Linlin

Qian Lin (simplified Chinese: 钱琳; traditional Chinese: 銭琳; pinyin: Qián Lín; born March 11, 1991 in Hangzhou, Zhejiang, China), better known in Japan as Linlin (リンリン), is a former Morning Musume member and leader of the Hello! Project sub-group Shin Minimoni. She was announced to be joining as the eighth generation of Morning Musume on March 15, 2007. Along with Li Chun, she is one of the only two members in the history of Morning Musume that are of non-Japanese origin.

Biography

When Linlin was in the second grade of elementary school (1999), she was scouted by a local television station. Since then, she has been active in the entertainment industry, appearing in many television dramas and other shows as a host in China.

Through the recommendation of a friend of Tsunku, the producer of Hello! Project (which Morning Musume is under), Linlin joined Hello! Project as a part of Hello! Pro Egg, a training center for practicing singing and dancing.

On March 15, 2007, she (along with Junjun) were officially announced to be joining the eighth generation of all girl J-pop group Morning Musume, as a "foreign student". After seeing her perform at concerts, Tsunku was impressed and believed that she and Junjun would be key for Morning Musume's planned expansion into Asia in 2007.