Updated with new and seldom seen photos of Yang Peiyi.
China presented adorable Lin Miako singing ‘Ode to the Motherland’, but it turns out she was lip syncing and the voice was that of Yang Peiyi who was deemed not cute enough to put in front of the cameras. Read about it below, see photos and videos.
Yang Peiyi
Lin Miako (L) and Yang Peiyi (R)
New photos of Yang Peiyi via Hot Tokyo (continue reading below):
Yang Peiyi - Photos
New and rarely seen photos of Yang Peiyi. She’s beautiful!
Everyone is up in arms that the committed directing the Olympic Opening Ceremony in Beijing did not allow the little girl who sang ‘Ode to the Motherland’ in front of the cameras. Instead, they presented 9-year-old Lin Miako as the singer. Lin is adorable. She has a perfect smile, long pigtails, is photogenic and just perky as she can possibly be. She’s cute as a little bug and she knows it.
On the other hand, 7-year-old Yang Peiyi, has an beautiful singing voice that sang the song perfectly in clear and angelic tones. However, the committee charged with putting together a flawless show for the world to see at the opening ceremony, determined that she didn’t have the physical appearance China wanted to portray to the world. Chen Qigang, the general music designer of the ceremony, said it was decided her face was too chubby and her teeth too crooked.
What to do, what to do?
Combine the two! They had the perfect visually pleasing girl and the girl with the prettiest voice so the solution seemed to be screaming out to them. Have Yang Peiyi sing and Lin Miako stand prettily in front of the world and lip sync.
Done and done.
The problem is that many are outraged that the committee that made those decisions in China would decide a little 7-year-old girl wasn’t cute enough to be the image China wanted to present to the world.
I agree, of course. I think its mean to tell a child that she’s not cute. But the parents of the little girl are thrilled that she was chosen to sing for her beautiful voice. She’s famous now and praised for her singing ability. The other little girl obviously knows she is just too adorable to be able to stand it.
I suspect Yang Peiyi will be the better of the two when they grow up - but that’s just a guess, of course.
I’m not defending this action. China’s human rights record is abysmal. But seriously, don’t go to China and expect that they are going to be open and upfront. They are going to present the image they want to present. They are Chinese. THAT’s WHAT THEY DO!!!! For crying out loud. Having one child lip sync and song another child is singing is the lease of the worries of what goes on there.
Regardless, everyone is outraged over the lengths to which the Chinese went to put on the perfect show for their Olympic Opening Ceremony. The great lip sync scandal. Those outraged people might do well to remember the lengths to which Hollywood will go to film an average movie.
A star doesn’t have perfect boobs? Hollywood will find someone who does and film them to appear to be on the star. They’ll do the same with an ass, legs, or any other body part. And please remind me how many stars have lip synced while someone else sang a song.
Come on. China put on a show, just like Hollywood.
Yang Peiyi - Video
Peiyi singing at the Olympic Opening Ceremony
Yang Peiyi - Video
News Story
photo source: file
August 12th, 2008 at 12:34 pm
THAT’S not cute enough??? She’s adorable! Dumb Chi-Coms.
August 12th, 2008 at 1:35 pm
“They Are Chinese, That’s what they do”???
How stereotypical of you.
I’m Chinese, that’s certainly not what I would do, I am ashamed of this action.
Narrow minded writer such as you do not deserve to have your work published.
August 12th, 2008 at 1:41 pm
jy - perhaps I should have written ‘that’s Communist’. I’ve lived in Taiwan and love the Chinese people and culture.
But when it comes to the current communist government of China, I suppose you could ask the Tibetan monks how open and inclusive the communist government is. They would know better than me.
August 12th, 2008 at 1:41 pm
jy - I also said that Hollywood does the same thing. Its all about the show.
August 12th, 2008 at 2:09 pm
>>jy - I also said that Hollywood does the same thing. Its all about the show.
But did you say They are American, That what they Do???
August 12th, 2008 at 2:23 pm
I really wish they kept the identity of the singer a secret. Now, for the rest of her life, she’ll be known as the ugly singer.
I know quite a bit about Chinese culture, and though America has gender/lookism issues of its own, America provides far more outlets for women to succeed without using just their looks than most Asian societies.
August 12th, 2008 at 2:44 pm
there are plenty successful singers who are known for their sing ability, not their looks in China. Case and point, Liu Huan, he song in the opening ceremony, he is not good looking by any means, but sings good.
