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China's 50 most beautiful people - 2006

Posted by Joel Martinsen, May 20, 2006 6:00 PM

It's another list of beautiful people, courtesy of the entertainment editors at The Beijing News. Gong Li is victorious this year, followed by Super Girl Li Yuchun, actresses Zhou Xun and Zhang Ziyi, and up-and-comer Mike Ho.

In the introduction to the rankings, the editors note that they limited their pool to the entertainment industry. Last year's list made at least a token effort to acknowledge people outside the music, film, and TV industries by including a few writers and athletes, but this year the celebrities are exclusively singers and actors.

One other requirement was that candidates had to be active in the industry, providing one possible reason why last year's winner, Maggie Cheung, is nowhere to be found. Of course, like other "who's hot" lists, the exercise is essentially arbitrary - how else to explain the absence for yet another year of Karen Mok, or the disapperance of last year's #7, Xu Jinglei?

There are lots of newish faces, however, so it's at least worth looking over as a partial guide to trendy celebrities. A translated list follows with links to online resources.

Names by which the celebrities are known in English have been included whenever possible. Additions or corrections can be sent to joel (at) danwei .dot. org.

(38) Gong Li (巩俐)
(-) Li Yuchun: Super Girl. (李宇春)
(23) Zhou Xun: This year's ubiquitous domestic actress. (周迅)
(4) Zhang Ziyi: This year's ubiquitous international actress. (章子怡)
(-) Mike Ho: Hot young actor from Taiwan. (贺军翔)
(-) Wang Han: Hunan TV host and actor. (汪涵)
(15) Shu Qi (舒淇)
(19) Huang Xiaoming: Return of the Condor Heroes actor. (黄晓明)
(33) Sun Li: TV actress, blind peasant girl in Fearless. (孙丽)
(-) Jacky Xue: Actor, talent show winner. (薛之谦)
(40) Fan Bingbing: Scandal-plagued sex symbol. (犯冰冰)
(42) Vicky Zhao: Box office poison. (赵薇)
(-) Rainie Yang: Four in Love member. (杨丞琳)
(-) Shawn Yue: Hong Kong film actor. (余文乐)
(-) Deng Chao: Mainland film and stage actor. (邓超)
(2) Takeshi Kaneshiro (金城武)
(-) Isabella Leung Lok-si: Macao-born actress, star of the HK film Isabella. (梁洛施) [thanks to Shelly for the info]
(-) Kristy Zhang: aka "Baby" Zhang - former Super Girl runner-up turned singer and actress. (张含韵)
(32) Jay Chou (周杰伦)
(-) Fiona Sit: Singer. (薛凯琪)
(3) Little S: Taiwan television personality. Pregnancy last year closely followed in the media. (小S)
(-) Sam Junjun: Another young idol, Shanghai talent contestant. (君君)
(-) Donny Yen: Swordplay actor. (甄子丹)
(26) Lin Zhiling: Model who fell off a horse. (林志玲)
(-) Louis Koo (古天乐)
(13) Liu Yifei: Return of the Condor Heroes Dragon Girl. (刘亦菲)
(-) Chow Yun-fat (周润发)
(-) Vivian Chow: Older actress and singer who subbed in as host when Little S went on maternity leave. (周慧敏)
(-) Sun Honglei (孙红雷)
(36) Anthony Wong: Passionate singer. (黄耀明)
(25) Cecilia Cheung (张柏芝)
(47) Joe Cheng: Love of Rose actor; last year's screwball comedy It Started With A Kiss put him back on top. (郑元畅)
(-) Annie Liu: Mob boss in Ah Sou. (刘心悠)
(-) Tony Leung Ka-fai (梁家辉)
(-) Nicholas Tse: Former bad-boy star is growing up. (谢霆锋)
(-) Ashin: Singer from Taiwan. (阿信)
(-) Zhang Jingchu: Actress in Peacock, Seven Swords etc. (张静初)
(14) Daniel Wu (吴彦祖)
(5) Liu Ye (刘烨)
(17) Li Bingbing (李冰冰)
(-) Ariel Chen: Actress in It Started With A Kiss. (陈依晨)
(-) Vic Zhou: Actor in Meteor Garden and other teen soaps. Widely-covered romance with Big S. (周渝民)
(39) Gao Yuanyuan: Well-regarded actress. (高圆圆)
(-) Stanley Huang: Former LA Boyz member, currently an award-winning pop star. (黄立行 )
(-) Zheng Jun: Mainland rock star. (郑钧)
(6) Andy Lau (刘德华)
(-) Cecilia Han: Shanghai-graduated singer, actress. (韩雪)
(-) Tony Leung Chiu-wai (梁朝伟)
(-) Chen Kun: Hairdresser. (陈坤)
(-) Gigi Chiu Nga-chi: Classic TV actress. Acted opposite Chow Yun-fat in 1982's Shanghai Bund. (赵雅芝)

Additional corrections due to Jenniii Li

Links and Sources

The Beijing News (Chinese): China's 50 Most Beautiful People 2006 edition
Last year on Danwei: China's 50 Most Beautiful People

There are currently 9 Comments for China's 50 most beautiful people - 2006.

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Comments on China's 50 most beautiful people - 2006

Gong Li is indeed one of the most beautiful women in China, and i'm happy to see she topped Zhang Ziyi. But... Li Yu Chun?!

Among the boys, I think Takeshi Kaneshiro deserves a higher ranking.

Posted by: Dror | May 20, 2006 9:37 PM

Whenever I see something like this, I still cannot help but stop, step back, and think about how unbelievably far China has come in the last ten years. I'm not saying this to imply that naming the 50 most beautiful people is some creat cultural or social achievement, but to note how different things in China are now. I find it all amazing.

Posted by: China Law Blog | May 20, 2006 11:08 PM

I cannot believe I have been overlooked again.

Posted by: Jim | May 23, 2006 1:34 AM

They've got to be kidding, Wang Han and Zheng Jun are hotter than Andy Lau and the Tonys? They're not even more attractive than the average young Chinese man on the street. I suspect this list was compiled mostly by heterosexual men.

Posted by: Lisa | June 4, 2006 5:43 PM

That doesn't explain Li Yuchun, Lisa.

Posted by: Brendan | June 5, 2006 2:42 PM

Li Yuchun??? Annie Liu?? arghh.. sorry but they are not beautiful..

Can't belive Andy Lau, Tony Leung, Takeshi, and Daniel have such low ranking!!!

Posted by: Feliss | June 7, 2006 4:04 AM

Li Yuchun?!? hehe, that's a good one. Anyways, thx for the list, i had good laugh.

Posted by: sinep | August 30, 2006 1:10 AM

没见过这么没人气的排名。。。
以什么来排的？名气？受欢迎度？容貌？品德？成分背景？
莫名其妙。

Posted by: 莫名 | April 5, 2007 2:54 PM

er where is leehom? i think he is equally and even more successful and better looking than some people on the list...

Posted by: annie | September 30, 2007 12:47 AM