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"Super Girl" winner Li Yuchun, with her tomboy-style hair and a shy
smile, appears on the cover of the latest edition of Time Asia Magazine,
issued on Monday, as one of the 25 Asia Heroes of 2005.
Six people from China were on the Asia Hero list, including actress
Zhang Jingchu who played the heroine in the Silver Bear Award winning
movie "Peacock" at this year's Berlin Film Festival and Taiwan dance
artist Lin Hwai-min who founded the Cloud Gate Dance Theater.
The other Asia Heroes are from Japan, India, Thailand, Malaysia and
South Korea, including volunteers who helped search for missing people in
last year's havoc caused by tsunami.
Time said the 21-year-old Li, a pop singing major at the Sichuan
Conservatory of Music, has become a new pop icon for her boyish charm and
unconventional personality.
Li polled more than 3.5 million votes via cell phone text messages at
the finals of "Super Girl," the Chinese version of "American Idol."
The gala finale attracted about 400 million viewers, nearly one-third
of China's population.
According to the magazine, the influence brought
by the "Li Yuchun phenomenon" goes far beyond her voice in China. Her
"attitude, originality and a proud androgyny
" are challenging the country's traditional customs.
Time said actress Zhang, "with her taste for traditionally inspired
dress and her reverence for ancient Chinese aphorisms," may be a perfect
ambassador for China.
Described by Time as "Asia's synthesizing dance genius," dancer Lin's
outdoor performance in Taipei could attract an audience of more than
60,000.
It is the fourth consecutive year the magazine has elected Asia Heroes.
The listed heroes are considered brave, courageous, persistent and can
encourage locals.
Last year, Athens Olympics champion Liu Xiang and prima ballerina Tan
Yuanyuan from China were on the list.
(Beijing Time) | 
Updated: 2005-10-08 10:00
