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Shu Xiuwen
Shu Xiuwen (1915– 17March 1969), also romanized as Shu Hsiu-wen, was a Chinese film and stage actress, as well as the first voice actress in China. She grew up in poverty but made a name for herself in the drama and film industry of Shanghai before the Second Sino-Japanese War, and then in the wartime capital Chongqing. She starred in numerous films and stage plays, including her most acclaimed film ''The Spring River Flows East'', and was recognized as one of China's top four actresses. After the founding of the People's Republic of China in 1949, Shu was elected to the Chinese People's Political Consultative Conference (CPPCC) and the National People's Congress. However, she was severely persecuted when the Cultural Revolution began in 1966 and died in March 1969. Shu is known for her versatility and her performances greatly influenced later generations of Chinese actors. In 2005, she was voted as one of the 100 best actors of the 100 years of Chinese cinema. Life Early l ... [...More Info...] [...Related Items...] OR: [Wikipedia] [Google] [Baidu] |
Anqing
Anqing ( zh, s=, t=安慶, p=Ānqìng, l=, also Yicheng, Nganking and formerly Hwaining, now the name of Huaining County) is a prefecture-level city in the southwest of Anhui province of China, province, China, People's Republic of China. Its population was 4,165,284 as of the 2020 Chinese census, 2020 census, with 728,501 living in the built-up (or metro) area made up of three urban districts. Anqing is famous as the birthplace of Chen Duxiu, one of the founding fathers of the Chinese Communist Party, who served as the first General Secretary of the Chinese Communist Party from 1921 to 1928. Huangmei opera, a renowned Chinese opera style, originated in the city of Anqing. This captivating art form gained immense popularity since the 1950s, largely attributed to the exceptional talents of local actors and actresses from Anqing. Huangmei opera is a significant cultural treasure that defines the rich heritage of the city of Anqing. Etymology During the Song dynasty, the Eight Countie ... [...More Info...] [...Related Items...] OR: [Wikipedia] [Google] [Baidu] |
Opium
Opium (also known as poppy tears, or Lachryma papaveris) is the dried latex obtained from the seed Capsule (fruit), capsules of the opium poppy ''Papaver somniferum''. Approximately 12 percent of opium is made up of the analgesic alkaloid morphine, which is processed chemically to produce heroin and other synthetic opioids for medicinal use and for the illegal drug trade. Opium's main psychoactive alkaloids, primarily morphine, act on μ-opioid receptors, causing analgesia and addiction with long-term use leading to tolerance, dependence, and increased cancer risk. The latex also contains the closely related opiates codeine and thebaine, and non-analgesic alkaloids such as papaverine and noscapine. The traditional, labor-intensive method of obtaining the latex is to scratch ("score") the immature seed pods (fruits) by hand; the latex leaks out and dries to a sticky yellowish residue that is later scraped off and dehydrated. The English word for opium is loan word, borrowed fro ... [...More Info...] [...Related Items...] OR: [Wikipedia] [Google] [Baidu] |
Hu Die
Hu Die (; 1907–08 — April 23, 1989), also known by her English name Butterfly Wu, was a popular Chinese actress during the 1920s and 1930s. She was voted China's first "Movie Queen" in 1933, and won the Best Actress Award at the 1960 Asian Film Festival for her performance in ''Rear Door''. Biography Early life Hu Die was born Hu Ruihua () in Shanghai in 1907 or 1908, and moved to Guangzhou (Canton) when she was nine. Her father then became the general inspector of the Beijing–Fengtian Railway. She spent much of her adolescence in northern cities including Beijing, Tianjin and Yingkou, and learned to speak perfect Mandarin, which later proved to be a great advantage when the cinema of China transitioned from silent films to talkies. In 1924, Hu Ruihua moved back to Shanghai with her family. When China (Zhonghua) Film School, the country's first film actor training school, opened, she was the first student to enroll. She adopted the professional name "Hu Die", mean ... [...More Info...] [...Related Items...] OR: [Wikipedia] [Google] [Baidu] |
