__NOTOC__ Xun Huisheng (5 January 1900 - 26 December 1968) was one of

Peking Opera Peking opera, or Beijing opera (), is the most dominant form of Chinese opera, which combines music, vocal performance, mime, dance and acrobatics. It arose in Beijing in the mid-Qing dynasty (1644–1912) and became fully developed and recognize ...

's "Four Great '' Dan''", along with

Mei Lanfang Mei Lan (22 October 1894 – 8 August 1961), better known by his stage name Mei Lanfang, was a notable Peking opera artist in modern Chinese theater. Mei was known as "Queen of Peking Opera". Mei was exclusively known for his female lead ...

Cheng Yanqiu Cheng Yanqiu (1 January 1904 – 9 March 1958) was a Chinese Peking opera singer. He is remembered as one of the 20th-century's great female impersonators, having specialized in Peking opera's female roles (''dan''). Life Cheng was born in Be ...

, and Shang Xiaoyun. All four were men who played the female lead roles (''dan'') during the generation when such roles became open to actresses again, after two centuries of exclusively male portrayal.

Life

Xun's father was one of Peking Opera's "Four Famous Die" (, ''Sì Dàmíng Diē''), along with

Li Shaochun Li Shaochun (4 November 1919 – 21 September 1975) was a Peking opera singer. __NOTOC__ Life Xun's father was one of Peking Opera's "Four Famous Dads" (, ''Sì Dàmíng Diē''), along with Xun Huisheng, Tan Xiaopei, and Li Wanchun's fathe ...

, Tan Xiaopei, and

Li Wanchun Li, li, or LI may refer to: Businesses and organizations * Landscape Institute, a British professional body for landscape architects * Leadership Institute, a non-profit organization located in Arlington, Virginia, US, that teaches "political tec ...

's fathers.. Xun was best known for his portrayal of the " flowery girl" (''hua dan'') roles, women who tended to be more vivacious or even of questionable character. He served as one of the mentors and guardians of the actress

Li Yuru Li Shuzhen (25 July 1923 – 11 July 2008), better known by her stage name and also known as was a Chinese opera singer and actress. Descended from Manchu nobility, she is remembered as "one of the great Beijing Opera performers". and pl ...

as she began her career. He died in

Hebei Hebei or , (; alternately Hopeh) is a northern province of China. Hebei is China's sixth most populous province, with over 75 million people. Shijiazhuang is the capital city. The province is 96% Han Chinese, 3% Manchu, 0.8% Hui, and ...

on 26 December 1968.

References

Citations

Bibliography

* . 1900 births 1968 deaths Chinese male Peking opera actors Female impersonators in Peking opera 20th-century Chinese male singers 20th-century Chinese male actors People from Dongguang County Male actors from Hebei Singers from Hebei People persecuted to death during the Cultural Revolution {{china-music-stub