Peng Liyuan

Peng Liyuan (simplified Chinese: 彭丽媛; traditional Chinese: 彭麗媛; pinyin: Péng Lìyuán; born November 20, 1962) is a renowned Chinese contemporary folk singer and performing artist. She is President of the People's Liberation Army Academy of Art and the wife of current Chinese leader Xi Jinping, as such referred to as the "Chinese First Lady" by the media. In 2014, she was listed as the 57th most powerful woman in the world by Forbes.

Peng gained popularity as a soprano singer from her regular appearances on the annual CCTV New Year's Gala, a widely viewed mainland Chinese television program that airs during the Chinese New Year. She has won many honors in singing competitions nationwide. Her most famous singles include People from Our Village (《父老乡亲》), Zhumulangma (《珠穆朗玛》) and In the Field of Hope (《在希望的田野上》). She also sang the theme songs of several popular TV series, like The Water Margin (1998). Peng was a civilian member of China's People's Liberation Army and held the civilian rank equivalent to major general before she was appointed the Art Academy's dean, upon which she was given the formal rank. She was the first in China to obtain a Master's degree in traditional ethnic music when the degree was established in the 1980s.