Heading to work one recent afternoon, she was running late for an unusual appointment: Hu had decided that her top editors needed new clothes, and she had summoned a tailor.

NEWYORKER: The Forbidden Zone

Hu favored the provocative picture, but at the last moment she hesitated.

NEWYORKER: The Forbidden Zone

Hu would also take books from her family and hide them under her pillow until she could swap them with friends.

NEWYORKER: The Forbidden Zone