From Liu Yushan
Every year when May 4th rolls around, I feel it – the spirit of Youth Day fills the air with energy and hope. In China, Youth Day is far more than just a date on the calendar; it traces back to the May Fourth Movement of 1919, when students hit the streets demanding change and daring to dream of a different future. The day celebrates the vitality, ambition, and fearless spirit of the country’s youth.
Over a century later, that same fearless spirit is alive—and it’s evolving. Especially among young women who are increasingly choosing their own paths and shaping their own lives. Whether in art, science, entrepreneurship, or technology, women are breaking boundaries, challenging traditions, and leaving their own marks on the world. This May Fourth, I want to share the stories of three amazing Chinese young women who are rewriting the rules, chasing their dreams, and showing the world what happens when youth and power collide.
Lin Li: guzheng strings and global strategy
Lin Li plays the ancient Chinese instrument Guzheng, an instrument associated with timeless grace and beauty. But behind her artistic aura is a razor-sharp academic mind, as she holds a PhD from King’s College London in War Studies.
Lin lives the trendy “slashie” life, balancing art and academia with joy. Her journey is a powerful testament to innovation and resilience, redefining the roles female scholars can play in geopolitics – a space still mostly dominated by men. Lin brings a much-needed fresh perspective to her study, one that combines empathy, strategic insight, and creativity.
Yao Songqiao: building a greener future
Then there’s Yao Songqiao. She’s the founder and CEO of an innovative nature-inspired education and sustainability consulting venture based in Beijing. Yao has set foot in over 60 countries and braved Antarctica’s icy winds and bone-crushing cold for over a dozen times.
In extreme conditions where even her male colleagues struggled, Yao remained strong, conducting scientific research and inspiring people to take action on climate change. Her story is not just one of adventure, but of entrepreneurship, vision, and a deep sense of responsibility toward the planet that we all share.
Finally, meet Li Tianzhen, who made a bold pivot from social fields to the heart of China’s booming technology sector. Today, she serves as the Branding and PR Officer at a tech company specializing in AI for Sciences.
Breaking into tech wasn’t easy. It meant adapting to a fast-paced, deeply technical environment that could be intimidating for any newcomer. But Li survived and thrived. She now works alongside the company’s scientists, witnessing firsthand the creation of groundbreaking AI models that accelerate scientific discovery.
With her unique leadership style, Li has helped to harness crucial partnerships and business opportunities via her successful branding of the company’s services and products, demonstrating, along with her female scientist colleagues, that women’s leadership in the tech field is not just possible, but essential.
A bigger picture
What Lin Li, Yao Songqiao and Li Tianzhen are doing is not happening in isolation, it’s part of a bigger shift across China. Over the past seventy-six years, China has made substantial efforts to promote gender equality and improve the status of women.
In government, newly recruited female civil servants in central government organs exceeded half of the entirty, while the proportion at the local level stood over 40%.
In corporate management roles, women held 37.7% of employee director roles and 41.9% of supervisor roles in 2023 – both rising year-on-year.
In law, female prosecutors and judges now make up around 32%, which is a major leap compared to the early ’80s at the beginning of the reform and opening up.
In science and tech, women are increasingly taking the lead. Today, China is home to around 40 million women working in science and technology, making up nearly 45.8 percent of the country’s scientific and technological workforce. At the 13th National Women’s Congress of China, 91 women from the science and technology sector were elected as delegates, a growing force to watch.
The road ahead is still full of challenges, but the momentum is clear. On this Youth Day, I think of Lin Li, Yao Songqiao, and Li Tianzhen, as well as millions of women like them. I feel energized, because I know young Chinese women are pushing forward, boldly and brilliantly. And I’m proud to be part of that story.
If you’d like to know more about the incredible stories of these three young women, tune in to Round Table China podcast – May Fourth special! –The Author is also a Reporter for CGTN Radio
