China TV host and actress flaunts wealth, dresses ‘princess’ daughter head to toe in designer clothes, igniting debate
- Star says ‘no need to save’, gives teen daughter US$20,000 a month pocket money
- Believes in Chinese proverb which says ‘raise sons frugally, daughters with abundance’
The 14-year-old daughter of a famous television presenter in China has hit the headlines for wearing expensive designer clothes, sparking a heated discussion about her mother’s parenting style.
Angela Wang Shiling is the only child of Li Xiang, 48, who was a popular hostess in China in the early 2000s before starting real estate and entertainment businesses.
Li has attracted controversy for a decade for believing in the old Chinese proverb that sons be raised in frugality and daughters in abundance.
Wang lives a life of luxury even while attending school in the UK, where she has been for two years.
At the end of March, Li released a series of photos of her daughter, with the caption “She is on holiday”.
About the same time, Wang, who has more than 8 million followers on Weibo, shared similar pictures of herself, saying: “I am in a good mood every day with mum staying with me in London.”
Online observers were interested to note that a purple plaid coat she was wearing cost nearly US$3,500, her skirt US$2,000, and the blue handbag she was carrying retails at US$1,800, the news portal Baidu.com reported.
The windbreaker coat she wore cost US$2,200, her white blouse, US$1,900, and bracelet US$5,500.
Even the hair spin she had carried the conspicuous English letters of the Italian luxury brand, Miu Miu, which is said to be priced at US$450.
“Perhaps the cheapest thing she uses is her mobile phone case,” one person said on Weibo.
Wang’s phone case costs about 500 yuan (US$70) on mainland shopping websites, while most people spend less than 100 yuan on the accessory, the report said.
Her recent outfit attracted a mixed response on mainland social media.
“I think those clothes do not fit her. They make her look much older,” one person said on Weibo.
“Wang Shiling is the girl I envy most. I hope to be Li Xiang’s daughter in my next life,” another person said.
“It’s a storm in a teacup. They are super-rich. Those expenses are just a tiny proportion of their income,” someone else added.
In an interview with the news outlet sohu.com in 2023, Li said it’s normal for her to buy expensive clothes and bags for her daughter.
“We are not short of money. Why live a frugal life? If she likes it, I will buy it. there’s no need for us to save money,” Li said, revealing that she gives her daughter 150,000 yuan (US$20,000) pocket money every month.
The story comes amid a crackdown on “money worship” by the central authorities.
The government has also called on people to stop holding lavish weddings and funerals.
