The Story of Princess Wencheng A Folk Tale of the Tibetan Nationality

THE King of Tibet, Songtsan Gambo, was wise and capable. In order to make Tibet prosperous, he planned to marry Princess Wencheng of the Imperial Palace, who was both beautiful and kindhearted. He sent the resourceful Gawa to the Emperor to propose. In order to choose a satisfactory son-in-law among such a great number of suitors, the Emperor asked messengers to take part in a wisdom competition. He first asked the messengers to match the mares with their foals in a large herd. Of all the messengers, Gawa was the only one who passed this test. First he separated the mares from their foals and locked them into two paddocks. After half a day, he released the foals and herded them in with the mares. The hungry foals immediately ran to their mothers to suckle their milk. In this way it was easy to see who belonged to whom. After this test of wit the Emperor gave the messengers two more puzzles. The first one was to ask them to eat an entire sheep in one day, tan its hide, drink a jug of alcohol and walk bac     

Recalling the Iron Girls

The phrase "iron girl" is symbolic of an era. Widely used in the 1960s and the early 1970s, it was a term that described women who, in the spirit of sexual equality, found in themselves a physical strength that surpassed their psychologi cal expectations. With their might and power, they proved to society that women could do everything that men could. The title of "iron girl" was their pride.The well-known writer Fan Xiaoqing, was one such iron girl. She says the "iron girls" were nothing less than a quest for perfection.     

Naduo,the Rising Sun

According to the Lahu epic Mupamipa, Lahu ancestors came out of the gourd.So their life and worship closely relates to the gourd. The Lahu proudly say that the wine stored in the gourd maintains its original flavor; the seeds in the gourd won't go bad; water in gourd is sweet, cool and healthful. The gourd-pipe wind instrument is among the Lahu's favorite.The name Lahu originates from their language in which "La" means tiger and "hu" means roast. "Lahu" means roast tiger. In history, the Lahu was known for capturing the tiger, demonstrating their bravery.The Lahu, with a population of 411,476, mostly settles around the Lahu nationality autonomous counties of Lancang, Menglian and Shuangjiang in Yunnan Province. In the past, the Lahu used the Roman alphabet created by Westem missionaries. In 1957, they began to use the Chinese phonetic alphabet.     

A Lady's Tailette

THE young lady in the photo is attending to her toilette. About 130 years ago, ladies like her sat unhurriedly before their dressing table every day to have themselves elaborately made up. It was their necessary daily work. At that time, old China was on the verge of turbulence and change. After its failure in the Opium War in 1840, the Qing Dynasty (1644-1911) was in decline. Moreover, the invasion of the great worldpowers and the introduction of capitalism was shaking the foundations of the feudal empire. Though the ladies in the photo still dressed in tidy lace-edged garments and wore their hair in smooth buns, we can     

Women and the Environment: Declaration Encourages Active Participation

JUNE 5, 1994 has been mandated World Environment Day. On this day the first meeting on Women and the Environment in China was held in Beijing and the Declaration of Chinese Women on Environment was established. According to the declaration, environmental pollution and the destruction of the ecology have posed a serious threat to the survival of the human race. It has become a great issue of common concern. The functions of women in procreation and social development are directly affected by the deterioration of the environment. It is the common interest of the populations of the world to protect the environment. The declaration notes that Chinese women are greatly concerned about the environmental conditions of their     

Juvenile Judge

SHANG Xiuyun was among the first sitting judges when the juvenile court was set up in Beijing 10 years ago. With enriched experience she has altered the way judges ask questions in court. She began the practice of inviting juvenile offenders, their parents, relatives, friends and teachers to the juvenile court to work hand in hand in dealing with cases: Facing their relatives and friends and hearing their heartfelt words, juvenile offenders would often be touched, thus bringing forth a positive attitude toward life.     

To Our Readers, on the 40th Anniversary of the Magazine

Dear readers, Women of China was first issued in 1956, a full 40 years ago. In that time, the magzine's format has changed from a quarterly, to a bi-monthly, to a monthly. Our magazine is distributed in more than 130 countries and regions and is well-received by our readers. Women of China is a comprehensive English monthly concerned with the conditions of Chinese women. It aims to enhance contacts and exchanges between Chinese women and women from all over the world, and to increase their understanding and friendship. In the 40 years, forerunners in Chinese women's movement and women state leaders, Soong Ching Ling, Cai Chang, Deng Yingchao, Kang Keqing and     

Ruijin Women in the Period of the Red Army (Ⅰ)

IN the 1930's, the power of the Communist Party of China was first born in southern China. Women cut their hair short and unbound their feet. Women gained freedom of choice in marriage and fought side by side with men. Fighting for Respect The first red political power of China's Soviet Republic was born in the boundary region of Jiangxi and Fujian provinces in November of 1931. Covering 35 counties with a population of 3     

My Daughter's Homeland

Millions of urban educated youths were assigned to bordering regions, pastoral areas, as well as agricultural areas, during China's chaotic "cultural revolution" (1966-1976), to take part in Iocal production. Known as "urban educated youths settling down in the mountain and rural areas to join in labor," the movement was rigorously carried out all over the country during that time. Settling down in remote, poverty stricken villages and pastoral lands, these young people spent their youth in hardships. They shared the hard lives of local peasants and herdsman, and were tempered by the most rigorous challenges. Many of them returned to cities when the "cultural revolution" was over. However, their lives in the countryside have been ingrained deeply in their memories. This has become the most unforgettable part of their life. Here are the memories of Zhang Yaping, one of the young urban women who once stayed in Inner Mongolia.     

