Year in review: Top 20 Asian women of 2005

Editor's Note: Special thanks to affiliate Asian Sirens who contributed to this article and our work over 2005.

By William Sparrow
December 31, 2005

It has been a good year at Asian Sex Gazette and we have enjoyed working to bring you quality reporting on matters of sexuality from Asia. At times the news has been good, such as women gaining rights, sexual education improving in places where it was lacking or non-existant, or the work of many to improve sexual health.

Over the year we have become recognized as a premier source for reporting on sex in Asia, and we thank you the reader for your support. Our publication has found that, for some reason, our reports on up-and-coming, sex-scandal celebrities and model profiles of beautiful Asian woman are a bit more porpular than our reporting on say, human trafficking. Always seeking to serve our readership, we bring you 'Asian Sex Gazette's Top 20 Asian woman of 2005.'

These are women who made headlines in 2005, advanced the status of Asian feminity in the West and made all of us take a second glance. We beleive this also provides a public service by helping our friends and professional cohorts at publications like AskMen.com, who were only able to identify a handful of Asian women for their 'Top 99' this year, by helping to increase the profile of Asian women.

Thanks again for reading Asian Sex Gazette and we look forward to providing you with more of the best coverage of sex in Asia in 2006. Happy New Year, and here is the list:

#20 - Lucy Liu

I love Lucy, you love Lucy, we all love Lucy. Not much needs to be said here and that is simply because the name 'Lucy Liu' now says it all. This Chinese-American actress has made quite a name for herself in recent years in Hollywood and beyond. From her early fiesty days on Ally McBeal to her role in blockbuster films like Charlie's Angels, Lucy has become a household name and to a degree represents Asian female beauty in mainstream western film.

At Asian Sex Gazette, being based in China, we read with some interest an article by Justin Mitchell in The Standard (Hong Kong), which discusses Chinese perceptions of beauty. During a discussion with his Chinese girlfriend, Justin (an American), gets the low-down on what Chinese think of Lucy:

"What's so great about Lucy Liu to Americans anyway?" his girlfriend asks. "She's beautiful," Justin respnds. "She's got freckles," his girlfriend notes. "That's cute!" Justin says decidedly. "Well, she is little cross-eyed," says the girl dismissively. "Endearing!" Proclaims Justin.

We have to agree with Justin on this one.

#19 - Eugenia Yuan

Eugenia can be seen opposite stars like Gong Li, Zhang Ziyi and Michelle Yeoh in the current release Memoirs of a Geisha, a movie based on the best-selling novel by Arthur Golden.

Eugenia Yuan also recently starred in Mail Order Bride, an entertaining romantic comedy that was more comedy than romantic.

In between acting, Yuan, who was part of the US national rhythmic gymnastics team, keeps herself nimble with dancing and martial arts lessons.

But she is quick to wave aside comparisons with her mother, who made her name as a kung fu actress in the 1960's and is still acting. "I'm proud of what she has achieved but I want to pave my own road."

But if given the chance, she would relish working with her mother, she says. "There have been lots of things thrown at us, but we haven't found the one we want yet."

#18 - Maggie Q

(a/k/a: Maggie Quigley and Margret Denise Quigley) Raised in Hawaii, Maggie Q came to Hong Kong and emerged as one of the top models in China. Her prominence on fashion runways, commercials for print and television, pictorials, a former relationship with actor Daniel Wu as well as other rumoured affairs have made her a regular media figure in Hong Kong.

Being half Vietnamese and half American, Maggie's mixed looks are especially popular with advertisers seeking to market to a broader, more international clientele.

Already a 'star', acting was an inevitable next step for Maggie Q, signing with Willie Chan's management, who also represents Jackie Chan and former beau Daniel Wu.

Maggie will be making her American film debut in Mission Impossible III and spoke about working in her first Hollywood feature film recently. "It's very easy to be intimidated in this industry, I just kept telling myself, 'I've worked to get here.'"

#17 - Natalia Vodianova

Born in Gorky (now Nizhni Novgorod), Russia's third largest city, she lived with her mother and two half-sisters in unpleasant conditions. Her mother's abusive boyfriends and a tight financial situation dogged her throughout childhood.

Vodianova enrolled in a modeling academy, where she learned ladylike behavior and etiquette. Fortunately, she also went to casting opportunities, and one day, she caught the eye of a scouting agent from Paris. He told her that a great future was in store for her; all she had to do was learn English in three months.

Convinced that her life could change for the better, Vodianova did just that. At 17, she moved to Paris to try her hand at modeling. Delighted to work, she was a dream client for the Viva agency and was an inspired woman.

When she was 19 years old, she made headway in modeling but still had not made it big. But soon, Vodianova's phone was ringing off the hook. Gucci made her the new face for their perfume line after she had more than 40 runway shows under her belt, and then Calvin Klein called to hire her for their big Spring show. She was officially the hot new face in town and even made a brief appearance in Roman Coppola's film CQ with Billy Zane.

Now, with campaigns for Louis Vuitton, Marc Jacobs, Calvin Klein's collection and his fragrance, Euphoria, and Miss Sixty to her name, Vodianova is a true supermodel.

#16 - Tang Jia Li

Chinese beauty Tang Jia Li, a dancer, actress and model. According to magazine Asian Wave she has a calm "Mona Lisa" smile and a tranquil expression.

Her agile body and delicate limbs befit her poise as a performer.

Her story almost turned tragic after her participation in a nude art photo collection that was later published in China in early 2004. The nude pictures caused so much controversy in China's conservative society that she nearly committed suicide.

Fortunately she made it through this rough patch and has spent the summer performing for the people of Canada in Senses , a modern Chinese opera about a new and modern face of Chinese women.

#15 - Wafah Dufour

(a/k/a: Wafah bin Laden) Wafah Dufour emerged on the scene this year as a struggling but up and coming model and musician. The beautiful Saudi born woman seems to have the goods for modeling - though haven't heard any of her music yet - and thus has a lot going for her. The only problem is that she has this crazy uncle named Osama bin Laden.

So Wafah took her mother's maiden name 'Dufour' and has been working hard this year to take her case to the people to the people of America. She's an all-American girl - a New Yorker in fact - raised in the US, carries a US passport and is an example of the very melting-pot of cultures that is America.

Asian Sex Gazette applaudes this beautful Saudi girl for reaching out to Americans, helping them recognize diversity at a time when the US needs to the most, and at the same time raising awareness about the plight of women in the Muslim world.

See Asian Sex Gazette's Top Asian women of 2005 #15-#11