These social butterflies mix with European and American glitterati, but few in China get to hear of their exploits
By Grace Ng 06 December 2009
Beijing: Their grandfathers are known as China’s political elite, the men who led the socialist country out of poverty into a new economic era.
But Jasmin Li, 17, and Ms. Chen Xiaodan, 24, are better known among Europe’s elite as the Middle Kingdom’s ‘red princesses’ for their high profile debut at blue-blooded Paris balls.
Just over a week ago, Jasmin - the granddaughter of the Communist Party’s No.4 man Jia Qinglin - was among 24 teenage girls who presented themselves to society at an extravagant party held at the lavish Hotel de Crillon.
Also there was the late Princess Diana’s niece, Lady Kitty Spencer, 18, and Ariel Ho-Kjaer, 16, the granddaughter of Macau casino king Stanley Ho Hung-sun.
Dressed in a strapless Carolina Herrera gown with a diamond choker, slim, olive-skinned Jasmin danced the night away.
It is quite a change for the granddaughter of the chairman of the 11th National Committee of the Chinese People’s Political Consultative Conference. Mr. Jia is closely linked to former president Jiang Zemin.
The De Crillon ball harks back to an aristocratic tradition that died out after the 1789 French Revolution. Back then, young women presented themselves in court seeking future blue-blooded husbands.
It is now billed as a charity ball by public relations supremo Ophelie Renouard, who resurrected it, to the great delight of the modern-day elite.
And Jasmin is one in a growing line of red royals to step into the international social limelight at such events.
In 2006, Ms. Chen Xiaodan - the granddaughter of Chen Yun, a founding father of the People’s Republic of China - then 21, was the belle of the same ball even though it was attended by beauties such as 20-year-old Princess Costanza della Torre e Tasso of Italy and Belgian Princess Alexandra de Croy-Roeulx.
Another red princess who made her debut at the same ball in her late teens in 2003, was Wan Baobao, granddaughter of former legislative chairman Wan Li. Her father is Wan Jifei, chairman of the China Council for the Promotion of International Trade.
Little is known in China about these red princesses who mingle with the European and American glitterati. News about them is kept out of the Chinese press.
Even the usually inquisitive and resourceful Hong Kong media had scant news about them other than some basic details, such as Ms. Chen’s education at Duke University and Ms. Wan’s penchant for designer clothes from Milan and Paris.
It is believed most of them have studied abroad and continue to live overseas.
But others, of the slightly older generation, have returned to China and made a splash.
One is Ms. Ye Mingzi, 30, granddaughter of veteran Chinese Communist general Ye Jianying.
The style icon broke the mould of the red princesses by combining a socialite lifestyle with a self-made career. She is a rising fashion designer who spent years in Paris and is a regular at its top events.
Her creations at Saint Martins College of Art and Design in London, where she did her undergraduate degree, were reportedly regarded as among its best collections.
She worked at Issey Miyake in Japan and recently started high-end Studio Regal in Beijing, dealing in exclusive fashion wear.
Another high-profile princess in the design business is Ms. Wan, who was born after 1980 but who has not revealed her age. She is a familiar face at fashion parties where she shows off bracelets, rings and necklaces from her own brand - Hong Kong-based Bao Bao Wan Fine Jewelry.
Most of her designs are inspired by her childhood memories. Some even feature images of the Forbidden City and Zhongnanhai - Beijing’s equivalent of the White House - where she spent her childhood.
‘You may see them as typical of Chinese jewellery, but to me, they are memories of my childhood,’ she said.
She recalls being trained since the age of five to behave as an elite member of the family, displaying impeccable table manners at dinners with high-level officials from foreign countries. She could even take her grandfather’s special jet for travel.
When she was 16, she went to the United States alone to study French literature and photography, before moving to Paris to immerse herself in the French language.
Sometimes described by local press as ‘Mulan’ for her tanned skin and slim frame, resembling that of the character of the same name in the animated Disney movie, Ms. Wan has admitted that she gave the role a thought when auditions for Hua Mulan were held last year.