Mingxing Film Company
The Mingxing Film Company ( zh, c=明星影片公司, p=Míngxīng Yǐngpiàn Gōngsī), also credited as the Star Motion Picture Production Company, was a production company active in the Republic of China (1912–1949), Republic of China between 1922 and 1937. Established by a consortium of creative professionals, including film director Zhang Shichuan, dramatist Zheng Zhengqiu, and critic Zhou Jianyun, Mingxing initially produced comedy films that drew little audience attention. Facing insolvency in 1923, the company used the last of its capital to produce ''Orphan Rescues Grandfather'', which released to massive commercial success and provided the company with the revenue needed to expand and hire new talent. In the mid-1920s, Mingxing acquired new studios and made its initial public offering, growing rapidly even in the face of emerging competition. It adapted several novels to film, with its ''Lonely Orchid'' (1926) being one of the most successful Chinese films of the si ... [...More Info...] [...Related Items...] OR: [Wikipedia] [Google] [Baidu] |
Yang Hansheng
Yang Hansheng (阳翰笙, Yáng Hànshēng; November 2, 1902 – June 7, 1993) was a Chinese screenwriter, playwright and writer, also known under the pseudonym Huahan (华汉, Huáhàn). Biography Born as Ouyang Benyi (欧阳本义, Ōuyáng Běnyì), he joined the Chinese Communist Party in 1925 and was very active in revolutionary propaganda, writing numerous political dramas and screenplays, especially during the Second Sino-Japanese War from 1933 as a member of the Shanghai Yihua Film Company. He also held various political posts in the party and trade associations related to the revolutionary Left environment. With the birth of the People's Republic of China, he was secretary general and vice-president of the China Federation of Literary and Art Circles, working closely with the head of government Zhou Enlai in the field of cultural policies. Among his most significant works are the screenplays for the films Wanjia denghuo, directed by Shen Fu (1948), and The Adventures ... [...More Info...] [...Related Items...] OR: [Wikipedia] [Google] [Baidu] |
Kuomintang
The Kuomintang (KMT) is a major political party in the Republic of China (Taiwan). It was the one party state, sole ruling party of the country Republic of China (1912-1949), during its rule from 1927 to 1949 in Mainland China until Retreat of the government of the Republic of China to Taiwan, its relocation to Taiwan, and in Taiwan Martial law in Taiwan, ruled under martial law until 1987. The KMT is a Centre-right politics, centre-right to Right-wing politics, right-wing party and the largest in the Pan-Blue Coalition, one of the two main political groups in Taiwan. Its primary rival is the Democratic Progressive Party (DPP), the largest party in the Pan-Green Coalition. As of 2025, the KMT is the largest single party in the Legislative Yuan and is chaired by Eric Chu. The party was founded by Sun Yat-sen in 1894 in Honolulu, Hawaii, as the Revive China Society. He reformed the party in 1919 in the Shanghai French Concession under its current name. From 1926 to 1928, the K ... [...More Info...] [...Related Items...] OR: [Wikipedia] [Google] [Baidu] |
Tian Han
Tian Han ( zh, 田汉; 12 March 1898 – 10 December 1968), formerly romanized as T'ien Han, was a Chinese drama activist, playwright, a leader of revolutionary music and films, as well as a translator and poet. He emerged at the time of the New Culture Movement of the early 20th century and continued to be active until the Cultural Revolution, when he was denounced and jailed for two years until his death, before being "posthumously rehabilitated" by the Chinese authorities in 1979. He is considered by drama historians as one of the three founders of Chinese spoken drama, together with Ouyang Yuqian and Hong Shen. His most famous legacy may be the lyrics he wrote for " March of the Volunteers" in 1934, which were later adopted as the national anthem of the People's Republic of China. Biography During the May Fourth Movement in 1919, Tian became famous for the vigorous anti-imperialist and anti-feudalist activities in the circle of artists and intellectuals he gathered. ... [...More Info...] [...Related Items...] OR: [Wikipedia] [Google] [Baidu] |
