Tuesday 9 September 2014

Madame Mao aka Jiang Quing

Jiang Qing (Chiang Ching; March 19, 1914 – May 14, 1991) was the pseudonym used by the major Communist Party of China political figure who was Mao Zedong's last wife. In the West, Jiang was known as Madame Mao. She went by the stage name Lán Píng (蓝苹) during her acting career, and was known by various other names during her life. She married Mao in Yan'an in November 1938 and served as Communist China's first first lady. Jiang Qing was best known for playing a major role in the Cultural Revolution (1966–76) and for forming the radical political alliance known as the "Gang of Four". She was named the "Great Flag-carrier of the Proletarian Culture".

Jiang Qing
Jiang qing yanan 001.JPG
Spouse of the Paramount leader
In office
October 1, 1949 – September 9, 1976
Succeeded by Han Zhijun (wife of Hua Guofeng)
Spouse of the President of the People's Republic of China
In office
1 October 1949 – 27 April 1959
Succeeded by Wang Guangmei
Personal details
Born Lǐ Shūméng
March 19, 1914
Zhucheng, Shandong
Died May 14, 1991 (aged 77)
Beijing
Nationality Chinese
Political party Communist Party of China
Spouse(s) Pei Minglun (m.1931)
Tang Na (m.1936)
Mao Zedong (m.1938, wid.1976)
Relations Yu Qiwei (partner)
Zhang Min (partner)
Li Na (daughter)
Penalty Capital punishment (defer execution for 2 years)→Life imprisonment

Death

Jiang Qing was sentenced to death in 1981. In 1983, her death sentence was commuted to life imprisonment. During this time, she made several requests to visit Mao Zedong's embalmed body in Beijing, but they were turned down. When the Tiananmen Square protests occurred, Jiang believed that the student activists were liberals rather than Maoists, but she blamed them on Deng Xiaoping, writing that "He let in all those Western ideas!"
While in prison, Jiang Qing was diagnosed with throat cancer, but she refused an operation. She was eventually released, on medical grounds, in 1991. At the hospital, Jiang Qing used the name Lǐ Rùnqīng (Chinese: 李润青). She was alleged to have committed suicide on May 14, 1991, aged 77, by hanging herself in a bathroom of her hospital. She penned a suicide note reading "Today the revolution has been stolen by the revisionist clique of Deng Xiaoping. Chairman Mao exterminated Liu Shaoqi, but not Deng, and the result of this omission is that unending evils have been unleashed on the Chinese people and nation. Chairman, your student and fighter is coming to see you!". Her suicide occurred two days short of the 25th anniversary of the Cultural Revolution.
 CREDIT- Wikipedia

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