He Xiaoming

Xiaoming He, born in 1942, is the daughter of He Long, an important military and political figure of the People's Republic of China. Her family background is profound; her father, He Long, served as Commander of the People's Liberation Army, Vice Premier of the State Council, and Vice Chairman of the Central Military Commission, among other positions. Her mother, Xue Ming, was a family member. They married in 1942, marking He Long's third marriage. Xiaoming He was educated at Peking University and experienced significant family upheavals during the Cultural Revolution.

Her upbringing included moving with her family during wartime, and during the Long March, she accompanied her father on long marches on foot. The family maintained close relationships amidst these hardships. On the day she was born in the winter of 1947, her mother, Xue Ming, courageously gave birth amidst the chaos of war, naming her "Xiaoming," meaning "dawn." Her family had five children, including Xiaoming He, Li Ming He, Pengfei He, and Jiesheng He. As a child, she once traveled to Beijing with her parents and had a brief meeting with Chairman Mao Zedong, which remains a memorable event for her.

During the Cultural Revolution, He Long was falsely accused, and her family suffered severe persecution. Starting in 1966, their home was raided, and her father was publicly criticized; she and her siblings had to hide their identities and evade arrest. During their escape, Xiaoming and her brother Pengfei worked aboard ships involved in maritime labor, hundreds of kilometers from home, waiting for an opportunity to regain freedom. During this period, they used aliases such as "Wu Liang" and "Li Lie" to avoid capture, maintained contact with each other, and eventually returned to school.

After He Long's death in 1976, her family gradually returned to normal life. She has recounted in media interviews that she tried everything—working as a laborer, merchant, student, soldier—before retiring and founding the "He Long Sports Foundation." She remembers her father’s support for revitalizing China’s table tennis team and has been active in sports herself, achieving notable results in table tennis competitions. In 2006, she and her sister jointly established the foundation, dedicated to promoting sports, and held commemorative activities in Sangzhi, Hunan.

Xiaoming He has experienced a rich and varied life, spanning major historical events such as the Anti-Japanese War, the Long March, the founding of New China, and the Cultural Revolution. As He Long’s daughter, she often speaks about her understanding and inheritance of her family and national history in various settings, while continuously pursuing personal growth and fulfillment.