Hu Die

Hu Die. [Photo: People.com.cn]

Hu Die (1907-1989), also known as Butterfly Hu, made her name in 1931 for acting as a leading role in a movie depicting the life of a singing girl at theaters. In 1933, Hu won a title as the first "Empress of Movies" in China with overwhelming votes from Chinese film fans.

Hu had been an advertising spokeswoman for Lux soap and the Lux sales kept rising during her tenure. By 1939, the company had monopolized the soap market to the south of Yangtze River, with an annual production and sales of more than 216,000 tons.