Yue-Sai Kan
Encyclopedia
Yue-Sai Kan is a Chinese American
television personality, author, entrepreneur, and humanitarian. People
magazine named her "the most famous woman in China".
(桂林), in China's southern province of Guangxi
(广西), right before the founding of the People's Republic of China
. She is the oldest of four sisters, and her father was a traditional painter. She moved as a young girl to Hong Kong
, spending most of her childhood there, and then moved to Hawaii
where she studied for a degree in music. She joined her sister in New York
in 1972, becoming involved in public relations
and television production work.
. Her series, which are often bilingual in Chinese and English, link Eastern and Western cultures by exposing Chinese viewers to American subjects, and vice versa. Her Looking East series first aired in 1978 and ran for twelve years, the last two on the Discovery Channel
.
On October 1, 1984, she hosted the first live broadcast from China to the West, on the occasion of the 35th anniversary of the founding of the People's Republic of China; the program was a co-production of American TV station PBS
and China's CCTV
network. The program brought Kan to prominence in China and led the Chinese government
to offer her a new television series, One World. The twice-per-week program, which exposed Chinese viewers to cultures around the world, was the first-ever television series hosted by a Chinese American on national Chinese TV.
Her ABC TV documentary China Walls and Bridges received an Emmy award
in 1989. Her other series include Mini Dragons and Doing Business in Asia. Her newest series, on which she interviews various North America
n and Europe
an celebrities and politicians, is entitled Yue-Sai's World, which airs throughout China. Kan's life and career straddle East and West as an author, a journalist, a TV host, a charity worker and an entrepreneur. Kan has been credited as being the first TV journalist to link East and West. Throughout her TV career, Kan has filmed in more than 25 countries.
Her 2006 TV series Yue-Sai's World introduced interesting stories from Western cultures, various celebrities and other phenomena to Chinese viewers. Usher
, Catherine Deneuve
, and Suze Orman
were some of the guests on her 30-minute weekly show. "I know there are lots of programs around but they don't have depth. This will be a solid lifestyle program. I have a big team in the United States
currently producing it," she said.
Since 2006, Yue-Sai Kan has been serving as Chairman of the Invitation Committee of the Shanghai International Film Festival
. She single-handedly secured the attendance of many A-list stars, including Halle Berry
, Catherine Deneuve
, Liam Neeson
, Andie MacDowell
just to name a few. Her involvement has uplifted the status of the Festival to a true international level.
"Travel is important", she says. "Your knowledge is supplemented by what you see, sometimes through television, sometimes through travel. That's how I got to know so many great people around the world."
Yue-Sai Kan currently lives in Shanghai
and New York.
, the world's largest cosmetics company, in May 2004, with Kan staying on as Honorary Vice Chairman of L'Oréal
China.
. She has also built five school buildings for poor children in her home city of Guilin.
Chinese American
Chinese Americans represent Americans of Chinese descent. Chinese Americans constitute one group of overseas Chinese and also a subgroup of East Asian Americans, which is further a subgroup of Asian Americans...
television personality, author, entrepreneur, and humanitarian. People
People (magazine)
In 1998, the magazine introduced a version targeted at teens called Teen People. However, on July 27, 2006, the company announced it would shut down publication of Teen People immediately. The last issue to be released was scheduled for September 2006. Subscribers to this magazine received...
magazine named her "the most famous woman in China".
Early life
Kan was born in GuilinGuilin
Guilin is a prefecture-level city in the northeast of the Guangxi Zhuang Autonomous Region of far southern China, sitting on the west bank of the Li River. Its name means "forest of Sweet Osmanthus", owing to the large number of fragrant Sweet Osmanthus trees located in the city...
(桂林), in China's southern province of Guangxi
Guangxi
Guangxi, formerly romanized Kwangsi, is a province of southern China along its border with Vietnam. In 1958, it became the Guangxi Zhuang Autonomous Region of the People's Republic of China, a region with special privileges created specifically for the Zhuang people.Guangxi's location, in...
(广西), right before the founding of the People's Republic of China
People's Republic of China
China , officially the People's Republic of China , is the most populous country in the world, with over 1.3 billion citizens. Located in East Asia, the country covers approximately 9.6 million square kilometres...
. She is the oldest of four sisters, and her father was a traditional painter. She moved as a young girl to Hong Kong
Hong Kong
Hong Kong is one of two Special Administrative Regions of the People's Republic of China , the other being Macau. A city-state situated on China's south coast and enclosed by the Pearl River Delta and South China Sea, it is renowned for its expansive skyline and deep natural harbour...
