At the CCTV Spring Festival Gala in 2000, two similar-looking female soldiers stood out. They were twin sisters Zhang Weiwei and Zhang Lili, who were the leaders of the women's troop contingent at the 50th anniversary parade of the founding of the People's Republic of China. The sisters appeared on stage at the Spring Festival Gala, performing the song and dance "Sisters in the Army". Their sweet singing voice and sincere and touching performance won them the first prize in the song and dance category selected by the audience. Under the recommendation of Wang Xiaoling and Zang Yunfei, the famous lyricists and composers in the army, their song "Sisters in the Army" was compiled into the seventh series of the newly published "Military Ballads". This pair of young Liaoning sisters were instantly famous, and were known as the "Sisters in the Army".
Chinese Name: Sisters in the Army
Nationality: Chinese
Ethnicity: Han Chinese
Birthplace: China
Occupation: Literature and art soldier
Representative Works: Sisters in the Army
Women Soldiers' Leader
At the 1999 National Day parade, the people who made the most impression were the twin sisters, Zhang Weiwei and Zhang Lili. twin sisters. The red-brimmed dome cap, orange tie, dark blue skirt, high waisted leather boots, both majestic, but also lose the daughter's delicate. As the leader of the women's troop contingent, when they lead the women soldiers through Tiananmen Square with a positive step, everyone remembers this pair of beautiful sisters in the army.
Work and life, the sisters have a lot of **** the same place, but also have their own different characteristics - sister Zhang Lili height 169 cm, sister Zhang Weiwei shorter than her sister one centimeter, but because of the sister's voice is good, the task of the training of the next command is the sister's; the sister honored with two times the third-class merit, sister honored with one. In the National Day parade, the two sisters compete with each other, the results are very outstanding, and once again both meritorious.
When training in the parade village, the two sisters lived in a dormitory, ate in a canteen, divided into a district team, the younger sister is the district captain, the older sister is the squad leader, the older sister kicked eight pairs of leather shoes together. Work on the sister resolutely obey sister, but when it comes to the problem is arguing to the face; life sister everywhere modest to sister to learn, but also very have their own opinions.
The two sisters' hobbies are the same: reading and dancing; their health conditions are amazingly similar, with the sister catching a cold and the sister having a fever; even when they are not together, their reactions are similar.
At first, Li Longchi, then political commissar of the People's Liberation Army's Baiqiu'en Military Medical College and head of the women's contingent leadership team, took into account that Zhang Weiwei and Zhang Lili were twins with a good image, a good figure, and a comparable size, and wanted to let the sisters be the leader. However, due to the two people are relatively thin, the movement is not too hard, and the voice of the command is not loud enough, in the organization of the command experience is also relatively lack of. Therefore, some people were skeptical when Li Longchi proposed to choose them as leaders. Later, some people proposed to choose two more reserve leaders, Li Longchi persuaded everyone and insisted on using them.
Li Longchi said that during the 1984 National Day parade, the women's contingent had a pair of sisters named He Aize and He Yangze, who stood out. Chief of General Staff Yang Dezhi had received them when he inspected the squad, and later both the chief and the media had to take a look at them when they visited the women's squad. The parade itself is for people to see, with good "sister flower" will be able to add color to the squad. And they are both in very good condition," he said.
So, at the insistence of Li Longchi, the matter of Zhang Weiwei and Zhang Lili as the leader was finalized. After that, Li Longchi personally talked to them, handing over tasks and raising requirements. The two sisters were very competitive, trained very hard, and made rapid progress, and were finally recognized.
The most memorable thing for them was the day of the parade. When the parade car arrived at forty-five degrees to the right of the front of the squad, Zhang Weiwei and Zhang Lili shouted together, "Twelve squares, salute!" We had practiced the salute many times and had formed a tacit understanding. The separation ceremony began, 17 foot squads and 25 vehicle squads passed through Tiananmen Square one by one. Finally, it was the turn of the women's contingent to advance. Zhang Weiwei and Zhang Lili walked at the front of the squad and watched the Tiananmen Tower getting closer and closer. A sense of mission, responsibility and pride immediately filled their hearts. Nearer, nearer, when they passed the salute line, they both brightened their voices together and shouted: "To the right - look!" The women's squad, representing all the women soldiers of the army, passed through Tiananmen Square in a square step, making a report to the motherland and the people.
