There is actually a sad past behind Gu Ailing's name. This "Ling" really represents a very important person to Gu's mother, but it is not Zhang Ailing's father, but her aunt.
It turned out that Gu Ailing's mother Gu Yan had a younger sister named Gu Ling, but she was killed in a car accident. In memory of her sister, Gu Yan named her child with the word "Ling" to express her nostalgia.
Personal life
Gu Ailing's father is American, and her mother Gu Yan is from Beijing. She used to be a ski instructor. Since she was a child, she often went back to Beijing for holidays with her mother. In addition, Gu Yan paid special attention to Zhang Ailing's Chinese and China traditional culture education. Therefore, Gu Ailing, who has been lingering in Beijing Hutong since childhood, is not only fluent in Chinese, but also quite authentic in tongue twisters. She also claimed to be a Beijing girl who grew up in an alley.