Famous People Born In Beijing

Jet Li is one of the most popular Asian actors to have made it big in the American film industry. A martial artist and former Wushu champion, he won a national championship before retiring from competitive Wushu to focus on his acting career. Also a well-known philanthropist, Jet Li is closely associated with the Red Cross Society of China.

Empress Dowager Cixi was a Chinese regent and empress dowager. From 1861 to 1908, Cixi served as the de facto supreme ruler of the Qing dynasty. She is credited with overseeing a series of moderate reforms called the Tongzhi Restoration, which helped the regime survive for a long period of time. She also supported military and technological reforms.  

Xi Jinping, President of China since 2013, is said to be the most powerful Chinese leader since Chairman Mao Zedong. He is an authoritarian leader and his reign is marked by an increase in censorship and deterioration in human rights . Also, China’s foreign policy under Xi has been more assertive, leading to a deterioration of relations with many countries.

Puyi served as the final emperor of China's last imperial dynasty, The Qing dynasty. After Manchuria was invaded by Japan, Puyi became a puppet at the hands of the Japanese and was chosen as the emperor of the puppet state of Manchukuo. He then signed many edicts, given to him by the Japanese, including the one that made slavery legal.

Lu Han is a Chinese actor and singer who was part of the popular South Korean-Chinese boy band Exo. In 2014, he was ranked sixth in the most popular entertainment star list published by China National Radio. Over the years, Lu Han has been honored at several important film festivals like Beijing International Film Festival and Fresh Asia Chart Festival.

Faye Wong is a Hong Kong singer-songwriter and actress. She is popularly known as  the "Diva of Asia." Her music features a combination of alternative music and mainstream Chinese pop. She is widely popular in Mainland China, Taiwan, Hong Kong, Japan, and Singapore. As an actress, she has starred in the films Chungking Express and 2046.

Yongzheng reigned over the Qing dynasty as its fourth Emperor from 1722 to 1735. He was also the third Qing emperor to reign over the Eighteen Provinces. Remembered for his hard-working nature, Yongzheng's most prominent objective was to come up with an effective government at minimum expense. Yongzheng, who cracked down on corruption, is credited with forming the Grand Council.

Wu Jing is a Chinese martial artist, actor, and director best known for playing important roles in martial arts films like Fatal Contact, Tai Chi Boxer, and the SPL films. Widely regarded as one of the most bankable Chinese actors of all time, Wu Jing has been featured in the Forbes China Celebrity 100 list on a couple of occasions.

Guangxu Emperor reigned over the Qing dynasty from 1875 to 1908. He was also the ninth Qing emperor to reign over the Eighteen Provinces or China proper. He is best remembered for initiating the Hundred Days' Reform, which was brought to an end by Empress Dowager Cixi in 1898. Subsequently, Guangxu Emperor lost power and was killed in 1908.

Jiaqing served as the sixth emperor of the Qing dynasty from 1796 to 1820. He was also the fifth Qing emperor to reign over the Eighteen Provinces. Jiaqing's reign is remembered for the prosecution of a corrupt official named Heshen. He made several attempts to curb the smuggling of opium into his dynasty and to restore order within the empire.

Tongzhi Emperor was the Emperor of the Qing dynasty who reigned from 1861 to 1875. The predecessor of Xianfeng Emperor, Tongzhi was the eighth Qing emperor to reign over the Eighteen Provinces. Tongzhi was a puppet emperor whose reign was overshadowed by the influence of his mother Empress Dowager Cixi over state affairs.

Two-time Olympic gold medalist, Zhang Nan mostly won games in mixed doubles with his partner Zhao Yunlei. He has won medals in all major events, such as the Sudirman Cup and the Asian Games. Post-retirement, he became a doubles coach and was then made the chairman of the CBA.

Yang Jiang was a Chinese author, translator, and playwright. Yang Jiang is credited with writing several successful comedies. A prolific translator, Yang was the first Chinese to come up with a proper Chinese version of Don Quixote. Her translation is considered the definitive translation of the popular novel in China.

Ken Xie was born to academic parents who wanted him to be a professor. The Stanford alumnus studied engineering and ventured into entrepreneurship instead, co-founding the cybersecurity firms Fortinet and Netscreen. The billionaire businessman was named to Forbes 400 in 2020. He is the father of fashion influencer Jaime Xie.

Qing dynasty Chinese emperor Xianfeng not just faced the invasion of the European powers but also had to deal with the internal Taiping Rebellion. In his bid to prevent the disintegration of his empire, he relied on the militia. He eventually fled his city when the Anglo-French forces advanced into it.

Chinese foreign minister Wang Yi had initially been part of the Northeast Construction Army Corps. Yi boasts of a university degree in Japanese language and has been an ambassador to Japan. He is quite popular on the Chinese micro-blogging site Sina Weibo. He has also taken care of Taiwan affairs.

Chinese human rights activist and democracy movement leader Wang Dan was one of the most significant student leaders of the 1989 Tiananmen Square protests. A Harvard alumnus, he was banned from China and even imprisoned for his political activities. He eventually moved into exile in the US.

Zhang Yining is a Chinese retired table tennis player best known for winning four Olympic gold medals during her career. Regarded as one of the greatest female table tennis players of all time, Zhang won 10 World Championships and four World Cups. She is also one of the most celebrated and successful female players in the history of table tennis.

Daoguang Emperor reigned as the emperor of the Qing dynasty from 1820 to 1850. His reign not only witnessed the First Opium War but also the commencement of the Taiping Rebellion. Over the years, he has been portrayed by several actors in TV series, such as The Rise and Fall of Qing Dynasty, Sigh of His Highness, and Succession War.    

Chinese former artistic gymnast and the owner of Chow’s Gym, Liang Chow has over 30 international gold medals in his kitty. He later moved to the US, where he focused on coaching. He is known for training Olympic gold medalists such as Gabby Douglas and Shawn Johnson.

Born to basketball player parents, Wang Zhizhi had begun playing the game at age 8. He later created history by becoming the first Chinese-born to compete in the NBA. Known for his successful stint with teams such as the Dallas Mavericks, he was also in the news for his 7-foot frame.

Li Jiawei is a Chinese-born retired Singaporean professional table tennis player who represented Singapore in the 2008 and 2012 OlympicS, winnsng a silver medal and a bronze medal, respectively. In 2010, she helped her team win the gold medal at the World Championships in Moscow. Li Jiawei announced her retirement after the 2012 Olympics in London.