Yang Erche Namu
Encyclopedia
Yang Erche Namu is a Chinese
writer and singer of Mosuo
ethnicity.
, in northern Yunnan
province, but left at age thirteen; after arriving in neighbouring Yanyuan County, she joined a singing troupe and won a scholarship to study music in Shanghai
. She began receiving attention outside of China as early as 1991, when she was featured in an article in National Geographic Magazine
; she later married an American musician and moved to San Francisco, California
with him, but they faced marital difficulties due to cultural differences and divorced. After the divorce, she worked four or five different jobs; stress during this period caused her to lose her hearing in her right ear, bringing her singing career to an end. In February 1996, while in Italy
, Namu received news of the Lijiang earthquake
, and quickly bought plane tickets back to Yunnan. On the way there, she stopped by Beijing
, where she met her second husband-to-be, a Norwegian
embassy worker.
. Her first book in English, Leaving Mother Lake, was co-written with anthropologist Christine Mathieu. Her descriptions of her childhood and the culture she comes from have been characterised as deliberate self-exotification; they have also irritated many of her co-ethnics, who sometimes try to claim that she is in fact not Mosuo at all. She in turn rejects Mosuo men, claiming that they smell bad. Her books also criticise Chinese men at large; she claims they hate her because she "make[s] them feel like nothing", in contrast to Chinese women, who supposedly love her. Continuous criticism of her in the media has led her to compare herself to Jiang Qing
, wife of Mao Zedong
.
In recent years, Namu has further diversified her career. She co-starred alongside Jeremy Miller
and Wang Luoyong
in the 2005 joint American-Chinese movie Milk and Fashion, in which she played the role of a restaurant owner. Then in 2007, she joined the judges panel of Happy Boys Voice, a male version of the 2005/2006 hit Super Girl, produced by Hunan Satellite Television
. Her appearances on the show were controversial; she claims that State Administration of Radio, Film, and Television
forced her off the air for one week due to an excessively gaudy feather hat she wore during one episode. Later, she quarrelled with fellow judge Zheng Jun
, a popular Chinese rock star, over her rejection of a contestant from Xi'an
whom she derided for having red eyes and a pimple on his lips. These incidents contributed to her image as "the biggest bitch in China", in her own words. Later that year, she proposed to recently-divorced French president Nicolas Sarkozy
during his visit to China; in a recorded video introduction uploaded to the internet, she praised the color of his skin and stated that she would be "a perfect wife for him".
China
Chinese civilization may refer to:* China for more general discussion of the country.* Chinese culture* Greater China, the transnational community of ethnic Chinese.* History of China* Sinosphere, the area historically affected by Chinese culture...
writer and singer of Mosuo
Mosuo
Known to many as the Mosuo , but known often to themselves as the Na, the Mosuo are a small ethnic group living in Yunnan and Sichuan Provinces in China, close to the border with Tibet...
ethnicity.
Early life
Yang Erche Namu was born in a small village near Lugu LakeLugu Lake
Lugu Lake is located in the North West Yunnan plateau in the centre of Ningliang Yi Autonomous County in the People's Republic of China. The middle of the lake forms the border between the Ninglang County of Yunnan Province and the Yanqing County of Sichuan province...
, in northern Yunnan
Yunnan
Yunnan is a province of the People's Republic of China, located in the far southwest of the country spanning approximately and with a population of 45.7 million . The capital of the province is Kunming. The province borders Burma, Laos, and Vietnam.Yunnan is situated in a mountainous area, with...
province, but left at age thirteen; after arriving in neighbouring Yanyuan County, she joined a singing troupe and won a scholarship to study music in Shanghai
Shanghai
Shanghai is the largest city by population in China and the largest city proper in the world. It is one of the four province-level municipalities in the People's Republic of China, with a total population of over 23 million as of 2010...
. She began receiving attention outside of China as early as 1991, when she was featured in an article in National Geographic Magazine
National Geographic Magazine
National Geographic, formerly the National Geographic Magazine, is the official journal of the National Geographic Society. It published its first issue in 1888, just nine months after the Society itself was founded...
; she later married an American musician and moved to San Francisco, California
California
California is a state located on the West Coast of the United States. It is by far the most populous U.S. state, and the third-largest by land area...
with him, but they faced marital difficulties due to cultural differences and divorced. After the divorce, she worked four or five different jobs; stress during this period caused her to lose her hearing in her right ear, bringing her singing career to an end. In February 1996, while in Italy
Italy
Italy , officially the Italian Republic languages]] under the European Charter for Regional or Minority Languages. In each of these, Italy's official name is as follows:;;;;;;;;), is a unitary parliamentary republic in South-Central Europe. To the north it borders France, Switzerland, Austria and...
, Namu received news of the Lijiang earthquake
1996 Lijiang earthquake
The 1996 Lijiang earthquake, which occurred at 7:14 PM on 3 February 1996 near Lijiang City, Yunnan in southwestern China, measured 7.0 on the Richter scale.200 people died in the earthquake and 14,000 were injured, 3,800 of them seriously...
, and quickly bought plane tickets back to Yunnan. On the way there, she stopped by Beijing
Beijing
Beijing , also known as Peking , is the capital of the People's Republic of China and one of the most populous cities in the world, with a population of 19,612,368 as of 2010. The city is the country's political, cultural, and educational center, and home to the headquarters for most of China's...