Chinese New Year Gala
After the National Day parade, Zhang Weiwei and Zhang Lili returned to their parents in Anshan City, Liaoning Province, on vacation. Their vacation lasted only a few days, but many local people wanted to see the two girls who had done their hometown proud, and the family was busy ushering them back and forth in those days. Some advertisers and large companies have also come to the door, want to ask the sisters to do advertising, some even opened a staggeringly high price, but they were both politely declined. Sisters are Shijiazhuang Baiqiu'en Military Medical College in 1998 graduates, the end of the parade was assigned to the General Logistics Department of the Medical High Commissioner work. They have just reported to the new unit, the God of Fortune came again. Wang Xiaoling, director of the Comrades in Arms Song and Dance Troupe of the Political Department of the Beijing Military Region, and Zang Yunfei, a composer, took a liking to this pair of "sisters" of the women's contingent. They created the song "Sisters in the Army" for the sisters in a very short period of time and invited them to participate in the filming of "Sisters in the Army".
The sisters had received good training in dance, before entering military school to enlist as a civilian soldier, in the choreographer's instructions under the dance moves can do very well, but they have never been voice training, in the use of the voice with the gas and other aspects of the almost nothing, singing is always unable to find the key, in the studio the sisters are often anxious and sweating. Mr. Zang Yunfei, the teacher in charge of the sisters' music instruction, kept comforting them: "You can't be in a hurry to sing, you have to find the knack first, and then sing and practice a lot before you can sing well." In the days to come, the sisters took out the spirit of the parade team, in addition to eating and sleeping, just like when the parade ground to practice shouting, almost all the time is used to practice singing, in the sisters' residence, all the time can be heard their singing.
But singing, after all, is different from practicing in formation, which requires not only hard work, but more importantly, understanding. To everyone's surprise, the sisters' singing level has improved a lot in a very short time. Under the guidance of Mr. Zang Yunfei, they studied hard and soon mastered the knack of singing.
CCTV director set the program
"Sisters in the army" was originally prepared to participate in the "Great Red Eagle Music and Television Competition", and in the send-off of the troops in Macao, who knew that the news reached the CCTV Spring Festival Gala directors in the ear, they went to the Friends of the war Song and Dance Troupe lobbying, and finally finally got what they wanted, the program "buckle", and the "buckle" of the program. The program was finally "held" down. The two sisters began to "prepare" for the Spring Festival Gala.
Zhang Weiwei, Zhang Lili, although the National Day parade test, but after receiving the notice to prepare for the Spring Festival gala still feel very suddenly, to know, the Spring Festival gala is the people's attention of the "New Year's Eve dinner", and their performance of the song and dance "Sisters in the Army" is the third program of the gala, which is one of the highlights of the gala. The program requirements are strict and almost harsh. The strict requirements of the program almost demanding CCTV Spring Festival Gala, so that a pair of newcomers who have never sung a song to take charge of such an important program, a few first is unique. Sisters said, song and dance "sisters in the army" this program both lyricists and choreographers are first-class, they can not in any case because of their own performance is not good to erase the luster of this good work.
The Spring Festival Gala crew arranged for the sisters to stay in the guest house of the Ministry of the Army in Beijing with other singing and dancing groups participating in the Spring Festival Gala. The thought of performing with many stars on the same stage, the two of them thinking pressure is very big, but they did not think, in the evening party crew they both became a star in the "star".
On weekdays during rehearsals, the sisters have the most contact with the dancers who accompany them, and on the rehearsal floor, each of these professional actors can be Vivian, Lily's teacher, but during breaks they like to surround the sisters and ask questions, and they like to listen to the training of the women's military contingent and the story of the National Day parade. During the rehearsal of the evening party, Weiwei and Lili also met many big stars that they had only seen on TV before, including Huang Hong, Zhao Benshan, Song Dandan, Zhang Huimei, Zhang Ziyi, and "Little Swallow" Zhao Wei. Unexpectedly, the big stars are very rare this sisters, there are always people pulling them to ask long and short, Zhao Benshan heard that the sisters from Anshan City, ran to recognize the hometown with them, Song Dandan see them with the standard northeastern accent greetings: "I saw our northeastern due to (people) children feel close to the panic." The Taiwan singer Zhang Huimei, who is a member of "Sister Power Unlimited", pulled the sisters to examine them for a long time, and said excitedly, "We saw the National Day parade, and the women's military squad is really powerful, and I heard that your sisters are the leaders of the women's military squad, so I must get to know you."
