general manager of one of the largest and most-progressive department stores in the country, but also because of her compassion.

Wang was first in the city to promote lateral ties between commercial establishments, and the total volume of profits her department store turned over to the State over six years was 11 times more than the total investment.

Wang's 83-year-old mother said that her husband died very early. "It was Yunfeng who raised her three younger brothers," she said, adding, "She never fails to bring me some tasty pastry every time she comes home, no matter how busy she has been at work."

A middle-school teacher who voted for Wang said, "In my opinion, in addition to career success, modern women should also be independent and charming, and have a sense of freedom. This, of course, has nothing to do with a person's age."

A soldier named Xiang Mingjun wrote to the federation, expressing his approval of the selection of the top 10 modern women, who are attentive to their husbands, tender to their children, filial to their aged parents and friendly to their neighbours.

In the house of another of the top 10 modern women, Zhang Guiqing, general manager of Shenyang's Mulan Industrial Corporation, colourful flowers can be found everywhere. Zhang was cleaning the house when the reporter visited her.

"Despite her fame as a boss of 27 enterprises, she is a good housekeeper and an attentive housewife. She is also a capable and kind mother," Zhang's husband said proudly.

Zhang, 48, has six children, four of whom are now university students. "The whole family is happy at my being chosen," she said.

According to the director of the women' s federation, two of the most important criteria for the top 10 modern women out of the city's 2.63 million women are having been praised by authorities above the city goverument level and having a harmonious and happy family.

This is quite a departure from past attitudes, in the days when a strong sense of family was often regarded as selfish and bourgeois, Zhang said.

Only two years ago, the story of a mo:lel woman teacher who persevered in her work and ignored the pleas of her sick son was widely cited with approval.

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