, where she met her second husband-to-be, a Norwegian
Norway
Norway , officially the Kingdom of Norway, is a Nordic unitary constitutional monarchy whose territory comprises the western portion of the Scandinavian Peninsula, Jan Mayen, and the Arctic archipelago of Svalbard and Bouvet Island. Norway has a total area of and a population of about 4.9 million...
embassy worker.
Later career
Yang Erche Namu launched her writing career in 1997 with the best-selling Leaving the Kingdom of Daughters. Between then and 2003, she wrote another eight autobiographiesAutobiography
An autobiography is a book about the life of a person, written by that person.-Origin of the term:...
. Her first book in English, Leaving Mother Lake, was co-written with anthropologist Christine Mathieu. Her descriptions of her childhood and the culture she comes from have been characterised as deliberate self-exotification; they have also irritated many of her co-ethnics, who sometimes try to claim that she is in fact not Mosuo at all. She in turn rejects Mosuo men, claiming that they smell bad. Her books also criticise Chinese men at large; she claims they hate her because she "make[s] them feel like nothing", in contrast to Chinese women, who supposedly love her. Continuous criticism of her in the media has led her to compare herself to Jiang Qing
Jiang Qing
Jiang Qing was the pseudonym that was used by Chinese leader Mao Zedong's last wife and major Communist Party of China power figure. She went by the stage name Lan Ping during her acting career, and was known by various other names during her life...
, wife of Mao Zedong
Mao Zedong
Mao Zedong, also transliterated as Mao Tse-tung , and commonly referred to as Chairman Mao , was a Chinese Communist revolutionary, guerrilla warfare strategist, Marxist political philosopher, and leader of the Chinese Revolution...
.
In recent years, Namu has further diversified her career. She co-starred alongside Jeremy Miller
Jeremy Miller
Jeremy James Miller is an American actor best known for his portrayal of Ben Seaver on Growing Pains and its two reunion movies...
and Wang Luoyong
Wang Luoyong
Wang Luoyong is an actor from China who appeared in American films. He first appeared in Dragon: The Bruce Lee Story as Grandmaster Yip Man. He had recently appeared in CCTV's The Legend of Bruce Lee as Shao Ruhai, a master of Hung Ga and the first to train Bruce Lee . His character "Shao Ruhai"...
in the 2005 joint American-Chinese movie Milk and Fashion, in which she played the role of a restaurant owner. Then in 2007, she joined the judges panel of Happy Boys Voice, a male version of the 2005/2006 hit Super Girl, produced by Hunan Satellite Television
Hunan Satellite Television
Hunan Broadcasting System formerly known as Golden Eagle Broadcasting System , is China's second biggest television network after China Central Television . The television network is owned by the Hunan provincial government. The network is based in Changsha in Hunan and Xining in Qinghai...
. Her appearances on the show were controversial; she claims that State Administration of Radio, Film, and Television
State Administration of Radio, Film, and Television
The State Administration of Radio, Film, and Television is an executive branch under the State Council of the People's Republic of China...
forced her off the air for one week due to an excessively gaudy feather hat she wore during one episode. Later, she quarrelled with fellow judge Zheng Jun
Zheng Jun
Zheng Jun is Chinese rock music singer. Originally from Xi'an, he attended university in Hangzhou. His first album, entitled Naked , was released by Red Star Productions in 1993, achieving immediate success...
, a popular Chinese rock star, over her rejection of a contestant from Xi'an
Xi'an
Xi'an is the capital of the Shaanxi province, and a sub-provincial city in the People's Republic of China. One of the oldest cities in China, with more than 3,100 years of history, the city was known as Chang'an before the Ming Dynasty...
whom she derided for having red eyes and a pimple on his lips. These incidents contributed to her image as "the biggest bitch in China", in her own words. Later that year, she proposed to recently-divorced French president Nicolas Sarkozy
Nicolas Sarkozy
Nicolas Sarkozy is the 23rd and current President of the French Republic and ex officio Co-Prince of Andorra. He assumed the office on 16 May 2007 after defeating the Socialist Party candidate Ségolène Royal 10 days earlier....
during his visit to China; in a recorded video introduction uploaded to the internet, she praised the color of his skin and stated that she would be "a perfect wife for him".
Works
|publisher=Zhongguo Shehui Chubanshe|month=April|year=1997|isbn=7800885232|language=Chinese}}|publisher=Zuojia Chubanshe|month=June|year=1999|isbn=7506317443|language=Chinese}}|publisher=Huawen Chubanshe|month=May|year=2001|isbn=7801750810|language=Chinese}}|publisher=Zhongguo Qingnian Chubanshe|month=September|year=2002|isbn=7500648251|language=Chinese}}|publisher=Chang'an Chubanshe|month=January|year=2003|isbn=7801750799|language=Chinese}}|publisher=Chang'an Chubanshe|month=May|year=2003|isbn=7801750837|language=Chinese}}|publisher=Zhongguo Qingnian Chubanshe|month=September|year=2004|language=Chinese|isbn=750065927X}}|publisher=Beijing Shiyue Wenyi Chubanshe|month=October|year=2004|isbn=7530207504|language=Chinese}}|publisher=Beijing Shiyue Wenyi Chubanshe|month=January|year=2005|isbn=7530207628|language=Chinese}}|publisher=Zhongguo Qingnian Chubanshe|month=June|year=2006|isbn=7500665709|language=Chinese}}External links
- Personal blog (in Chinese)
- Photographs of her villa near Lugu Lake (in Chinese)