Other princesses have risen in status within China. They include ‘China’s Power Queen’, Ms. Li Xiaolin, only daughter of former Chinese premier Li Peng, and ‘Charity Princess’ Deng Zuoyue, granddaughter of late Chinese leader Deng Xiaoping.
Ms. Li, 46, is head of state-owned monopoly Power International Development. With her glamour, designer clothing and jewellery, the engineering master’s degree holder from Tsinghua University has published a book on her musings about life, business and her management philosophy.
Wellesley College-educated Ms. Deng, 30, on the other hand, is best known for organising the annual Beijing Charity Gala Ball, which has raised funds for victims of the Sichuan earthquake and deaf-mute children, among others.
However, the extravagant debut of the younger princesses, such as Jasmin and Ms. Wan, has attracted sneers and criticism from some netizens on forums and gossip sites such as xilu.com and baidu.cn.
‘It makes me sick to see how the political leaders’ children are showing off their wealth abroad, but they are hush-hush back in China. Stop hiding and pretending that the Chinese people don’t know about such double-faced acts!’ said a Guangdong-based netizen, whose user-name was lulu157.
Perhaps because of the dearth of information about these princesses, numerous unverified claims and rumours - such as Ms. Wan and breast enhancement surgery, and Jasmin’s numerous Western suitors and poor grades in school - have been floated online.
But other princesses, such as Ms. Deng and Ms. Li, have earned the people’s respect for contributing to society through their charity events and for their business acumen.
Still, with guanxi - or connections - being the key ingredient of many successful careers in state-owned enterprises, it ‘comes as no surprise to Chinese people that these red princesses are guaranteed success when they do business or even charity events,’ said a Beijing-based social studies academic, who wanted to be known only as Professor Li.
Ms. Joanna Li, a Beijing real estate agent in her 30s, admits she is ‘always curious to read about the grand balls and parties that these red princesses attend, as they are so glamorous’.
‘I try not to think about how unfair it is that they get these privileges just because they were born into political families,’ she said. ‘Throughout history, the royalty has always indulged itself at the expense of the lao bai xing (ordinary folk). China is no different today.’
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China’s Red Princesses
These social butterflies mix with European and American glitterati, but few in China get to hear of their exploits
By Grace Ng
06 December 2009
Beijing: Their grandfathers are known as China’s political elite, the men who led the socialist country out of poverty into a new economic era.
But Jasmin Li, 17, and Ms. Chen Xiaodan, 24, are better known among Europe’s elite as the Middle Kingdom’s ‘red princesses’ for their high profile debut at blue-blooded Paris balls.
Just over a week ago, Jasmin - the granddaughter of the Communist Party’s No.4 man Jia Qinglin - was among 24 teenage girls who presented themselves to society at an extravagant party held at the lavish Hotel de Crillon.
Also there was the late Princess Diana’s niece, Lady Kitty Spencer, 18, and Ariel Ho-Kjaer, 16, the granddaughter of Macau casino king Stanley Ho Hung-sun.
Dressed in a strapless Carolina Herrera gown with a diamond choker, slim, olive-skinned Jasmin danced the night away.
It is quite a change for the granddaughter of the chairman of the 11th National Committee of the Chinese People’s Political Consultative Conference. Mr. Jia is closely linked to former president Jiang Zemin.
The De Crillon ball harks back to an aristocratic tradition that died out after the 1789 French Revolution. Back then, young women presented themselves in court seeking future blue-blooded husbands.
It is now billed as a charity ball by public relations supremo Ophelie Renouard, who resurrected it, to the great delight of the modern-day elite.
And Jasmin is one in a growing line of red royals to step into the international social limelight at such events.
In 2006, Ms. Chen Xiaodan - the granddaughter of Chen Yun, a founding father of the People’s Republic of China - then 21, was the belle of the same ball even though it was attended by beauties such as 20-year-old Princess Costanza della Torre e Tasso of Italy and Belgian Princess Alexandra de Croy-Roeulx.
Another red princess who made her debut at the same ball in her late teens in 2003, was Wan Baobao, granddaughter of former legislative chairman Wan Li. Her father is Wan Jifei, chairman of the China Council for the Promotion of International Trade.
