Pai Ping-ping
Encyclopedia
Pai Ping-ping is a Taiwan
ese singer, actress, media personality and social activist
.
, Pai dropped out of formal education in her teenage years. In 1973 she won a prize in a singing contest held by Taiwan Television
and following this success she pursued a career in the local entertainment business. In 1975 she moved to Japan
to study singing
and acting
. At this time she had a relationship with Japanese comics writer Ikki Kajiwara
and they later married. Their daughter Pai Hsiao-yen
was born in 1980 but their marriage was quickly dissolved the next year after Kajiwara committed an extramarital affair and engaged in domestic violence
. Pai Ping-ping had to return back to Taiwan and raised Hsiao-yen as a single mother. Since mid-1980s
, Pai has been gaining popularity for her bantering style, becoming one of the best-known Taiwanese entertainers. Richard Lloyd-Parry of The Independent
described Pai as the "Cilla Black
of Taiwan". Besides her entertainment career, Pai also had significant investments in local catering service industry.
In 1997 Pai Hsiao-yen, then 16 years old, was kidnapped, tortured and murdered. This event subsequently made her into a social activist to advocate the use of death penalty; Pai founded the Swallow Foundation and chaired it to date to advocate capital punishment as well as provide legal support to local crime victims. Lloyd-Parry described the attention around the murder of Pai's daughter as giving Pai "a greater, though more terrible, fame than she had as an entertainer." In 2010, in the wake of the global anti-capital punishment movement, Pai successfully held a protest against former ROC Minister of Justice
Wang Ching-feng
, resulting in Wang's resignation and the resumption of executions in the Republic of China.
Taiwan
Taiwan , also known, especially in the past, as Formosa , is the largest island of the same-named island group of East Asia in the western Pacific Ocean and located off the southeastern coast of mainland China. The island forms over 99% of the current territory of the Republic of China following...
ese singer, actress, media personality and social activist
Activism
Activism consists of intentional efforts to bring about social, political, economic, or environmental change. Activism can take a wide range of forms from writing letters to newspapers or politicians, political campaigning, economic activism such as boycotts or preferentially patronizing...
.
Career
Born to an impoverished family in KeelungKeelung
Keelung City is a major port city situated in the northeastern part of Taiwan. It borders New Taipei and forms the Taipei–Keelung metropolitan area, along with the Taipei and New Taipei. Nicknamed the Rainy Port for its frequent rain and maritime role, the city is Taiwan's second largest seaport...
, Pai dropped out of formal education in her teenage years. In 1973 she won a prize in a singing contest held by Taiwan Television
Taiwan Television
Taiwan Television Enterprise, Ltd. , commonly known as TTV is launched), is the first television broadcast station in Taiwan...
and following this success she pursued a career in the local entertainment business. In 1975 she moved to Japan
Japan
Japan is an island nation in East Asia. Located in the Pacific Ocean, it lies to the east of the Sea of Japan, China, North Korea, South Korea and Russia, stretching from the Sea of Okhotsk in the north to the East China Sea and Taiwan in the south...
to study singing
Singing
Singing is the act of producing musical sounds with the voice, and augments regular speech by the use of both tonality and rhythm. One who sings is called a singer or vocalist. Singers perform music known as songs that can be sung either with or without accompaniment by musical instruments...
and acting
Acting
Acting is the work of an actor or actress, which is a person in theatre, television, film, or any other storytelling medium who tells the story by portraying a character and, usually, speaking or singing the written text or play....
. At this time she had a relationship with Japanese comics writer Ikki Kajiwara
Ikki Kajiwara
was a Japanese author, manga writer, and film producer, also known under the pseudonym . His real name is . The pseudonym was used since he was writing for a rival magazine at the time. Having multiple names would not allow overlaps by the two magazines...
and they later married. Their daughter Pai Hsiao-yen
Pai Hsiao-yen
Pai Hsiao-yen was the only daughter of popular Taiwanese TV host and actress Pai Ping-ping and Japanese author Ikki Kajiwara....
was born in 1980 but their marriage was quickly dissolved the next year after Kajiwara committed an extramarital affair and engaged in domestic violence
Domestic violence
Domestic violence, also known as domestic abuse, spousal abuse, battering, family violence, and intimate partner violence , is broadly defined as a pattern of abusive behaviors by one or both partners in an intimate relationship such as marriage, dating, family, or cohabitation...
. Pai Ping-ping had to return back to Taiwan and raised Hsiao-yen as a single mother. Since mid-1980s
1980s
File:1980s decade montage.png|thumb|400px|From left, clockwise: The first Space Shuttle, Columbia, lifted off in 1981; American President Ronald Reagan and Soviet leader Mikhail Gorbachev eased tensions between the two superpowers, leading to the end of the Cold War; The Fall of the Berlin Wall in...
, Pai has been gaining popularity for her bantering style, becoming one of the best-known Taiwanese entertainers. Richard Lloyd-Parry of The Independent
The Independent
The Independent is a British national morning newspaper published in London by Independent Print Limited, owned by Alexander Lebedev since 2010. It is nicknamed the Indy, while the Sunday edition, The Independent on Sunday, is the Sindy. Launched in 1986, it is one of the youngest UK national daily...
described Pai as the "Cilla Black
Cilla Black
Cilla Black OBE is an English singer, actress, entertainer and media personality, who has been consistently popular as a light entertainment figure since 1963. She is most famous for her singles Anyone Who Had A Heart, You're My World, and Alfie...
of Taiwan". Besides her entertainment career, Pai also had significant investments in local catering service industry.
In 1997 Pai Hsiao-yen, then 16 years old, was kidnapped, tortured and murdered. This event subsequently made her into a social activist to advocate the use of death penalty; Pai founded the Swallow Foundation and chaired it to date to advocate capital punishment as well as provide legal support to local crime victims. Lloyd-Parry described the attention around the murder of Pai's daughter as giving Pai "a greater, though more terrible, fame than she had as an entertainer." In 2010, in the wake of the global anti-capital punishment movement, Pai successfully held a protest against former ROC Minister of Justice
Ministry of Justice (Republic of China)
The Ministry of Justice of the Republic of China is a ministerial level governmental body of the Executive Yuan. It is responsible for carrying out various judicial functions in the Republic of China .-Organization:...
Wang Ching-feng
Wang Ching-feng
Wang Ching-feng is a Taiwanese lawyer and politician.Wang graduated from the Taipei First Girls' High School and received her bachelor and master degrees in law from National Chengchi University. Wang has been working as a lawyer since graduation. Since 1987, she has been organising activities to...
, resulting in Wang's resignation and the resumption of executions in the Republic of China.
External links
- The Swallow Foundation(in Traditional Chinese)
- Pai Ping-ping Official blog (Traditional Chinese)