# Liu Xiaoqing

Liu Xiaoqing (born 30 October 1950) is a Chinese actress and businesswoman. One of the leading actresses in China in the 1980s, she is known for her roles in the films The Little Flower (1979), Reign Behind a Curtain (1983), The Burning of Imperial Palace (1983), Hibiscus Town (1986) and in the TV series Wu Zetian (1995).

## Biography

In her early days Liu worked as a farm labourer, a propagandist for the People's Liberation Army and then a stage actor for the Chengdu Military Drama Group.
Liu rose to national fame in a series of Chinese films such as The Great Wall of the South China Sea (1976), The Little Flower (1979), and What a Family (1979). Her star power reached new heights when she portrayed the ruthless Qing dynasty Empress Dowager Cixi in Chinese-Hong Kong co-produced epics The Burning of the Imperial Palace (1983) and Reign Behind the Curtain (1984), directed by Li Han-hsiang. During the back-to-back shooting of the film series, in response to the unprecedented publicity and scrutiny as a movie star in newly opened China, Liu published a 30,000-character autobiography titled I Did It My Way in a magazine in 1983, which included her famous quote: “Being a person is hard; being a woman is harder; being a famous woman is even harder; and being a single famous woman is the hardest of all.” Her autobiography sparked a major debate on "individualism" in Chinese society at the time, was translated into 14 languages, and distributed worldwide. Liu also became a member of the China Writers Association as a result.
Liu later reprised the role of the Empress Dowager Cixi in two unrelated films, including Li Lianying: The Imperial Eunuch (1991). She won Best Actress at the Hundred Flowers Award for her role as Hua Jinzhi in The Savage Land, filmed in 1981 but not released until 1987, and again for her role in Hibiscus Town (1986). She holds a record for having won the most number of awards in the actress categories of the Hundred Flowers Award, with three Best Actress and one Best Supporting Actress.
Since the 1990s, she had shifted from acting to a successful business career. She became one of the richest people in China, appearing at 45 on Forbes' list of the 50 richest Chinese businesspeople in 1999. She promoted her success by publishing a book titled From A Movie Star to A Billionaire. However, in 2002, she was arrested for tax evasion in connection with her company, Beijing Xiaoqing Culture and Arts Company Ltd., fined 7.1 million yuan, for which she was forced to sell some of her possessions, and imprisoned for a year. After her release, she made a comeback to the entertainment industry. From 2005 to 2008, she performed in a stage play, The Last Night of Tapan Chin, in China and Taiwan.

## Filmography
### Film

| Year | Title | Role | Notes |
| 1975 | The Great Wall of the South China Sea 南海长城 | Tiannü | |
| 1976 | Thank You, Comrades 同志，感谢你 | Yang Jie | |
| 1977 | Spring Songs 春歌 | Li Cuizhi | |
| 1979 | The Little Flower 小花 | He Cuigu | |
| 1979 | What a Family 瞧这一家子 | Zhang Lan | Hundred Flowers Award for Best Supporting Actress |
| 1979 | Wedding 婚礼 | Sheng Min | 3rd place - Hundred Flowers Award for Best Actress |
| 1980 | Mysterious Buddha 神秘的大佛 | Meng Jie | |
| 1980 | The Little Flower 小花 | He Cuigu, Yongsheng's mother | Wenhui Award for Best Actress 2nd place - Hundred Flowers Award for Best Actress |
| 1981 | The Savage Land 原野 | Hua Jinzi | Hundred Flowers Award for Best Actress Nominated - Golden Rooster Award for Best Actress |
| 1981 | The Invisible Web 潜网 | Luo Xuan | |
| 1981 | Xu Mao and His Daughters 许茂和他的女儿们 | Xu Zhen | |
| 1982 | Deep at Heart 心灵深处 | Ouyang Lan | |
| 1983 | The Burning of the Imperial Palace | Empress Dowager Cixi | |
| 1983 | Reign Behind the Curtain 垂帘听政 | Empress Dowager Cixi | Nominated - Hong Kong Film Award for Best Actress |
| 1984 | Hibiscus Town 芙蓉镇 | Hu Yuyin | Golden Rooster Award for Best Actress Hundred Flowers Award for Best Actress |
| 1984 | Ormosia from the North 北国红豆 | Lu Yunzhi | 5th place - Hundred Flowers Award for Best Actress |
| 1984 | San Bao in Shenzhen 三宝闹深圳 | Manager | |
| 1985 | The Ruthless Lover 无情的情人 | Namei Qincuo | also producer |
| 1986 | A Wild Field | Hua Jinzi | Hundred Flowers Award for Best Actress |
| 1987 | Chuntao 春桃 | Chuntao | Hundred Flowers Award for Best Actress |
| 1987 | The Imperial Cannon Team 大清炮队 | Feng Yushu | also producer |
| 1988 | A Dream of Red Mansions (parts 1 & 2) 红楼梦 | Wang Xifeng | |
| 1989 | A Dream of Red Mansions (parts 3-6) 红楼梦 | Wang Xifeng | |
| 1989 | The Empress Dowager 一代妖后 | Empress Dowager Cixi | also titled Xi Taihou (西太后) |
| 1991 | Li Lianying: The Imperial Eunuch 大太监李莲英 | Empress Dowager Cixi | |
| 2004 | Plastic Flower 春花开 | Xie Chunhua | |
| 2010 | Rang Ai Huijia 让爱回家 | Female cop | |
| 2011 | Legendary Amazons 杨门女将之军令如山 | Princess Chai | |
| 2012 | 37 | | |
| 2012 | The Monkey King: Uproar in Heaven | | |
| 2015 | Mojin: The Lost Legend | | |
| 2016 | For a Few Bullets | | |
| 2016 | Air Strike | | |
| 2019 | The Eight Hundred 八佰 | Sister Rong | |
| 2019 | Spy Wolf Chameleon | | |

