Even Pilots Waited to Snap... Chinese Female Pilot Said to Resemble Song Hye-kyo

Passed the First Female Pilot Exam in the Chinese Army in 2021
Selected as a Public Relations Ambassador for a Chinese Military School in June

A female military pilot in China is attracting significant attention from netizens due to her resemblance to Song Hye-kyo.

On the 16th, Hong Kong's South China Morning Post (SCMP) reported that a female pilot of the Chinese People's Liberation Army (PLA) is becoming a hot topic on social networking services (SNS) for her appearance resembling that of the famous South Korean actress Song Hye-kyo. The subject of the report is 25-year-old Xu Fengchan. She is from Zhejiang Province in eastern China and was selected in 2017 as part of the first female pilot trainee class at the Chinese Army Aviation Academy. After undergoing basic military training, flight training, and physical fitness tests, she became the Chinese Army's first female pilot in 2021. Xu Fengchan is the first female pilot to operate the Harbin Z-20 combat helicopter. Last year, she was also selected as a representative to the National People's Congress.

A female military pilot in China is attracting intense attention from netizens for her appearance resembling Song Hye-kyo. SCMP

What made Xu Fengchan especially notable is her appearance. In November 2022, at the Zhuhai Airshow, China's largest airshow, she was nicknamed "Song Hye-kyo 2.0" during an interview with China's state-run CCTV. In the interview with CCTV, she said, "When flying difficult aircraft like the Harbin Z-20, I resolve that overcoming these challenges will improve my flying skills," earning praise from the media. This year, she also participated in the airshow as a Z-20 commentator, and according to SCMP, many visitors, including foreign pilots, lined up to take photos with Xu Fengchan, showing great interest.

Due to this significant attention, Xu Fengchan was also appointed as a promotional ambassador for a Chinese military academy in June. In a promotional video, she said, "The motivation that allowed me to soar through the blue sky and work as a pilot was my passion for flying and my love for my military uniform." Local netizens responded to Xu Fengchan with comments such as "Her strong professional spirit is more beautiful than her appearance," "This kind of woman is the true star we should respect," and "She is perfect not only in appearance but also in inner beauty."