China's most memorable faces of 2008

By Chinese media writer Tian Ye

BEIJING, Jan. 1 (Chinese media) -- For the Chinese, 2008 is

unforgettable year.

The country experienced historical events such as

record-setting snow storms in south and central China, a disastrous earthquake

which killed tens of thousands and of course there were the Beijing Olympics and

China's first space walk. It wasn't just events that made 2008 memorable.

People, be they respected experts in a certain area or controversial figures,

also have their images deeply-rooted in the minds of Chinese. Chinese media's top ten

most memorable faces of 2008 are:

-- Zhai Zhigang

The video grab taken on Sept. 27, 2008

at the Beijing Space Command and Control Center in Beijing, China, shows

Chinese taikonaut Zhai Zhigang checks the door of the orbital module. Zhai

Zhigang began the activities of China's first spacewalk on Saturday

afternoon. (Chinese media/Chen Jianli)
Photo Gallery

It was a small step by Zhai Zhigang, but when China's

first taikonaut walked in space, he solidified the country's place in scientific

history.

On Sept. 27, millions of Chinese watched his maiden

20-minute space walk on TV. The feat made China the third country in the world

to successfully send a man on a spacewalk, after Russia and the United States.

The video grab taken on Sept. 27, 2008

in Beijing, China, shows Chinese taikonaut Zhai Zhigang is outside the

orbital module. (Chinese media Photo)

When Zhai popped out of the space craft in a

Chinese-designed space suit, the 42-year-old became a national hero.

The son of a snack vendor, Zhai dreamt of flying in

space as an impoverished teenager. He was selected as the backup taikonaut for

China's first manned spaceflight in 2003 and then again for the second mission

in 2005. He missed out on both.

Through perseverance, Zhai presented the world with a

face of courage that was out of this world.

-- Justin Yifu Lin

Justin Yifu Lin (CRI file photo)

In February, Justin Yifu Lin became the first person

from a developing country to be appointed as World Bank chief economist and

senior vice president for development economics.

A self-made man, Lin earned a PHD from the University

of Chicago. He returned to China in the 1980s and became the founder and

director of the China Center for Economic Research at China's prestigious Peking

University.

Lin is well known for his work on fiscal

decentralization, enterprise reform, urban and rural modernization and

agricultural innovation and reform.

His appearance on the world stage early this year,

set the country alight with hope that a Chinese would make contributions to

economic globalization.

-- Wu Jiafang

Wu Jiafang Carrying His Wife's Body Home(CRI file photo)

Wu Jiafang, became a disaster hero after the May 12

earthquake for trying to preserve the dignity of his dead wife.

He was photographed with her body tied to him while

he was on his motorbike. After retrieving her from the quake's rubble, he wanted

to drive her body to their home and bury her there.

Wu's image came to represent the heroic, selfless

acts of many during the earthquake including policewoman Jiang Min. She

continued to help quake-victims despite losing 10 family members. There was also

middle school teacher Tan Qianqiu who sheltered his four students from quake

debris with his arms.

As time goes by, their faces still linger in the

memory of the Chinese people who were deeply impacted by what happened in

Sichuan.

-- Zhou Zhenglong

Zhou Zhenglong, who was accused and found guilty of faking photographs of a critically-endangered tiger species in the wild, stands second trial Monday, Nov 17, 2008 in northwest China's Shaanxi Province. (Chinese media file photo)

The real power of the Internet was realized in 2008

as netizens became empowered to expose scandals and corruption.

Zhou Zhenglong, a farmer from northwest China's

Shaanxi Province, became a household name after being exposed for faking photos

of a tiger subspecies believed extinct in the wild in China.

The pictures, created by Photoshop, prompted

widespread media speculation, but surprisingly won the support of local forestry

authorities.

Netizens, however, found an old Lunar New Year poster

showing a tiger which looked exactly the same as Zhou's photo. He was then

arrested and in November, sentenced to two and a half years in prison with a

three-year reprieve.

The scandal also brought down 13 government staff in

Shaanxi who were either sacked or reprimanded.

