The book Jihu Asha [stardaily.com.cn]

She is a legendary woman from the Yi ethnic minority group in Sichuan Province, and she has both American and British nationalities.

What happened to her can only be described as a legend. Joining the Yangtze River rafting exploration team in 1986 made her the only woman in the team and the first in the world. In 1992, she published her book The Daughter of the Yangtze River in Paris, which became a bestseller.

That same year, she married and had a fabulous wedding in the famous Cathedrale Notre Dame De Paris. In the following year, she began her real estate business. After a few years, she became a millionaire. In 2001, she divorced her American husband Kevin. The process cost her three years and 6,000,000 pounds.

The Museum of Oxford in the UK collected an oil painting modeled upon Asha in 2004, which bears such an inscription as Asha says "she would do whatever she wants."

Asha has been back to Liang Mountain now to write her story about her twenty years life experiences Jihu Asha.

From a survivor to a bestseller writer in France

When she was 20 years old and worked as a policewoman in 1986, Asha volunteered to join the Yangtze river rafting exploration team. 11 people died at that time. She said, "Some died, but I survived and I had a new future ahead of me in my life."

After exploring the Yangtze River, Asha went to Central University for Nationalities to study journalism. There was something in life beyond her imagination. Asha met Alain Delon, the French cultural attache.

In 1987, Alain Delon visited China, and Asha was asked to deliver a suit to him. When they met, Asha mentioned her trip rafting down the Yangtze River and showed a great interest in exploration, and Alain Delon asked her to star in one of his new adventure movies.

Two days later, Alain Delon found her and invited her to take part in his new movie on adventures in Zaire, Africa, which would take two years to be completed. She was still studying then, so Asha refused. "I didn't know which was more important, finishing my studies or shooting a movie, but I felt like studying at that time."

In 1989, Asha went abroad to study in France. She dreamed of being a writer in Paris. Her friends thought it was impossible because Asha did not understand either French or English. However, in 1992, her novel Yangtze River's Daughter was published in France and it became an immediate hit.

Jihu Asha in Hong Kong. [yizuren.com]

To Asha, getting a degree is not her goal, while money is only the means for her to realize her dreams. She has traveled more than 100 countries. She enjoys making her dreams come true.

From real estate to olive mountain

After their wedding in the Cathedrale Notre Dame De Paris in 1992, Asha and Kevin moved to Britain. For the first time, they bought their own house. Thereafter, she found it profitable to do real estate business. In the first year, she earned more than 100,000 pounds. From then on, her business boomed.

She and Kevin divorced soon afterwards and Asha lost custody of her two daughters, along with 6,000,000 pounds. She says she has only been afraid twice in her life: when she was in the Yangtze River and when she learned that she was going to lose custody of her daughters in the court.

At present, Asha owns a 200-acre orchard in her home province. She plans to plant 10,000 olive trees and sweet-scented osmanthus trees. In addition, she is preparing to write another book on her life after the Yangzi River exploration. It will tell stories of her teammates who survived the trip with her.

(Source: sina.com.cn / Translated by Women of China)