### Television

| Year | Title | Role | Notes |
| 1992 | Fenghua Juedai 风华绝代 | Chunni | |
| 1993 | Xin Bao Qingtian Zhi Yinglie Qianqiu 新包青天之英烈千秋 | | |
| 1995 | Wu Zetian 武则天 | Wu Zetian | |
| 1996 | Huoshao Efang Gong 火烧阿房宫 | Princess, Innkeeper, Mrs Yu | also producer |
| 1998 | Tao Zhi Lian 逃之恋 | Xiaofengxian | also producer Nominated - Golden Eagle Award for Best Actress |
| 2000 | Huang Sao Tian Guihua 皇嫂田桂花 | | producer |
| 2001 | Huo Fenghuang 火凤凰 | (various roles) | also producer |
| 2002 | Where the Legend Begins 洛神 | | producer |
| 2003 | 281 Feng Xin 281封信 | Fang Meihui | also producer |
| 2003 | Hero During Yongle Period 永乐英雄儿女 | Jinniang | |
| 2003 | Jiangshan Meiren 江山美人 | Empress Dowager Meng | also titled Da Song Bei Ge (大宋碑歌) |
| 2003 | Changhe Dongliu 长河东流 | Empress Dowager Xiaozhuang | also titled Shei Zhu Chenfu (谁主沉浮) |
| 2004 | Huanle Sangtian 欢乐桑田 | Magu | |
| 2004 | Wo De Xiongdi Jiemei 我的兄弟姐妹 | Ailian | |
| 2004 | Lotus Lantern 宝莲灯 | Queen Mother of the West | |
| 2004 | Jingcheng Si Shao 京城四少 | Ninth Aunt | |
| 2005 | Hui Niang Wan Xin 徽娘宛心 | Mrs Wu | |
| 2005 | Ayou Zhengzhuan 阿有正传 | Zhen Gege | |
| 2006 | The Shadow of Empress Wu 日月凌空 | Wu Zetian | |
| 2006 | Chao Lin Jie 超临界 | Lu Yan | |
| 2007 | Jiazu Rongyu 家族荣誉 | Duan Huijun | |
| 2007 | Wang Zhaojun 王昭君 | Lady Guan | |
| 2008 | Nüren Heku Weinan Nüren 女人何苦为难女人 | Zhang Yuying | |
| 2008 | Lotus Lantern 宝莲灯前传 | Queen Mother of the West | |
| 2008 | Yunxiu 云袖 | Liang Yunxiu | |
| 2008 | Chengjiang Qingyuan 澄江情缘 | Liu Guiying | |
| 2009 | Ning Xiang Jie 凝香劫 | Tang Mu | |
| 2009 | Xu Beihong 徐悲鸿 | Jiang Biwei | |
| 2010 | Hong Meigui Hei Meigui 红玫瑰黑玫瑰 | Song Dachuan | |
| 2011 | Heroes of Sui and Tang Dynasties 1 & 2 隋唐英雄 | Empress Xiao | |
| 2011 | Secret History of Empress Wu 武则天秘史 | Wu Zetian (middle age) | |
| 2011 | Yangnü 养女 | Liu Jianying | |
| 2014 | Heroes of Sui and Tang Dynasties 3 & 4 | Ouyang Feiyan | |