Opening the album, magnificent images spring to life: women’s colorful lives, friends from all over the world and Chinese bearing the highest honored duties and pursuing limitless careers.

The album records the uncommon course Chinese women have traversed. It displays their glamour and kindness, diligence and intelligence and forbearance and toughness. In the photos are women from various nationalities, either specialists or ordinary working people, either the young in their prime or the elderly with their stories, either working in cities or in rural areas. Working hand in hand with men, they have made achievements in social progress and created miracles one after another for the rapid development of the Chinese nation.

I am proud to be a Chinese woman myself. Having fought for almost half a century with my Chinese sisters I understand clearly the success and achievements as well as the tears and hardships they have experienced in their march forward. I understand that like their sisters worldwide, they are keen on equal development. As a vice premier of the People’s Republic of China (PRC), I feel a heavy burden on my shoulder. Perhaps, it will take the efforts of several generations or even more to realize equality between men and women. However, I believe that so long as we make efforts and push it forward continuously, it will be realized on day.

Through the tests of time, Chinese women bearing a civilization of 5,000 years have become more and more unyielding and mature. They have entered the new century, chins up and with a new look, and are creating a happy and better life.

Wu Yi
Vice-Premier of the State Council of the PRC
August, 2003