Two Young Women Across China

On March 8, 1995, Wu Qi and Pu Yuyan headed out from Guangzhou with a plan to travel all across China. During the 1,277 days from March 8, 1995 to August 8, 1998, they left their footprints in the 31 provinces, autonomous regions and municipalities of the mainland as well as Hong Kong and Macao, with Taiwan the only exclusion From Mohe, Heilongjiang in the far north to Sanya, Hainan in the far south. From Fuyuan, Heilongjiang in the east to Xinjiang's Tuergate Port in the extreme west. The whole route was approximately 150,000 km (including 4,732 km on foot and 8,410 by bike). They took more than 30,000 pictures, finished 100 sketches and wrote a travelogue of 1.2 million characters;A collection of their works: The Fragrance of the Rain from Heaven was published and their book We Walk BetweenHeaven and Earth will be out soon.     

Spring Hope—a portrait of Tian Xiaofang, one of the ten best students of the“Spring Bud Project”

TIAN Xiaofang was born in a small mountain village of Banlishu Township, Miao Autonomous County of Mayang, Hunan Province. Owing to their hardscrabble life in the mountains, four generations of her family had never had the chance to go to school. Her father had lost the ability to do heavy physical work after breaking a rib in a farming accident, and from then on, her mother had taken on nearly all the labor for the whole family. To lighten the family's financial burden,     

Women Claimed Right to participate in Government

In the early 1900s, when Western women were just starting to fight for their rights to participate in government and political affairs, China's women, who had just broken away from a feudal monarchy, also claimed that they wanted to participate in government and political affairs.In 1912, the Revolution of 1911, led by Sun Yat-sen-pioneer of China's democratic revolution-overthrew the last feudal monarchy and the bourgeois Republic of China was founded. The women following sun Yat-sen were to put into action their demand to participate in government and political affairs.     

Quest for BeautyTimes and Methods ChangBut the Goal is the Same

THE Chinese traditionally have held a contradictory attitude about female beauty. In the Book of Songs women's good looks are praised: "How pretty she looks when she smiles at the right moment, how inviting her beautiful eyes are." These are lines which remain famous because the ideal they convey is still popular in modern China. Even the Ballad of Mu Lan, written during the Northern Dynasty, describes how Mu Lan made up in front of the mirror after she returned from active service for her father. Female beauty and women's jewelry was so appreciated in the past that fendai (fen is cosmetic powder and dai is a black pigment used by women in ancient times to darken their eyebrows) and qunchai (qun is a skirt and chai a hairpin) became synonymous with women. Yet at the same time, female beauty was considered mysterious, a taboo whose temptation was very much feared by men. Historically, great beauties were placed in two     

Women Pilots of Chinese Origin in the American Women's Airforce Service Pilots

DURING World War Ⅱ, WASP—the Women's Airforce Service Pilots—was formed in the American military under the guidance of Jacqueline Cochran, a world-renowned flyer. It began as a small group, but later grew to 1,074 members. These pilots of different ethnicities looked energetic and dignified in their American air force santiago-blue uniforms pinned with brilliant silver wings badges. Their staunchness and     

Marriage and Spouse Selection in Present Shanghai

RECENTLY, 1,456 people in Shanghai were investigated for their marriages. The result was that the reason for marriage, age and the way of seeking partners has changed. The Reasons for Marriage According to the investigation, most people in Shanghai married first for reproduction purposes, so as to continue the family line and to further society. In     

Paper-cuts Like Red Flowers Blooming in the Snow

IN those days, when heavy snow sealed the mountain passes, it was only the sight of red paper-cuts on the windows which said to me there were people living in those houses covered with deep and solid snow. Every time I travel to the Northwest, I have come across paper-cutters who touch me so deeply that I can't forget their faces even long after I return to the city. Sometimes in the harsh winters of the Northwest, there is no color but the monotonous white of the snow until the lively red of the paper-cuts spring into sight. These colorful, waiting things like cheerful signals of warmth and humanity,     

新疆：给孩子一个健康的童年

The nutrition-improvement program has been implemented in Jiashi, Moyu and six other counties in Xinjiang Uygur Autonomous Region. When the program was implemented in the counties, in 2013, many of the parents were hesitant to accept the packages, especially given their differing religious beliefs and dietary habits.     

My Ping-Pong Family

WHEN I was born, my father was 40 and my mother was 36. Father is a man of few words and an introverted nature. He belongs to that type of people who are very tough and strong-willed; he has worked hard all his life. Mother, on the other hand, is extroverted and eager to excel. My personality is a combination of both of their characters. Father loves playing ping-pong ardently. He used to be a top player of the Henan provincial team and won the men's singles championship in a contest of five provinces in central and southern China. Mother, a worker at the No. 4 National Textile Mill in Zhengzhou, also loved to play ping-pong when she was young. It was because of the sport that she and Father were brought together and got married. When the Henan     

Weaving a Foundation for Independent Living

FOR many years, learning how to weave cloth was a type of compulsory education for girls living in cotton-growing areas; the skill was usually handed down by their mothers or grandmothers. After the girls got married, spinning and weaving for their families would become their lifetime work. The girls in the photo, however, were not those home weavers, but students of the Women Department of the Industrial School in Rugao County, Jiangsu. The photo records the transformation in the