Mom and dad are very proud
On New Year's Eve, the sisters' home in Anshan, Liaoning Province, was very lively, and the sisters' parents brought their grandpa, grandma, grandma and grandpa to their home, and the family stayed in front of the TV to accompany the two children to spend the New Year's Eve together. Before the evening party began, they also quietly called their mother pouting: "soon to be the official performance, everyone said we performed well, but we are still very nervous, mom, you say how to do? You mustn't watch TV when we perform, or we'll be even more nervous." They were very proud of their daughters after seeing their children perform so well.
Talking about the sisters' future, the parents said their daughters grew up in the army, where they studied medicine, and hoped they would become excellent military doctors. But the two daughters are very talented in art, and if they have the opportunity to participate in some cultural performances. The sisters are already years old and have no boyfriends, so their parents, who are obsessed with the army, hope that they will find a lifelong home in the army. The parents' wish also seems to be exactly the sisters' choice, they said, "This uniform is very suitable for us, we like and cherish this uniform very much."
Books and cassettes
Shenyang writer Li Easily wrote a book for the sisters -- "Sisters in the Army". The book is a true record of their growth process and details before and after participating in military parades and the Spring Festival gala. Recently, the book has been published by Writers Publishing House. The "Sisters in the Army" sung by them has also been selected to be included in the seventh series of "Military Ballads" which is popular among the listeners inside and outside the army, and has been released nationwide, adding new heat and vitality to the military ballads.
Walking down the Spring Festival Gala
Slim figure, beautiful face, every move embodies the generous, a smile through the awe-inspiring wind. In the new millennium, the Spring Festival Gala, valiant female officers Zhang Weiwei Zhang Lili is a chic landscape. It is understood that the Spring Festival Gala, "the most popular program" selection, this pair of "pride in the focus" topped the list. What are the sisters doing off the screen? With questions, the reporter interviewed the two military good daughter.
Zhang Weiwei and Zhang Lili are from the Baiqiu'en Military Medical College, sister Zhang Weiwei studied nursing, there are more than half a year to graduate; sister Zhang Lili studied laboratory medicine, has been assigned to a military hospital internship. Sisters from childhood to inseparable, never separated. 1995 National Day parade on the eve of the sisters because of the different majors, a work, a school, it seems to be on the other side of the world, who knows that the National Day parade of the mission once again so that the two of them come together. In the grand military parade, the sisters march through the Tiananmen Square, to President Jiang Zemin and other party and state leaders salute solemnly, guiding the entire female military squad to accept the motherland and the people's review. Since then, a pair of ordinary twin sisters, into the people's eyes.
The sisters grew up in an ordinary family in Anshan, Liaoning Province, their father is a cadre in the railroad department, and their mother is an accountant. 14 years old, they graduated from high school together with the special enlistment, and both became civilian soldiers. Since then, they climbed the snowy mountains, drilling ravines, on the post, walk the border, the beautiful folk dance all over the north and south of the Yangtze River, in the CCTV "May Day" Labor Day Cultural Evening, to the head of the Military Commission to report on the performance of the "world of the soldiers", "18 years old dream" and other programs, their wonderful performances such as the water as a small lotus frequently show their own! "In 1996, the two sisters were admitted to the military school together with excellent results. Sister excelled in liberal arts, sister outstanding in science, in the school is a school flower of both character and excellence.
