Yu Fang, China’s national presenter for forty-seven years, recently retired after presenting one of the country’s most popular morning radio new programs ‘News and Newspaper Summary’ on China National Radio (CNR).

Often called the ‘Voice of China’ by listeners, she was born Wu Zhongwei in 1953.

She joined CNR at the age of 18 and has gone from being Sister Yu Fang to Grandma Yu Fang, teaching generation after generation of children to read textbooks in standard Mandarin and recite Tang and Song poetry.

She’s also a winner of the ‘Golden Microphone Award’, the highest award for Chinese broadcasters.

She is renowned for live coverage of various major events and important announcements in the history of the country and also for producing renditions of poetry and essays loved by the Chinese people.

Known as the ‘Standard Voice of China’, Yu Fang is a Mandarin Chinese tester and a member of the National Language and Character Standards Committee. She is responsible for demonstrating the Mandarin Chinese Test Outline vocabulary for the National Language Commission, and for demonstrating the textbooks on Chinese language for primary and middle students.

Even after retiring from her job as a presenter, she still reads literary works over the radio and from textbooks for kids.