The Unfinished Epic of Women
If life is an epic, then the story of women is one that transcends time and borders.
From queens and poets to scientists and ordinary mothers, they have all, in their own ways, illuminated the path of freedom and dignity for those who follow.
Ancient Chinese Heroines
Wang Zhaojun brought peace through marriage.
Li Qingzhao, with her lyrical verses, chronicled both personal sorrow and national grief.
Liang Hongyu beat the war drums and repelled the invaders.
And Butterfly Lovers Zhu Yingtai and Liang Shanbo echo across time with Romeo and Juliet.
Modern Chinese Icons
Lin Huiyin balanced architecture and poetry.
Xiao Hong wrote of suffering and survival.
Tu Youyou saved millions through medical discovery.
Jin Xing defied gender norms and danced her truth.
Global Women Who Inspire
Ruth Bader Ginsburg fought for equality through law.
Harriet Tubman led slaves to freedom.
Billie Jean King smashed gender bias on the tennis court.
Simone de Beauvoir redefined womanhood.
Helen Keller illuminated darkness.
Virginia Woolf claimed space for female voices.
Sri Lanka gave us the first female president.
New Zealand granted women the right to vote and saw its prime minister cradle her baby at the United Nations.
My Family’s Epic
My grandmother, born in 1915, escaped the tradition of foot binding.
My mother, born in 1940, bore six children—five daughters before the long-awaited son.
My eldest sister carried the family’s burdens from childhood, sacrificing her education and youth.
My Awakening
When I was 20, I overheard my father say,
“I want my daughters to bring in at least 100,000 yuan in dowries.”
I told him:
“We are not livestock. You cannot put a price on us.”
That day, I left home.
Since I was 19, I have never depended on my parents for a cent.
I worked, I earned, and I sent money home—not out of obligation, but as a symbolic act of buying back my freedom.
And today, I know:
Freedom and choice are life’s most basic, precious rights.
They are never given.
They are fought for, every day, by women like us.
The Story Continues...
So here I am, writing down these names, these stories,
So my kid, my friends, my readers can know:
“Look, the path you walk is lit by the women before you.”
From them to us,
and from us to those ahead,
this epic of women is unfinished—
and always will be
-To Be Continued EP019-
