Recently, renowned Chinese actress Liu Xiaoqing made a statement on a show, expressing uncertainty about her true age and denying claims that she was born in 1950. Her words have attracted widespread attention and sparked discussions.
In a recent episode of the popular variety show “Blooming Flowers Along the Way,” Liu Xiaoqing mentioned the speculation surrounding her birth year being 1950, questioning the origin of this number. She admitted that she is unsure of her exact age as she never met her father and lacks authentic household registration records. However, she acknowledged the 1950 birth year because it corresponds with the Year of the Tiger, a zodiac sign she feels suits her.
The show “Blooming Flowers Along the Way” has stirred controversy recently, generating ongoing debate. During an interview, Liu Xiaoqing confessed that she is not afraid of reality shows and even claimed, “anger won’t last more than 3 minutes.” Nevertheless, she revealed that she will not participate in the show again.
As the show’s plot unfolds, viewers seem to understand one of the reasons why Liu Xiaoqing is reluctant to participate again: she wants to maintain her true image in the minds of the audience rather than be influenced by the show’s effects. For example, when fellow actress Li Xiaoran faced criticism on the show, Liu Xiaoqing defended her, stating, “The person condemned online is not what everyone criticizes.” Liu Xiaoqing’s frankness and resilience resonate with many viewers.
Public records list various versions of Liu Xiaoqing’s birth year, including 1948, 1950, 1952, and 1955. She herself has provided different statements about her birth year on different occasions.
In the recent show, Liu Xiaoqing mentioned, “I don’t even know how old I am, but one thing for sure, I was not born in 1950.” This response has further piqued curiosity about her age among the public. Although Liu Xiaoqing’s manager previously stated her ID card indicates October 30, 1955 as her birth date, Liu Xiaoqing’s statements seem to add more mystery to the issue.
The controversy surrounding Liu Xiaoqing’s age is not new. As early as 2013, her manager publicly stated that her birth year was 1955. However, over time, speculations and controversies about her age have never ceased. In 2016, Liu Xiaoqing mentioned in her autobiography that she was “260 years old,” explaining it was due to her rich experiences and the cumulative “age” of the historical figures she had portrayed.
As one of the most turbulent actresses in the Chinese entertainment industry, Liu Xiaoqing released her autobiography “Life is not afraid to start again” in essay form. In the book, she detailed the ordeal of falling victim to a “shocking major case” after offending the former top CCP leader Jiang Zemin. She admitted this was her “most unbearable memory,” recalling the company being shut down, her brother-in-law disappearing, being followed by plainclothes officers whenever she ventured out, having her phone tapped, and attempting to escape abroad but being intercepted.
Liu Xiaoqing once mentioned to the media that writing required careful consideration as it involved many people and was done under real names. She revealed that before her arrest, she had attempted to flee to France, but the plan failed. In 2002, she was arrested by the CCP authorities under the pretext of “tax evasion” and was subsequently detained in Qin Cheng Prison.
Starting from playing the lead role in the 1979 film “Xiao Hua,” Liu Xiaoqing went on to star in films like “Wild Field,” “Burning the Imperial Palace,” and “Furong Town,” becoming a household name in the film and television industry at the time. In the 1980s, during the peak of her career, she was once described as the “Liu Xiaoqing era” of Chinese cinema. However, her status as a “queen of the screen” transitioned to a prisoner, with extensive propaganda by the CCP official media.
On August 16, 2003, after being detained for 422 days in Qin Cheng Prison, Liu Xiaoqing was released on bail, and this news made it to that day’s CCTV “News Broadcast.” During her 422 days in Qin Cheng Prison, she didn’t falter. In her book, she wrote, “I was prepared to spend over ten years in jail at that time. Even if I were to be imprisoned, I had to have a good attitude and maintain good health!” Consequently, she persisted in walking more than 8,000 steps every day in her cramped cell, taking cold showers daily, and learning English until the day of her release.
Despite the mystery surrounding Liu Xiaoqing’s age, she maintains a youthful appearance, which has led to speculation about plastic surgery, as her nearly seventy-year-old age is not apparent from her looks. She previously mentioned in interviews that she is often misunderstood to have undergone plastic surgery due to her youthful appearance, but she claims she is actually “not aging well.”