Nie Xiuping

Nie Xiuping, born in the 1940s, hails from Tongchuan Township in Yuanping City, Xinzhou Province, Shanxi Province (formerly Qingshuiqiao Village, White South Township). She was born into a family with a revolutionary tradition; her ancestors were veteran party members and revolutionaries, and they were key members of the family. There are six siblings in her family, and Nie Xiuping is the fifth among them.

In terms of her career, Nie Xiuping previously worked at the Second Warehouse of the Yuanping Grain Bureau until her retirement. Her husband, Zhao Meigao, was employed at Yuanping Phosphate Fertilizer Factory. Both come from families rich in revolutionary tradition. She is the mother of pilot Zhao Peng, and among her family members are also professionals in government and industrial sectors.

Regarding her children's education, Nie Xiuping places great importance on her children’s learning. Under her influence, her son Zhao Peng excelled academically, graduating from Class 210 at Yuanping No. 1 High School, and became a pilot through the "Zhaofei" (recruited pilot) program. Her daughter, Zhao Xia, achieved excellent results in the 2013 college entrance examination and plans to continue her studies at university.

In terms of family relationships, Nie Xiuping has lived with her husband for many years, supporting one another. During the National Day holiday in 2006, her son Zhao Peng married Wang Yaping, a Chinese astronaut. As Wang Yaping’s mother-in-law, Nie Xiuping added prestige to the family’s space endeavors. During the Shenzhou 10 mission in 2013, she led her family in cheering for her daughter-in-law Wang Yaping. As of October 2021, Wang Yaping became China’s first female astronaut to carry out an extravehicular activity, a remarkable achievement that has brought widespread attention to Nie Xiuping’s family background.

In summary, Nie Xiuping’s life experiences span transportation, industry, and space exploration, reflecting the life trajectory of an individual from a family with a revolutionary tradition.