Little is known in China about these red princesses who mingle with the European and American glitterati. News about them is kept out of the Chinese press.
Even the usually inquisitive and resourceful Hong Kong media had scant news about them other than some basic details, such as Ms. Chen’s education at Duke University and Ms. Wan’s penchant for designer clothes from Milan and Paris.
It is believed most of them have studied abroad and continue to live overseas.
But others, of the slightly older generation, have returned to China and made a splash.
One is Ms. Ye Mingzi, 30, granddaughter of veteran Chinese Communist general Ye Jianying.
The style icon broke the mould of the red princesses by combining a socialite lifestyle with a self-made career. She is a rising fashion designer who spent years in Paris and is a regular at its top events.
Her creations at Saint Martins College of Art and Design in London, where she did her undergraduate degree, were reportedly regarded as among its best collections.
She worked at Issey Miyake in Japan and recently started high-end Studio Regal in Beijing, dealing in exclusive fashion wear.
Another high-profile princess in the design business is Ms. Wan, who was born after 1980 but who has not revealed her age. She is a familiar face at fashion parties where she shows off bracelets, rings and necklaces from her own brand - Hong Kong-based Bao Bao Wan Fine Jewelry.
Most of her designs are inspired by her childhood memories. Some even feature images of the Forbidden City and Zhongnanhai - Beijing’s equivalent of the White House - where she spent her childhood.
‘You may see them as typical of Chinese jewellery, but to me, they are memories of my childhood,’ she said.
She recalls being trained since the age of five to behave as an elite member of the family, displaying impeccable table manners at dinners with high-level officials from foreign countries. She could even take her grandfather’s special jet for travel.
When she was 16, she went to the United States alone to study French literature and photography, before moving to Paris to immerse herself in the French language.
Sometimes described by local press as ‘Mulan’ for her tanned skin and slim frame, resembling that of the character of the same name in the animated Disney movie, Ms. Wan has admitted that she gave the role a thought when auditions for Hua Mulan were held last year.
Other princesses have risen in status within China. They include ‘China’s Power Queen’, Ms. Li Xiaolin, only daughter of former Chinese premier Li Peng, and ‘Charity Princess’ Deng Zuoyue, granddaughter of late Chinese leader Deng Xiaoping.
Ms. Li, 46, is head of state-owned monopoly Power International Development. With her glamour, designer clothing and jewellery, the engineering master’s degree holder from Tsinghua University has published a book on her musings about life, business and her management philosophy.
Wellesley College-educated Ms. Deng, 30, on the other hand, is best known for organising the annual Beijing Charity Gala Ball, which has raised funds for victims of the Sichuan earthquake and deaf-mute children, among others.
However, the extravagant debut of the younger princesses, such as Jasmin and Ms. Wan, has attracted sneers and criticism from some netizens on forums and gossip sites such as xilu.com and baidu.cn.
‘It makes me sick to see how the political leaders’ children are showing off their wealth abroad, but they are hush-hush back in China. Stop hiding and pretending that the Chinese people don’t know about such double-faced acts!’ said a Guangdong-based netizen, whose user-name was lulu157.
Perhaps because of the dearth of information about these princesses, numerous unverified claims and rumours - such as Ms. Wan and breast enhancement surgery, and Jasmin’s numerous Western suitors and poor grades in school - have been floated online.
But other princesses, such as Ms. Deng and Ms. Li, have earned the people’s respect for contributing to society through their charity events and for their business acumen.
Still, with guanxi - or connections - being the key ingredient of many successful careers in state-owned enterprises, it ‘comes as no surprise to Chinese people that these red princesses are guaranteed success when they do business or even charity events,’ said a Beijing-based social studies academic, who wanted to be known only as Professor Li.
Ms. Joanna Li, a Beijing real estate agent in her 30s, admits she is ‘always curious to read about the grand balls and parties that these red princesses attend, as they are so glamorous’.
‘I try not to think about how unfair it is that they get these privileges just because they were born into political families,’ she said. ‘Throughout history, the royalty has always indulged itself at the expense of the lao bai xing (ordinary folk). China is no different today.’
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