Peng Liyuan
Encyclopedia
Peng Liyuan is one of the top Chinese folk music
Folk music
Folk music is an English term encompassing both traditional folk music and contemporary folk music. The term originated in the 19th century. Traditional folk music has been defined in several ways: as music transmitted by mouth, as music of the lower classes, and as music with unknown composers....

 singers, and a performer popularized by her regular appearances on the annual CCTV New Year's Gala
CCTV New Year's Gala
The CCTV New Year's Gala is a Chinese New Year special produced by China Central Television. Broadcast on the eve of Chinese New Year on its flagship CCTV-1, satellite channels CCTV-4, CCTV-9, CCTV-E, CCTV-F, and CCTV-HD, the broadcast has a yearly viewership of over 700 million viewers, making it...

, a widely viewed mainland Chinese television program that airs during Chinese New Year
Chinese New Year
Chinese New Year – often called Chinese Lunar New Year although it actually is lunisolar – is the most important of the traditional Chinese holidays. It is an all East and South-East-Asia celebration...

. She has obtained many honors in singing competitions nationwide.

Her most famous works include People from our Village (父老乡亲), Mount Chomolungma (珠穆朗玛) and On the Plains of Hope (在希望的田野上). Peng Liyuan is a civilian member of China's People's Liberation Army
People's Liberation Army
The People's Liberation Army is the unified military organization of all land, sea, strategic missile and air forces of the People's Republic of China. The PLA was established on August 1, 1927 — celebrated annually as "PLA Day" — as the military arm of the Communist Party of China...

 and currently holds the civilian rank comparable to that of a major general
Major General
Major general or major-general is a military rank used in many countries. It is derived from the older rank of sergeant major general. A major general is a high-ranking officer, normally subordinate to the rank of lieutenant general and senior to the ranks of brigadier and brigadier general...

. She was one of the first in China to obtain a Master's degree in traditional ethnic music when the degree was first established in the 1980s. She is married to Xi Jinping
Xi Jinping
Xi Jinping is a high ranking politician of the People's Republic of China. He currently serves as the top-ranking member of the Secretariat of the Communist Party of China, the country's Vice President, Vice-Chairman of the Central Military Commission, President of the Central Party School and the...

 who is the current member of the Politburo Standing Committee and the Vice President of the People's Republic of China
Vice President of the People's Republic of China
The Vice President of the People's Republic of China , formerly called Vice Chairman of the People's Republic of China from 1954 to 1975, or abbreviated Guójiā Fù Zhǔxí 国家副主席, literally State Vice-chairman) is a senior position in the government of the People's Republic of China.-Selection and...

.

Biography

Peng Liyuan is a native of Yuncheng County
Yuncheng County
Yuncheng County is a county in southwest of Shandong province, China. It borders Liangshan County and Jiaxiang County to the east, Juancheng to the west and Juye and Heze to the south.-Notes and references:...

, Shandong
Shandong
' is a Province located on the eastern coast of the People's Republic of China. Shandong has played a major role in Chinese history from the beginning of Chinese civilization along the lower reaches of the Yellow River and served as a pivotal cultural and religious site for Taoism, Chinese...

. Peng joined the People's Liberation Army
People's Liberation Army
The People's Liberation Army is the unified military organization of all land, sea, strategic missile and air forces of the People's Republic of China. The PLA was established on August 1, 1927 — celebrated annually as "PLA Day" — as the military arm of the Communist Party of China...

 in 1980, when she was 18. She began as an ordinary soldier, although eventually with her vocal talent she began performing at PLA performances to boost troop morale. Peng first performed nationally and came to fame during the earliest rendition of the CCTV New Year's Gala
CCTV New Year's Gala
The CCTV New Year's Gala is a Chinese New Year special produced by China Central Television. Broadcast on the eve of Chinese New Year on its flagship CCTV-1, satellite channels CCTV-4, CCTV-9, CCTV-E, CCTV-F, and CCTV-HD, the broadcast has a yearly viewership of over 700 million viewers, making it...

 in 1982, when she performed On the Plains of Hope.

