Shanghai film actress who married Mao Zedong in Yan'an and became a leader of the 文化大革命. Arrested in 1976 as head of the 四人帮, she was sentenced to death in 1981, commuted to life.
Her Shanghai stage name was 蓝苹, 'blue apple'. In Yan'an she renamed herself 江青, taking 青 from 青出于蓝, 'blue-green outdoes the indigo it comes from': the new name would surpass the old 蓝.