, spending most of her childhood there, and then moved to Hawaii
Hawaii
Hawaii is the newest of the 50 U.S. states , and is the only U.S. state made up entirely of islands. It is the northernmost island group in Polynesia, occupying most of an archipelago in the central Pacific Ocean, southwest of the continental United States, southeast of Japan, and northeast of...
where she studied for a degree in music. She joined her sister in New York
New York
New York is a state in the Northeastern region of the United States. It is the nation's third most populous state. New York is bordered by New Jersey and Pennsylvania to the south, and by Connecticut, Massachusetts and Vermont to the east...
in 1972, becoming involved in public relations
Public relations
Public relations is the actions of a corporation, store, government, individual, etc., in promoting goodwill between itself and the public, the community, employees, customers, etc....
and television production work.
Work in television
She has created a number of popular television series which are viewed by hundreds of millions of television viewers in the People's Republic of ChinaPeople's Republic of China
China , officially the People's Republic of China , is the most populous country in the world, with over 1.3 billion citizens. Located in East Asia, the country covers approximately 9.6 million square kilometres...
. Her series, which are often bilingual in Chinese and English, link Eastern and Western cultures by exposing Chinese viewers to American subjects, and vice versa. Her Looking East series first aired in 1978 and ran for twelve years, the last two on the Discovery Channel
Discovery Channel
Discovery Channel is an American satellite and cable specialty channel , founded by John Hendricks and distributed by Discovery Communications. It is a publicly traded company run by CEO David Zaslav...
.
On October 1, 1984, she hosted the first live broadcast from China to the West, on the occasion of the 35th anniversary of the founding of the People's Republic of China; the program was a co-production of American TV station PBS
Public Broadcasting Service
The Public Broadcasting Service is an American non-profit public broadcasting television network with 354 member TV stations in the United States which hold collective ownership. Its headquarters is in Arlington, Virginia....
and China's CCTV
China Central Television
China Central Television or Chinese Central Television, commonly abbreviated as CCTV, is the major state television broadcaster in mainland China. CCTV has a network of 19 channels broadcasting different programmes and is accessible to more than one billion viewers...
network. The program brought Kan to prominence in China and led the Chinese government
Government of the People's Republic of China
All power within the government of the People's Republic of China is divided among three bodies: the People's Republic of China, State Council, and the People's Liberation Army . This article is concerned with the formal structure of the state, its departments and their responsibilities...
to offer her a new television series, One World. The twice-per-week program, which exposed Chinese viewers to cultures around the world, was the first-ever television series hosted by a Chinese American on national Chinese TV.
Her ABC TV documentary China Walls and Bridges received an Emmy award
Emmy Award
An Emmy Award, often referred to simply as the Emmy, is a television production award, similar in nature to the Peabody Awards but more focused on entertainment, and is considered the television equivalent to the Academy Awards and the Grammy Awards .A majority of Emmys are presented in various...
in 1989. Her other series include Mini Dragons and Doing Business in Asia. Her newest series, on which she interviews various North America
North America
North America is a continent wholly within the Northern Hemisphere and almost wholly within the Western Hemisphere. It is also considered a northern subcontinent of the Americas...
n and Europe
Europe
Europe is, by convention, one of the world's seven continents. Comprising the westernmost peninsula of Eurasia, Europe is generally 'divided' from Asia to its east by the watershed divides of the Ural and Caucasus Mountains, the Ural River, the Caspian and Black Seas, and the waterways connecting...
an celebrities and politicians, is entitled Yue-Sai's World, which airs throughout China. Kan's life and career straddle East and West as an author, a journalist, a TV host, a charity worker and an entrepreneur. Kan has been credited as being the first TV journalist to link East and West. Throughout her TV career, Kan has filmed in more than 25 countries.
Her 2006 TV series Yue-Sai's World introduced interesting stories from Western cultures, various celebrities and other phenomena to Chinese viewers. Usher
Usher (entertainer)
Usher Terry Raymond IV , who performs under the mononym Usher, is an American singer-songwriter, and actor. He is considered around the world to be the reigning King of R&B. Usher rose to fame in the late 1990s with the release of his second album My Way, which spawned his first Billboard Hot 100...
, Catherine Deneuve
Catherine Deneuve
Catherine Deneuve is a French actress. She gained recognition for her portrayal of aloof and mysterious beauties in films such as Repulsion and Belle de jour . Deneuve was nominated for an Academy Award for Best Actress in 1993 for her performance in Indochine; she also won César Awards for that...