She has been married to PRC Vice-President Xi Jinping
Xi Jinping
Xi Jinping is a high ranking politician of the People's Republic of China. He currently serves as the top-ranking member of the Secretariat of the Communist Party of China, the country's Vice President, Vice-Chairman of the Central Military Commission, President of the Central Party School and the...

 for over 20 years; they have a daughter named Xi Mingze (习明泽) born in 1992, nicknamed as Xiao Muzi (小木子). For the greater part of their relationship Peng has been considerably better known to the public than her politician husband.

Xi and Peng were introduced by friends like many Chinese couples in the 1980s. Xi was reputedly academic during their courtship, inquiring about ethnic Chinese music. Xi was the son of famous Chinese revolutionary Xi Zhongxun
Xi Zhongxun
Xi Zhongxun was a communist revolutionary and a State Councillor of the People's Republic of China. He is considered to be among the first generation of Chinese leadership.-Biography:...

, and Peng's family did not accept the relationship with ease. The general feelings at the time was that higher official's children were corrupt and arrogant. Xi, however, was reputedly modest and low-profile. After parental consent, the couple married on September 1, 1987 in Xiamen
Xiamen
Xiamen , also known as Amoy , is a major city on the southeast coast of the People's Republic of China. It is administered as a sub-provincial city of Fujian province with an area of and population of 3.53 million...

, Fujian
Fujian
' , formerly romanised as Fukien or Huguing or Foukien, is a province on the southeast coast of mainland China. Fujian is bordered by Zhejiang to the north, Jiangxi to the west, and Guangdong to the south. Taiwan lies to the east, across the Taiwan Strait...

. Four days later, Peng Liyuan had to return to Beijing
Beijing
Beijing , also known as Peking , is the capital of the People's Republic of China and one of the most populous cities in the world, with a population of 19,612,368 as of 2010. The city is the country's political, cultural, and educational center, and home to the headquarters for most of China's...

 to appear on the national art festival and then immediately left for the United States
United States
The United States of America is a federal constitutional republic comprising fifty states and a federal district...

 and Canada
Canada
Canada is a North American country consisting of ten provinces and three territories. Located in the northern part of the continent, it extends from the Atlantic Ocean in the east to the Pacific Ocean in the west, and northward into the Arctic Ocean...

 to perform. Since then they have led largely separate lives, with Peng spending most of her time in Beijing and her husband in Fujian and later Zhejiang.

Peng has performed at almost every CCTV New Year's Gala
CCTV New Year's Gala
The CCTV New Year's Gala is a Chinese New Year special produced by China Central Television. Broadcast on the eve of Chinese New Year on its flagship CCTV-1, satellite channels CCTV-4, CCTV-9, CCTV-E, CCTV-F, and CCTV-HD, the broadcast has a yearly viewership of over 700 million viewers, making it...

 since its inception, with a notable exception in 2008, after her husband's promotion. Her songs are focused on ethnic or rural Chinese themes, and generally deal with a wide range of emotions expressed by ordinary rural citizens.

Peng is actively involved in politics herself, and is a member of the 11th National Committee of the Chinese People's Political Consultative Conference
Chinese People's Political Consultative Conference
The Chinese People's Political Consultative Conference [], shortened as 人民政协, Rénmín Zhèngxié, i.e. "People's PCC"; or just 政协, Zhèngxié, i.e. "The PCC"), abbreviated CPPCC, is a political advisory body in the People's Republic of China...

.

She is an alumna of the China Conservatory of Music
China Conservatory of Music
The China Conservatory of Music is a music conservatory in Beijing, China. It was established in 1964....

 in Beijing, holds both bachelor degree & master degree from the institute.

External links

Peng Liyuan's homepage at Sina.com
Sina.com
SINA is an online media company for China and Chinese communities around the world. SINA operates four major business lines: Sina Weibo, SINA Mobile, SINA Online, and SINA.net. SINA has over 100 million registered users worldwide...

  • Kavanagh, Jim. "Peng Liyuan." CNN
    CNN
    Cable News Network is a U.S. cable news channel founded in 1980 by Ted Turner. Upon its launch, CNN was the first channel to provide 24-hour television news coverage, and the first all-news television channel in the United States...

    . January 20, 2011.
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