Chen Yumei
Chen Yumei (; born Fei Mengmin (); 1910–1985) was a Chinese film actress and singer active during the 1920s and 1930s. In her heyday she was one of the biggest stars in China, crowned "Movie Queen" in 1934. At the peak of her career she married Runje Shaw (Shao Zuiweng), the boss of Tianyi Film Company, and retired from acting. She was nicknamed the "frugal star" for her efforts at promoting the virtue of frugality. Career Chen Yumei was born in the town of Menghe (孟河) in Changzhou, Jiangsu province in 1910. Her name at birth was Fei Mengmin (费梦敏). Chen made her film debut at age 13, playing a minor role in the film ''Song Bai Yuan'' () made by the film division of the Commercial Press in Shanghai. At age 15 she enrolled at the actress training school of the Laughter Stage, a theatre run by Runje Shaw (Shao Zuiweng), her future husband. In 1926 she joined Tianyi, the film studio recently founded by Shaw, and was selected by Shaw to play the starring role of Qiu Xi ... [...More Info...] [...Related Items...] OR: [Wikipedia] [Google] [Baidu] |
Sing-Song Girl Red Peony
''Sing-Song Girl Red Peony'' () is a 1931 film directed by Zhang Shichuan for the Mingxing Film Company. It follows the actress Red Peony, played by Hu Die, who is trapped in an abusive marriage but feels obligated to persevere. The first sound film made in the Republic of China, production took six months and involved an expansive crew, including language coaches, to surmount the technical difficulties. The film, now thought lost, was well received by audiences. Plot The prominent actress Red Peony lives with her abusive husband, supporting his expensive habits through her career. Forced by customary mores to remain in this unhappy relationship, she grows depressed and damages her voice. As her career suffers, her husband continues his spending habits, leading him to sell their daughter to a brothel when he runs out of money. Her freedom is purchased by one of Red Peony's suitors. The husband is soon arrested for involuntary manslaughter. Despite their history, Red Peony forgiv ... [...More Info...] [...Related Items...] OR: [Wikipedia] [Google] [Baidu] |
Tianyi Film Company
Tianyi Film Company (), also called Unique Film Productions, was one of the "big three" film production companies in pre-Second World War Republic of China. Founded in Shanghai in 1925 by the Shaw (Shao) brothers led by Runje Shaw (Shao Zuiweng), the company also established operations in Malaya and Hong Kong. Although the company's Shanghai studio was destroyed in 1937 during the Japanese invasion, its offshoot in Hong Kong, later called Shaw Brothers Studio, blossomed into a media empire under the leadership of the youngest brother, Sir Run Run Shaw. Founding In 1922, Runje Shaw (Shao Zuiweng), the eldest Shaw brother who had been a lawyer and businessman, was the manager of the theatre Xiao Wutai (Happy Stage or Laughter Stage) in Shanghai. Among his colleagues were Zhang Shichuan, Zheng Zhengqiu, and Zhou Jianyun, who co-founded Mingxing Film Company. In 1923 Mingxing released the film '' Orphan Rescues Grandfather'' to great commercial success. Inspired by his form ... [...More Info...] [...Related Items...] OR: [Wikipedia] [Google] [Baidu] |
Standard Mandarin
Standard Chinese ( zh, s=现代标准汉语, t=現代標準漢語, p=Xiàndài biāozhǔn hànyǔ, l=modern standard Han speech) is a modern Standard language, standard form of Mandarin Chinese that was first codified during the Republic of China (1912–1949), republican era (1912–1949). It is designated as the Languages of China, official language of mainland China and a major language in the United Nations languages, United Nations, Languages of Singapore, Singapore, and Languages of Taiwan, Taiwan. It is largely based on the Beijing dialect. Standard Chinese is a pluricentric language with local standards in mainland China, Taiwan and Singapore that mainly differ in their lexicon. Hong Kong written Chinese, used for formal written communication in Hong Kong and Macau, is a form of Standard Chinese that is read aloud with the Cantonese reading of characters. Like other Sinitic languages, Standard Chinese is a tone (linguistics), tonal language with topic-prominent langua ... [...More Info...] [...Related Items...] OR: [Wikipedia] [Google] [Baidu] |
