Wang Yun, the elder one, is a model as well as a famous pop singer in Guangzhou. Wang Yiyi, the younger sister, is a professional advertisement model, and is also famous in the Chinese modeling world. They were born into a cultured family; and both their parents work at the Guangzhou Pacific Audio and Video Company. Their father, Wang Jinzhong, is a musician and senior recording director of the audio and video company.

Wang Yun is gentle and quiet by nature. She is quick at learning songs. When she was a child, she could sing a new song after following the tape only twice. Noticing Wang Yun's aptitude for music, her father decided to lead her into the world of music. Wang Yun never studied at a specialized music school. It was her father that taught her everything from music theory to musical instruments and singing techniques. At the age of 15, Wang Yun released her first album, Singing and Dancing. In 1994 and 1996, respectively, she came out with two other albums, The Snowflakes Flying Around the Sky Are My Love and Row Row Your Boat to Grandma's Bridge, both of which have won popularity. In addition, she has also held concerts.

Wang Yiyi, five years younger than Wang Yun, always greatly admired her sister's performances on stage, so she followed her sister wherever she performed. By doing this, she got acquainted with many of the entertainment industry's insiders. In 1996, Yiyi was admitted to the Guangzhou Academy of Fine Arts and majored in advertisement design. In her spare time, she also worked as an advertisement model. Even before she had entered university, she had already made her debut in a TV commercial. Although she was only paid 250 yuan, this first experience brought her a great deal of excitement and encouraged her to embark on a modeling career. With the influence of Yiyi, Wang Yun soon became a part-time model.

Modeling is a profession that is widely admired. A model's work seems easy: As spokespersons for trendy commodities or name brands, they present a smart figure in magazines and newspapers as well as on television and billboards, strolling amidst luxurious buildings, wearing fashionable clothes, posing, and giving that special look to the camera. As a matter of fact, modeling is an arduous job. Models rarely work and rest according to a fixed schedule. Instead, they are required to rush to meet advertisement agents at any time, whenever they receive a call from their managers. A single advertising campaign usually draws dozens of models to compete through screen tests.

The sisters have never received professional training or participated in beauty competitions like most models have. Their performance at screen tests totally depends on their feelings at the time and the knowledge they've accumulated from daily life. So far, they have taken screen tests for many advertising campaigns, and have won every one of them. Sometimes, they work for 24 hours straight, indoors and outdoors. They have also had to travel to several cities in Guangdong Province in a single day.

What these sisters dislike the most is dressing in a way that is opposite to the season. It is very common for them to be dressed in summer clothes during the winter. Wearing light clothes in the winter cold, they are required to convey a sense of enjoyment with their facial expressions, in spite of the additional torture of a big fan that constantly blowing wind at them during photo shoots. It is also not rare for them to wear high-collared coats in the summer heat for the sake of an ad campaign promoting winter clothes. In this case, they pay special attention to maintaining the makeup on their faces, for fear it may be damaged by sweat.

Their efforts have paid off and won them public praise. Their friends once joked with them, "We can imagine the long queue of applicants once you advertise your search for spouses."

During their leisure time, the sisters like to shop at bustling commercial streets in Guangzhou. Sometimes, they go to an art gallery to appreciate paintings by Picasso or attend an art exhibition at the Guangzhou Art Museum. They also occasionally stroll along the banks of the Pearl River, enjoying the gentle breeze and the bright moonlight.

Aware that modeling is a profession for young women only, the sisters have decided to make preparations to take up new professions in the future. At present, Wang Yun has entered Zhongshan University to study practical English, and Wang Yiyi is engaged in image design.

(China Pictorial May 16, 2003)