China ‘century baby’ born at midnight on January 1, 2000, dies from heart attack at 25
Heartbroken mother says her ‘world has fallen apart’ as she calls for formal investigation into ‘serious medical accident’ without elaborating
China’s so-called century baby has died at 25 from heart attack and is being remembered as a talented artist.
From the moment she arrived in the world at midnight on January 1, 2000, Xie Yueqian made national headlines.
One at the time read: “To the second, the standard century baby has arrived.”
Her birth marked the beginning of a new era for China, and she was affectionately referred to by the media as “the first girl of China in the 21st century”.
Xie’s mother, a secondary school teacher surnamed Yue, gave her daughter the nickname Qianqian, which symbolised crossing the millennium and embracing China’s bright future.
From an early age, Xie showed artistic talent and was known for her cheerful, lively personality, according to The Paper.