Shenzhen skyline from the Deng Xiao-Ping statue and park, where Xinli and I met - November 2004.

Yu Xinli is Chinese. She is the 3rd daughter, and 4th child of Yu DeXin who was sent by Mao ZeDong to be the No. 1 CCP party boss for Nanchang, Jiangxi Province in 1950.
I never met him, or her mother, as they both died long before I came to China.

Xinli was fortunate to be enrolled in the Beijing Opera (Nanchang Affiliate) at the age of 10. She dances and plays a guitar-like instrument. At 22 she began working as a model, and later worked for sister's husband at Jiangxi TV. She finally ended up working for the Xinhua Bookstore in Nanchang.

She went into semi-retirement at age 45, so that her son Wei Le (Lulu), could have a job with the Xinhua Bookstore. At age 47, she met me (through her sister Nancy), on the internet, and as they say, 'the rest is history' . . . Her son married in 2008 and recently has a new daughter - 2009.

She has a very big family, and in China family comes before everything else. She was the first among her siblings to have a 'son' - Even though he does not carry on the 'Yu' family name, the importance of being first cannot be underestimated in Chinese Culture.

Yu Family members:

Oldest Sister Nancy (Yu Nan), now married to Gayland Paul Miller and living in Grand Junction, IA. Nancy went into the PLA at a young age, and was a stereotypical young Chinese student, roaming the country-side, waving the "little red book" of sayings by Mao. She has a big heart, and only wants the best for everyone in her family. She has two daughters (by a previous marriage) one lives in ShenZhen (directly opposite Hong Kong), and the other is immigrating to Australia with her husband.

Oldest brother (Yu XinNan), is retired from his government job as the Deputy Director of Transportation/Traffic Management in Nanchang, Jiangxi Province (retired 2009). As a young man he also went into the army and was trained in air-defense. He loves opera, has a great singing voice and has produces his own music cd's. XinNan has one daughter who is married and she had a son this past winter.

Second oldest sister (Yu Yali), also went into the army at a young age. She is now a high ranking officer in the Jiangxi / Nanchang Prison system. She will be retiring early in 2012. She has one daughter - TianTian (by her first husband - who is the CEO of Jiangxi TV). Her second former hsuband (Lao Tung) is a successful corporate attorney here in Nanchang, and although they are divorced, he maintains a close contact with the family.

Finally there is 'little' brother, Yu YaoNan. He has been living for several years in Shenzhen /Quangzhou area (directly opposite Hong Kong). He was the second in the family to have a 'son', and more importantly, his son carries the 'Yu' family name, which is of very significant importance in China. His son, Mung-Mung and his wife Yao Wen have a new baby. Like his older brother, YaoNan is a singer with a great voice.