China: A rare picture of the young Jiang Qing (1914-1991) in Yan'an, c. 1938.

Jiang Qing (Chiang Ch'ing, March 1914 – May 14, 1991) was the pseudonym that was used by Chinese leader Mao Zedong's last wife and major Communist Party of China power figure.

She went by the stage name Lan Ping during her acting career, and was known by various other names during her life. She married Mao in Yan'an in November 1938, and is sometimes referred to as Madame Mao in Western literature, serving as Communist China's first first lady.

Jiang Qing was most well-known for playing a major role in the Cultural Revolution (1966–76) and for forming the radical political alliance known as the 'Gang of Four'. When Mao died in 1976, Jiang lost the support and justification for her political activities. She was arrested in October 1976 by Hua Guofeng and his allies, and was subsequently accused of being counter-revolutionary.

Though initially sentenced to death, her sentence was commuted to life imprisonment in 1983, however, and in May 1991 she was released for medical treatment. Before returning to prison, she committed suicide.

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WOMEN IN HISTORY