Jiang Qing (1914-1991) began a career as a movie actress in Shanghai in the late 1930s. She
became Mao Zedong's third wife in 1939, and was a major political figure during the Cultural Revolution as
both ranking deputy director and de facto head of the Central Cultural Revolution Group. She was also
well-known for her role in promoting the so-called Revolutionary Beijing Opera.
After Mao died in 1976, Jiang Qing was arrested as the leader of the
"Gang of Four." She was sentenced to death (commuted to life imprisonment in January 1983). Released for
medical treatment in May 1991, she allegedly committed suicide.
Jiang Qing
