Not so long ago, many Chinese women thought it natural to become housekeepers who bound their feet and spoke in hushed tones. But modern women have embraced a whole new image: they are decisive, independent, charismatic. Time to meet the modern Chinese tigresses:
Amy Chua, the tiger mother
The high-profile academic shocked the world with her memoir, Battle Hymn of the Tiger Mother, in which she portrays the struggles of a desperate mother who seeks to bring up her daughters with military discipline. Her book became a worldwide bestseller and sparked great controversy.
Chua, a mother of two, is a professor at Yale Law School. She is a natural high achiever and workaholic who constantly pushes herself to the limits. 'The truth is, I'm not good at enjoying life,' she admits in her memoir.
Wendi Deng, the tiger wife
She is elegant and beautiful, but Deng can turn fierce if need be. You could get a glimpse of that during a recent inquiry in Britain's House of Commons, where her husband, media mogul Rupert Murdoch, was a witness. Deng sat behind her husband, and when a protester tried to throw a plate of shaving foam at him, she jumped up and punched the attacker. Media dubbed her the 'Tiger Wife'. Her amazing reflexes might have originated from her training as a volleyball player.