17 Facts About Shen Jilan

Shen Jilan was a Chinese politician affiliated with the Chinese Communist Party and was a former farmer.

Shen Jilan held numerous governance positions and was elected to the 1st National People's Congress in 1954, and went on to be re-elected for all subsequent sittings of the National People's Congress over the next 65 years, the only person with this distinction.

Shen Jilan was born in Pingshun County, Shanxi, on 29 December 1929.

The success of this local cooperative allowed Shen Jilan to rise to prominence within the Party in the 1950s.

Shen Jilan established a working women's group to carry out agricultural work.

In 1953, Shen Jilan joined the Chinese Communist Party and gained widespread media attention due to the success of the farming cooperative.

Shen Jilan was elected to the 1st National People's Congress in 1954 as one of four female representatives from Shanxi province.

Shen Jilan was the only person to have been elected to every session of the National People's Congress, having been returned to the 13th National People's Congress in 2018.

In 1973, Shen Jilan became director of the Shanxi Women's Federation, a position she held for ten years, before returning to her home village of Xigou in 1983.

Shen Jilan helped establish a ferroalloy plant, walnut oil factory, and cannery in the local area.

Shen Jilan was an integral part of a reforestation plan in Xigou.

When her calls for widespread internet regulation in 2013 met with controversy, Shen Jilan suggested that she did not "follow the trends among the young", but argued that displaying different points of view are a benefit of the National People's Congress system.

Shen Jilan was considered a somewhat controversial figure by democracy activists given the fact she never voted against the party.

Shen Jilan died on 28 June 2020, at the age of 90, from stomach cancer.

Shen Jilan was married to Zhang Hailiang, a veteran of the Korean War who later became director of Changzhi Municipal Urban Construction Bureau.

In 2009 during the 2nd Session of the 11th National People's Congress, Shen Jilan was interviewed by Henan Business Daily, and she said.

Some media pointed out that Shen Jilan supported struggle sessions against Liu Shaoqi during the Cultural Revolution, while she supported rehabilitation for him after the Cultural Revolution ended.