Who’s who in China? Get to know the country’s very important and famous people!
- a professional basketball player who stands 7 ft. 6 inches and currently dubbed as the tallest player in National Basketball Association. This player from Houston Rockets was born on September 12, 1980 in Shanghai, Peoples Republic of China. Before he played in NBA, he is the best-known athlete in the country with several sponsorships from major companies and named as the richest celebrity in China for five consecutive years.
- undoubtedly one of the most successful and best-known Chinese actor across the world. Li Lianjie, his real name, is a real martial art master and Wushu expert was born on April 26, 2963. With his expertise in martial arts, he rises to fame as an action star in which he made his first acting debut in the 1982 film Shaolin Temple. The name Jet Li become a sensation in the international scene when he appeared in the blockbuster movie Lethal Weapon 4, which he portrayed as a villain. After playing as a villain, he was launched in his first starring role in the movie, Romeo Must Die, which was a blockbuster hit making him as a leading man in tinsel town. In the succeeding years, he appeared in numerous big movie projects such as The One, Kiss of the Dragon, Cradle 2 the Grave, Unleashed and the latest The Mummy: Tomb of the Dragon Emperor with Brendan Frasier, Isabelle Leong and Michelle Yeoh.
- is the only Asian-American women to be appointed in the President’s cabinet in the history of American government. Ellen Chao earned her B.A. in Economics in 1975 from Mount Holyoke College and received her MBA in Harvard Business School in 1979. She has been the recipient of numerous honorary doctoral degrees from different colleges and universities throughout the world. Ellen Chao is married to Mitch McConnel, a U.S Senator and current Senate Minority Leader. Furthermore, Chao is currently serving as the 24th Secretary of Labor of the United States.
- one of the famous Chinese actors that is born and raised in the bustling metropolis of Shanghai, China. This handsome actor, singer and model is the only child in his family. Aside from being a talented artist, he is also known to be good in writing meaningful and poetic poems as written in his personal blog. He rises to fame after appearing in the top rating show, the Chinese Paladin in which he portrayed the role of Li Xiao Yao. From then on, series of projects are being offered to him not just only in acting but as well as in singing industry. This coming fall of 2008, he will be collaborating with infamous Taiwanese actor/singer, Wu Chun and Hong Kong singer, Charlene Choi in the show Butterfly Lovers.
- the current Paramount Leader of the country holding various positions like General Secretary of the Communist Party of China and Chairman of the Central Military Commission. He was born on December 21, 1942 in Jiangyan, Jiangsu. This powerful man in the country finished Hydraulic engineering in Tsinghua University. During his early life, Hu was once a talented student in high school in which he excels in singing and dancing.
- this Chinese actor and singer is popularly known for his portrayal of Yang Guo, the lead character in the infamous drama “The Return of the Condor Heroes”. In 2003, he skyrocketed to fame after playing various roles in three television series aired in Chinese television stations. This hottest actor in China also graduated from the prestigious Performance Institute of Beijing Film Academy in 2000. His first major role was in Da Han Tian Zi, it is an epic drama based on the Han Dynasty. The drama was a huge success in the nation that leads to two more sequels faming Huang Xiao Ming as among the brightest actors and huge name in China.
- is a Chinese actress and singer famously known in her portrayal of Xiaolongnü in the top rating epic drama, The Return of the Condor Heroes. This popular artist in the country is one of the youngest ever students to make it to the prestigious Beijing Academy. The TV drama Chinese Paladin was probably Crystal’s breakthrough in which she gained popularity not just in the nation but as well as in other countries. In additional to her international exposure, Crystal Liu was included in one of the most anticipated movie in 2007, the Forbidden Kingdom opposite other widely known actors, Jet Li and Jackie Chan.
- China's top finest actress and singer that is born on March 12, 1976. Vicki Zhao or Zhao Wei rose to fame in her famous portrayal as the lead actress in the drama Princess Pearl or Huanzhu Gege in 1998 that became also as a super hit in Taiwan. With the numerous exposure in other drama shows, print and commercial advertisements, she gained some fame in other Asian countries, Europe and in Hollywood, which she appeared in movies like So Close and Shaolin Soccer.
- an award winning film actress and dubbed as one of the four most promising young film actresses in the country. Zang Ziyi has worked with prominent directors in the world of movie industry like Ang Lee and Rob Marshall. Her career rose to fame due to her role in the phenomenally successful Crouching Tiger, Hidden Dragon for which she played as the headstrong Jen or Xia Long in Chinese version. It earned her a nod to be nominated and won eventually the Independent Spirit's Best Supporting Actress Award and Toronto Film Critic's Best Supporting Actress Award. She was first seen in Hollywood scene in the American film Rush Hour 2 with Jackie Chan as the lead character. It was in 2005 that Zang Ziyi rose further to popularity for her excellent acting skills when she landed as the lead role in the film adaptation of the international best selling novel, Memoirs of Geisha for which she played as Sayuri. For the role, she received a nomination from Golden Globe Awards, Screen Actors Guild Award and BAFTA.