel Prize-winning discovery of the anti-malarial drug qinghaosu, or artemisinin. She is the first Chinese female Nobel laureate. A tuberculosis infection in her younger days had inspired her to step into medicine. She later studied traditional Chinese medicine, too.
Zhao Wei is a Chinese actress, filmmaker, pop singer, and businesswoman. One of the most popular Chinese actresses, Zhao is also one of the highest-paid actresses in China. Renowned for her performance in popular films like Shaolin Soccer, Zhao Wei is widely considered the first national idol of Mainland China since the Chinese economic reform in 1978.
Carrie Lam is a Hong Kong politician who has been serving as the Chief Executive of Hong Kong since 2017. From 2007 to 2012, she served as the Secretary for Development. From 2012 to 2017, Lam was the Chief Secretary for Administration. A controversial leader, Carrie Lam's administration witnessed the criminalization of the Hong Kong National Party.
Jiang Qing was a Chinese actress, communist revolutionary and major political figure who played an important role during the Cultural Revolution in China. She is also remembered for forming a Maoist political faction called the Gang of Four. Jiang Qing married Mao Zedong and played a prominent role in propagating Mao's brand of Communist ideology.
American Christian author Ruth Graham had met evangelist Billy Graham at Wheaton College, and they got soon after. Daughter of medical missionary parents, Ruth had grown up in China. She was an avid philanthropist and had raised her five children almost singlehandedly while Billy was mostly touring as an evangelist.
Hou Yifan is a Chinese chess player who won two gold medals at the 2010 Asian Games. Hou, who achieved the grandmaster title in 2008, is the second-highest-rated female chess player ever. Hou is also the youngest ever player to win the Women's World Chess Championship title. She is also regarded as the greatest female chess player of her generation.
Chinese-Australian YouTuber Wengie has earned a phenomenally huge fan base on YouTube with her DIY, beauty, fashion, and prank videos. She has also experimented with music, releasing tracks such as Baby Believe Me. She also manages a channel that is exclusively dedicated to content related to her two cats.
Chinese actor Liu Tao is best known for the comedy series My Fair Princess III and the wuxia series Demi-Gods and Semi-Devils. Her performance in the melodrama To Elderly with Love won her a Golden Eagle “Best Actress” award. The mother of two is married to entrepreneur Ke Wang.
Yang Jiang was a Chinese author, translator, and playwright. Yang Jiang is credited with writing several successful comedies. A prolific translator, Yang was the first Chinese to come up with a proper Chinese version of Don Quixote. Her translation is considered the definitive translation of the popular novel in China.
Chinese tennis star Wang Qiang had begun playing tennis at the tender age of 9. She was initially trained in Japan and grew up idolizing Steffi Graf. Best known for her serve and her speed, she became the second-highest-ranked player from her country, after Li Na, when she ranked 12th in singles.
Chinese women are excelling in many fields hitherto primarily dominated by males and are setting great examples for the future generation of females to follow. Song Qing Ling, the first lady of China devoted her life to make the country a better place for women and children. Liu Yang defied tradition to become the first ever Chinese woman to journey into space while the scientist Ling Meng acquired fame for her work on cellular communication in plants. In keeping up with China’s rich literary culture, Zhang Jie became the first feminist writer in China. Chinese woman have also made their mark in the world of fashion, films, and sports. Intrigued to learn more about inspiring Chinese women? Read on!