Actually, I think it’s the little girl on the stage whose life is ruined, she will be forever know as a fake.
August 12th, 2008 at 2:55 pm
…the country is trying way too hard to be accepted, and be rid of their stereotypes. look at the gymnasts after every routine. they give each other the fakest high fives i ever seen…it looks forced by the same government, that told the girl she wasnt cute enough for the world to see…
August 12th, 2008 at 2:58 pm
ig - I HOPE she’ll be known as the girl with the fantastic singing ability.
August 12th, 2008 at 2:59 pm
yj - I said its what Hollywood does actually. Its the same thing - its all about the packaging and appearance.
August 12th, 2008 at 3:13 pm
china fails again.
August 12th, 2008 at 3:25 pm
…i HOPE the country will be smart enough, to have Yang Peiyi…sing at the closing ceremony. the damage has already been done, but the country could go out with some dignity…
August 12th, 2008 at 4:02 pm
Just to rant about china, the rest of the world will capitalize on the most petty and the most stupid things! My goodness, are we really that hypocrite? FOR CRYING OUT LOUD, TREAT IT LIKE YOU WERE WATCHING A MOVIE! It’s ENTERTAINMENT. That’s why there are Stunt doubles, vocal doubles, body doubles, because of this kind of imperfection exists! Are we really that stupid? To make a big deal out of this? It’s so ridiculous, this just goes to show how hypocritical, double standard, hateful people we can be.
Shame on you people! This is just too stupid!
August 12th, 2008 at 4:04 pm
Jermaineivan - isn’t that what I said in the post?
August 12th, 2008 at 4:42 pm
I hate it when stupid people compare ‘Hollywood’ with ‘Olympics’
Obviously everything in Hollywood is fake, boobs, ass, stunts, effects, etc. You name it, because it is for a movie and movies are ‘fictional’. When you watch a movie you know everything there is fake/setup. It is very different from the Olympics which is very real.
Learn your logic.
August 12th, 2008 at 4:45 pm
…u tell’em Pratty! how in the world is Jermaineivan make light of the olympics…as just some form of entertainment, its way grander then that…it means a lot to these countries.
August 12th, 2008 at 4:48 pm
agreed with pratty.
not really a surprise seeing China is the world’s ‘PIRACY’ capital, they can fake anything whenever they pretty damn please. hate china all you want, i bet you that the mouse and the keyboard you are using right now is made in china -.-
August 12th, 2008 at 5:14 pm
I think it’s appalling and the real zinger is the official’s response and acting like the whole lip synching, discriminating against a little girl was normal - that part is sickening. And no, it’s not like Hollywood. When you watch a movie, you know it’s not real and it’s just an illusion but an on stage singing performance at the opening ceremony? I don’t think it’s acceptable. It’s like going to your favorite band’s concert and finding out they didn’t sing a note of it! Would you want your ticket back?
August 12th, 2008 at 6:55 pm
I sure would want my ticket back! There is SUCH a difference between faking stuff in movies (e.g. AS IF people can really fly or transform) and faking the OLYMPICS! China even faked the fireworks!! Are they really that low? Well, apparently they are. Shame on them and their human rights abuse, too.
August 12th, 2008 at 7:24 pm
Oh for crying out loud!! The opening ceremony isn’t ‘THE OLYMPICS’. Its a SHOW (entertainment) that is presented before the Olympics begin. Its not like an athlete faked their performance. You could tell the little girl was lip syncing.
Its certainly not the first time theatrics, special effects and lip syncing were used in an Olympic ceremony.
I’m not saying they were right - I think the little girl who sang should have been there. But in the end - she’ll be known as the girl with the voice and already the media is portraying the other little girl as a ‘fake’. I hate it for both of the girls.
August 12th, 2008 at 7:32 pm
where ever she is too chubby or her teeth too crooked, please show her.
This is her voice.
That some hidden history will now you are the best, Yang Peiyi.
August 12th, 2008 at 7:38 pm
hen.f - well said. Yang Peiyi is adorable. Her eyes are beautiful and she has an innocent and sweet look on her face.
August 12th, 2008 at 8:18 pm
HAHAHA DISREGARD THAT, I SUCK COCKS
August 12th, 2008 at 8:31 pm
Looks like it went to your head
August 13th, 2008 at 2:48 am
[...] fake fireworks displays and the pretty lip-syncing girl do not bother me at all. Westerners accept this all of the time. Actually, I think [...]