Peng Liyuan’s repertoire also includes Russian songs. For example, “Oh, viburnum flowers.” Photo: Xinhua/Landov
Not much is known about Xi Jinping’s personal life. The Chinese leader is known to have been married twice. With his first wife, the daughter of the Chinese ambassador to Great Britain, Ke Lingling, the future president of the People’s Republic of China met in the early 1980s. The couple lived in a prestigious area of Beijing and arranged things almost daily. The last straw was Xi Jinping’s refusal to leave for London. After that, the couple divorced, and Ke moved to England alone.
Xi was not single for long. In 1987 he married singer Peng Liyuan, nine years his junior (he was born in 1962). They have been together for over 35 years.
Who is she, the first lady of China?
THANKS TO HER I WAS RE-ELECTED FOR THE THIRD PERIOD
Long before she married one of the most powerful people in the world, Peng Liyuan already knew what kind of husband she needed. And by becoming Xi Jinping’s wife, the singer herself understood how to inspire him to great achievements.
In 1999, on a Hong Kong talk show, she admitted that she needed a man who was “successful, ambitious and powerful in a relationship.” And when asked if her husband, who was still far from the PRC presidency, met her requirements, she Peng did not hesitate. “I’ve been married to him for over ten years, of course she’s successful,” she snapped.
After Xi was elected leader of the Chinese Communist Party in 2012 and led the country, Peng became the first lady.
Liyuan enjoyed everyone’s attention. She accompanied her husband during official visits, for example, she was at the parade in honor of the 70th anniversary of the Victory in Moscow.
It is believed that it was largely thanks to her that Xi Jinping was able to gain popular support and was therefore re-elected for a third term.
HE WAS MORE KNOWN THAN HUSBAND
Before Xi Jinping broke into big politics, Peng Liyuan was far more famous than he was: China’s beloved performer of folk and patriotic songs.
Peng’s love of music was instilled in his mother, a famous opera artist in the country. After studying at the Beijing Conservatory in 1984, Liyuan joined the Chinese People’s Liberation Army Music Orchestra, where top musicians performed. She won prizes in competitions and in 1986 she received the highest theatrical award “Plum Blossom” for her leading role in the film “White-Haired Girl”.
In parallel with her musical career, the singer was awarded more and more new military ranks and in 2009 she rose to the rank of major general. Not a single state concert could do without it, and her performance in the all-Chinese “New Year’s light” was a natural. Wherever she came with concerts, the halls were full.
“Peng enjoys the support of the masses thanks to his personal charm and charisma,” said George Guo, a sinologist and professor at Guildford College.
According to him, it was Liyuan’s popularity among the military that played an important role in Xi Jinping’s career, in particular, when he joined the Army’s Central Military Council in 2010.
Despite her fame, China’s First Lady always quietly recedes into the background in Xi Jinping’s presence.
Photo: GLOBAL LOOK PRESS
FIRST DATE
In 2013, when Xi Jinping became the first person in China, the propaganda department set out to create the correct image of the president in Chinese society. We start with extensive coverage of family life.
The journalists recounted in detail the love story of Xi and Peng, which was an unusual and unexpected step for China.
The young people met in 1986 when Xi was 33 and Peng was 24. The meeting was arranged by a mutual friend. Liyuan appeared in army pants, determined to see if the young man would pay attention to his appearance and accept his popularity. But Xi Jinping, then deputy mayor of the port city of Xiamen in Fujian province, was right, captivating the girl with the question: “How many types of singing are there?”
After that, Peng realized that the new acquaintance perceives her primarily as a professional.
– My heart skipped a beat. Isn’t this the perfect husband for me? A simple person with his own ideas, Liyuan recalled in an interview.
And Xi himself fell in love with the singer on the first date.
– I saw in you my future wife in the first 40 minutes of our acquaintance, – he admitted.
The couple got married in 1987. They decided not to hold a wedding ceremony, but instead invited friends and colleagues to a modest dinner. A couple of days later, Peng left for Beijing for the National Arts Festival and then toured the United States and Canada. This continued for several years: the wife went on tour, and her husband built a career as a civil servant. Before each return, Peng would wait at home for Xi’s personally prepared dumplings for her, and in gratitude, she would sew a warm blanket for her husband.
In 1992 their daughter Xi Mingze was born. Her parents still shield her from unnecessary attention. She was described in the Taiwanese press as a reserved and diligent girl whose hobbies are literature and fashion. Peng tried to instill in her daughter her love of music and she became very upset with her when she boycotted piano lessons.
STYLE ICON
Peng Liyuan has a distinctive style and has been a trendsetter for many years.
It is known that now the 60-year-old first lady is dressed by the Chinese designer Ma Ke. Costumes are sewn by hand in one copy and strictly according to measurements.