-- Huang Guangyu

Huang Guangyu(CRI file photo)

A police investigation of the mainland's richest man,

Huang Guangyu, made Chinese rethink trying to become a much-admired business

tycoon.

Huang, 39, whose personal wealth is estimated at 43

billion yuan (more than 6 billion U.S. dollars), was detained on Nov. 24 on

claims that he had manipulated share trading in two listed companies, Sanlian

Commercial Co. and Beijing Centergate Technologies Co..

Nearly a month after his detainment, Huang was

removed as the chairman of China's top electronics retailer GOME.

His case revealed loopholes China ignored while

concentrating on its economic growth. His detention also inspired people to call

for a healthier market environment for business owners to compete in.

-- Volunteers

Zhu Guihua (2nd R) and her fellow volunteers pose victory gesture on Saturday, July 26, 2008. They are looking forward to and striving for a successful Olympic Games in Beijing.(CRI file photo)

Generosity, friendly attitudes and selflessness

during the May 12 earthquake as well as the Olympics places volunteers on 2008's

list.

Statistics released by the Central Committee of the

Chinese Communist Youth League show more than five million volunteers helped out

with relief work after the magnitude-8.0 Sichuan-based earthquake.

An estimated 1.7 million people volunteered services

during the Beijing Olympics, Liu Jian, director of the Beijing Organizing

Committee for the Olympic Games Volunteer Department said.

The volunteers' smiles were considered the "name

card" China presented to the world's audience.

-- Victims of tainted dairy products

Chinese Premier Wen Jiabao inquires the situation of a child that has been hospitalized for taking the problematic milk powder at the Beijing Children's Hospital on Sunday, September 21, 2008.(CRI file photo)

China's dairy scandal was exposed in September after

babies who were fed milk powder, produced by the Hebei Province-based Sanlu

Group, developed kidney stones.

Hundreds of thousands of parents had to take their

children to hospitals for tests and medication, some traveling long distances.

China says it was likely melamine-tainted products

killed six babies. Another 294,000 infants suffered from urinary problems such

as kidney stones. As of Nov. 27, a total of 861 babies were still in the

hospital.

The scandal led to the resignation of China's chief

quality supervisor Li Changjiang. Several officials were sacked, arrests were

made and the government is working on overhauling the country's dairy industry.

-- Chinese soldiers

A soldier carries an injured man on his back over rocks on Monday, May 19, 2008.(CRI file photo)

Chinese soldiers have been labeled as a group that

contributes the most while reaping the least.

December, naval vessels deployed to the coast of

Somalia to escort merchant ships threatened by pirates.

Disaster response and security is what mainly

occupied soldiers' time in 2008.

Official statistics show more than 130,000 soldiers,

armed police and paramilitary personnel engaged in quake-relief work.

Before the Beijing Olympic Games, an anti-terrorist

force of nearly 100,000 commandos, police and troops was put on high alert for

attempted terrorist attacks. They also worked throughout the Games to provide

security.

-- Migrant Workers

Zhu Xueqin (R), Hu Xiaoyan (C) and Kang Houming meet in Beijing. (CRI file photo)

Farmers who travel to work in cities from rural areas

have been a driving force behind China's fast-growing economy often working in

construction, at factories, restaurants and serving as domestic servants and

drivers.

For the first time in 2008, three migrant workers,

Zhu Xueqin, Hu Xiaoyan and Kang Houming were elected as deputies in the

country's top legislature, the National People's Congress (NPC).

They became the first representatives for the

country's 210 million migrant laborers.

-- The first generation after the implementation of China's one-child policy

Students who were born in 1978 pose for photos after graduation from college. (CRI file photo)

The first generation born after the implementation of

China's one-child policy in 1978 began to turn 30 this year.

Better education and increased material wealth made

them more worldly and open-minded than previous generations.

To some extent, they represent the emerging China

with an optimistic, confident and open outlook.

However, some wonder whether their "self-centered

qualities," such as obsessions with icons and hyper-consumerism can bolster the

country's future.