, and Suze Orman
Suze Orman
Susan "Suze" Lynn Orman is an American financial advisor, author, motivational speaker, and television host.Orman was born in Chicago and received her B.A. in social work. She worked as a waitress in Berkeley, California before becoming a financial advisor for Merrill Lynch...
were some of the guests on her 30-minute weekly show. "I know there are lots of programs around but they don't have depth. This will be a solid lifestyle program. I have a big team in the United States
United States
The United States of America is a federal constitutional republic comprising fifty states and a federal district...
currently producing it," she said.
Since 2006, Yue-Sai Kan has been serving as Chairman of the Invitation Committee of the Shanghai International Film Festival
Shanghai International Film Festival
The Shanghai International Film Festival , abbreviated SIFF, is one of the largest film festivals in East Asia.Along with Tokyo International Film Festival, the SIFF is one of the biggest film festivals in Asia. The first festival was held from October 7 to 14, 1993, and was held biennially until...
. She single-handedly secured the attendance of many A-list stars, including Halle Berry
Halle Berry
Halle Berry is an American actress and a former fashion model. Berry received an Emmy, Golden Globe, SAG, and an NAACP Image Award for Introducing Dorothy Dandridge and won an Academy Award for Best Actress and was nominated for a BAFTA Award in 2001 for her performance in Monster's Ball, becoming...
, Catherine Deneuve
Catherine Deneuve
Catherine Deneuve is a French actress. She gained recognition for her portrayal of aloof and mysterious beauties in films such as Repulsion and Belle de jour . Deneuve was nominated for an Academy Award for Best Actress in 1993 for her performance in Indochine; she also won César Awards for that...
, Liam Neeson
Liam Neeson
Liam John Neeson, OBE is an Irish actor who has been nominated for an Oscar, a BAFTA and three Golden Globe Awards.He has starred in a number of notable roles including Oskar Schindler in Schindler's List, Michael Collins in Michael Collins, Peyton Westlake in Darkman, Jean Valjean in Les...
, Andie MacDowell
Andie MacDowell
Rosalie Anderson "Andie" MacDowell is an American model and actress. She has received the Golden Camera and an Honorary César.-Early life:...
just to name a few. Her involvement has uplifted the status of the Festival to a true international level.
"Travel is important", she says. "Your knowledge is supplemented by what you see, sometimes through television, sometimes through travel. That's how I got to know so many great people around the world."
Yue-Sai Kan currently lives in Shanghai
Shanghai
Shanghai is the largest city by population in China and the largest city proper in the world. It is one of the four province-level municipalities in the People's Republic of China, with a total population of over 23 million as of 2010...
and New York.
Cosmetics entrepreneur
In 1989, the Chinese government suggested that Kan establish a business in China, in order to strengthen foreign investment in China; it was believed that her celebrity status would ensure the company's success. She eventually founded, in 1992, Yue-Sai Kan Cosmetics Ltd., China's first major cosmetics company, and launched the YUE-SAI brand cosmetics. Kan has stated that she chose to start a cosmetics company due to a lack of cosmetics that were suitable for Asian skin tones. By 2003, the company was generating annual revenues of nearly 50 million US Dollars. The company was sold to L'OréalL'Oréal
The L'Oréal Group is the world's largest cosmetics and beauty company. With its registered office in Paris and head office in the Paris suburb of Clichy, Hauts-de-Seine, France, it has developed activities in the field of cosmetics...
, the world's largest cosmetics company, in May 2004, with Kan staying on as Honorary Vice Chairman of L'Oréal
L'Oréal
The L'Oréal Group is the world's largest cosmetics and beauty company. With its registered office in Paris and head office in the Paris suburb of Clichy, Hauts-de-Seine, France, it has developed activities in the field of cosmetics...
China.
Books
Kan has written six books; They are One World, Yue-Sai's Guide to Asian Beauty, Etiquette for the Modern Chinese, How to Be a Beautiful, Healthy and Successful Modern Woman, The Chinese Gentleman, The Complete Chinese Woman.Humanitarian work
She has worked with the charity organizations UNICEF and ORBIS InternationalORBIS International
Orbis International is an international non-profit non-governmental organization dedicated to saving sight worldwide. Orbis programs focus on the prevention of blindness and the treatment of blinding eye diseases in developing countries...
. She has also built five school buildings for poor children in her home city of Guilin.