Because they look exactly the same, they also have a lot of trouble. 1995, the sisters received an invitation from the director of the Spring Festival Gala to take part in the song and dance "Sisters in the Army" singing task. It is very lucky to be able to participate in one of the most important parties of the year, not to mention that many other singers are four or five people to sing a song. Time is tight, the task is heavy, the pressure is great, good thing is that the two sisters usually hobby is singing and dancing, and there are many times to participate in the performance of the foundation, plus "Sisters in the Army" lyrics and music is very suitable for them. After days of rehearsal, the sisters finally confidently to the front of the stage, on the screen. At the beginning of rehearsals, the director often named the wrong person, criticized the wrong person, either "without merit", or "on behalf of others", began to be quite aggrieved, and then think about it does not matter, the sisters would have had a lot of **** with the same point, criticizing who praised who are the same as their own! The first thing you need to do is to get your hands on a new one, and you'll be able to do that.
The two sisters are beautiful and love beauty, and in 1995, in order to show the Chinese female officer's style, they sacrificed their white faces - despite two layers of sunscreen, or a bit of a tan. The sisters took out their photo albums and looked at their beautiful past, proud of their sacred role. In the face of reporters' questions, they said in unison: "This sacrifice is nothing, for the honor of the motherland, for the honor of the Chinese female soldiers, we are willing to dedication."
After attending the Spring Festival gala, the two sisters returned to their ordinary posts and worked quietly to write a new chapter in their military careers.
Growth story
In January 1977, Zhang Weiwei and Zhang Lili, twin sisters, were born in an ordinary working family in Anshan. When they were six years old, their parents sent them to Anshan City Children's Palace to learn dance. The reason why the two sisters to learn dance is because at a very young age, when they hear music, the sisters will dance, and their parents feel that they have a deep talent in this area.
In 1991, the sisters were recruited by the Beijing Military Region as part of a nationwide competition to become part of a group of seven specially recruited art soldiers. The life in the military camp has tempered the will of the sisters, and in their hearts they have always set a goal to study and further their education.
Because the sisters studied hard, very hard, in 1996, the sisters were both admitted to the Baikou'en Military Medical College, the sister Zhang Weiwei studied nursing, sister Zhang Lili study is a test specialty.
In 1998 and 1999, the sisters graduated with honors and were awarded the rank of lieutenant. Just before graduation, the two were selected to join the National Day parade squad. The sisters' outstanding performance also made them the leader of the women's contingent, whose sturdy pace and pretty face have since become the focus of attention of the people of Anshan and even the whole country.
After participating in the National Day parade, the sisters went into the 2000 CCTV Spring Festival Gala, where the song "Sisters in the Army" once again attracted the attention of the national audience. At that time, the media had reported that the sisters did not have singing skills, in order to practice the song took a lot of effort. The CCTV Spring Festival Gala, which has always been demanding, is almost unique in allowing a pair of newcomers who have never sung before to take on such an important role. But in the end, the sisters conquered the audience with their valiant presence.
After the 2000 Spring Festival Gala, the sisters gradually faded out of people's attention, until a dispute over infringement of the sisters' portrait rights once again made the "sisters in the army" the focus of public attention.
Ten years later
Ten years have passed and the sisters have long since faded from public view. Nowadays, how are they? A reporter recently found them in Beijing, where the sisters are leading a quiet but busy life.
Zhang Lili work place is the People's Liberation Army Medical Library, located in the Haidian District of Beijing, which is open to the public library, every day there are a lot of people from all walks of life interested in medicine to see the book. Most people don't know that the person in front of them is Lili Zhang, one of the military sisters in the 1999 National Day parade. A staff member who works in the same office as Zhang Lili said that Zhang Lili's life is very low-key, and she commutes to work on her bicycle every day, and there is no one who will pay special attention to her. "In addition to a few colleagues in our library, few people know that she was one of the famous sisters of the year," said the staff.
