Ms. Zhang Yuanyuan (above), a Singapore PR who returned to Beijing last year, underwent 10 months of hard training to take part in the parade.
Amid the eye-catching contingent of women in red at China’s national day parade last Thursday was a Singapore permanent resident.
The Chinese state media have swooned over the story of Ms. Zhang Yuanyuan, a Singapore PR who swopped her cushy life in the tropics for a 10-month parade boot camp in wintry Beijing.
Ms. Zhang, 28, was the only overseas returnee in the formation and has intrigued the media because she chose not only to return home, but to also take up the tough regimen as part of the parade.
She came to Singapore to study and work in 2003, and got her blue Singapore PR identity card two years later.
Despite a job with a multinational company, which reportedly paid her some $4,000 a month, she returned to Beijing last year and worked in a state-owned enterprise.
Months later, when she heard about the chance to be part of the women’s militia contingent during a recruitment drive, she jumped at it.
‘Beijing is still my home,’ she told the state media when asked why she chose to return to China.
‘My friends told me that I would have to cut my Chinese passport into half if I take up Singapore citizenship. I just can’t bear to do that.’
The demanding drills were not easy on her. Within a month, she hurt her right leg and friends urged her to give up.
But she persisted, saying: ‘Since I was already here, I didn’t want to leave with regrets.’
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Singapore PR took part in parade
Ms. Zhang Yuanyuan (above), a Singapore PR who returned to Beijing last year, underwent 10 months of hard training to take part in the parade.
Amid the eye-catching contingent of women in red at China’s national day parade last Thursday was a Singapore permanent resident.
The Chinese state media have swooned over the story of Ms. Zhang Yuanyuan, a Singapore PR who swopped her cushy life in the tropics for a 10-month parade boot camp in wintry Beijing.
Ms. Zhang, 28, was the only overseas returnee in the formation and has intrigued the media because she chose not only to return home, but to also take up the tough regimen as part of the parade.
She came to Singapore to study and work in 2003, and got her blue Singapore PR identity card two years later.
Despite a job with a multinational company, which reportedly paid her some $4,000 a month, she returned to Beijing last year and worked in a state-owned enterprise.
Months later, when she heard about the chance to be part of the women’s militia contingent during a recruitment drive, she jumped at it.
‘Beijing is still my home,’ she told the state media when asked why she chose to return to China.
‘My friends told me that I would have to cut my Chinese passport into half if I take up Singapore citizenship. I just can’t bear to do that.’
The demanding drills were not easy on her. Within a month, she hurt her right leg and friends urged her to give up.
But she persisted, saying: ‘Since I was already here, I didn’t want to leave with regrets.’
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