The reporter met Lili Zhang in the office of the PLA Medical Library. Zhang Lili is engaged in administrative management. A military uniform, a head of curly hair Zhang Lili, and ten years ago on TV compared to see, a few more mature and charming. Unlike her serious face at that time, she always has a smile on her face nowadays. "You came all the way here to interview me, so I'm really quite touched." Zhang Lili said that for various reasons, she rarely accepts media interviews. Zhang Lili said that work is busy and peaceful. "I'm not a star anymore, and I don't want to be the center of attention." Since that Spring Festival Gala, Zhang Lili said, she and her sister Zhang Weiwei have faded out of the public spotlight and led a quiet life. Few people can recognize her when she walks down the road, and she thinks that's fine. The upcoming National Day 60th Anniversary Military Parade is something that Zhang Lili is looking forward to as much as the whole country is. Recently, she made a special trip to the National Day Parade Village to see the soldiers training there. Vivian Zhang works at the General Hospital of the People's Liberation Army (PLA). The PLA General Hospital, also known as Hospital 301, is the largest general hospital in the military. It was not easy to find her in such a big hospital. After several inquiries, in a surgical building office, the reporter found Zhang Weiwei, at this time, she is working nervously in front of the computer. Zhang Weiwei and Zhang Lili look very similar. The difference is that Zhang Weiwei has short hair, and compared with her sister, Zhang Weiwei's expression is more serious. "I'm usually very busy at work, and it's hard to find even one or twenty minutes of free time." Again, because of army discipline, Zhang Weiwei couldn't go into detail. But she said that the National Day parade is her most unforgettable experience, remembered when she was just selected for the parade square, Zhang Lili also insisted on writing a "training diary", to write down the daily training and thoughts. But then the training intensity is getting bigger and bigger, they sleep on the top bunk, the end of the training every day, the strength to climb on the bed is not there, the training diary on the shelves, which has also become a regret for her.
Today, Zhang Weiwei and Zhang Lili sisters have obtained their master's degrees, been promoted to the rank of major, formed a happy family, and have a lovely child, career, love and family are full of sunshine.
Personal Profile
Name: Zhang Weiwei/Zhang Lili
Hometown: Anshan, Liaoning
Family Background: Cadre/Accountant
Birthday: January 23, 1977
Height: 1.69M/1.68M
Weight: 52KG
Blood Type: O
Personality: Stately/Stately
Blood type: O
They are the first two sisters to have achieved a master's degree.
Personality: dignified/vivacious
Education: Master of Medical Science
Graduate School: People's Liberation Army Baiqiu'en Military Medical College, People's Liberation Army Fourth Military Medical University
Location of Service: Beijing
Hobbies: Dance
Most Memorable Thing: Participating in the 50th Anniversary of the Founding of the People's Republic of China, Tiananmen Square parade
Favorite Sport: Drill, Running
More than anything else, I like to do. sport: drilling, running
Favorite color: olive green
Favorite animal: rabbits
Favorite food: spicy, pasta, whatever
Ideal lover: Mom and Dad want to find in the army
Biggest strengths: not afraid of hard work, never give in, love to learn
Biggest weaknesses: too much alike, hard to distinguish
Mantra: "I'm not afraid to go through the motions, I don't want to go through the motions, I want to go through the motions. p>
Mantra: Not clear
Motto: Female soldiers don't believe in tears
Honorable awards: First prize in the song and dance category in the CCTV Spring Festival Gala Audience Selection, third-class merit for the female contingent
Lyrics and music score
(White) One, two, three, four, look to the right
(White) One, two, one, two, three, four
On the blue-sky boulevard The colorful clouds are chasing,
Young us songs are flying.
Land, sea, air and sky bright stars,
*** and the country's female soldiers in the army sisters.
The wind and rain in a few more romantic true love,
Together to taste together with the flavor;
Strong in a few tender and delicate,
Together to laugh together with tears.
Marching in praise,
The sun and the moon raise their glasses for us.
Youth for peace and sunshine,
*** and the country's female soldiers military sisters.
Colorful clouds are chasing on the blue sky avenue,
Young us songs are flying.
Land, sea, air and sky bright stars,
*** and the country's female soldiers in the army sisters.
Book Archive
"Sisters in the Army - Zhang Weiwei Zhang Lili"
Author Li Easy By
Format Item 122;20cm
Publication Item Writers' Publishing House, 2000
ISBN No. 7-5063-1915 -2/K825.2=76
Original Book Pricing 18.00
Subject Line Zhang Weiwei Zhang Lili (Discipline: Biography)
Reference Format Li Easy, Sisters in the Army - Zhang Weiwei Zhang Lili, Writers' Publishing House, 2000
About Zhang Weiwei and Zhang Lili were a pair of twin sisters, the leader of the 50th anniversary of the National Day women's military squad, CCTV Spring Festival Gala sang "Sisters in the Army", this book is the life story of the two of them.