Yan Huizhu (Chinese 言慧珠, 1919–1966) was an ethnic Mongolian classical Chinese opera singer who performed in the ''

jingju 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 recogni ...

'' and ''

kunqu Kunqu (), also known as Kunju (), K'un-ch'ü, Kun opera or Kunqu Opera, is one of the oldest extant forms of Chinese opera. Kunqu is one of the oldest traditional operas of the Han nationality, and is also a treasure of Chinese traditional cult ...

'' genres. In 1946, she received high acclaim for her performance in ''Shengsi hen'' (Regret for Life and Death) in

Beijing } Beijing ( ; ; ), alternatively romanized as Peking ( ), is the capital of the People's Republic of China. It is the center of power and development of the country. Beijing is the world's most populous national capital city, with over 21 ...

, becoming known as the "Queen of Beijing Opera". In 1957, she served as vice-president of the School of Traditional Operas in

Shanghai Shanghai (; , , Standard Mandarin pronunciation: ) is one of the four direct-administered municipalities of the People's Republic of China (PRC). The city is located on the southern estuary of the Yangtze River, with the Huangpu River flowin ...

and toured in Europe. Denounced under the

Cultural Revolution The Cultural Revolution, formally known as the Great Proletarian Cultural Revolution, was a sociopolitical movement in the People's Republic of China (PRC) launched by Mao Zedong in 1966, and lasting until his death in 1976. Its stated go ...

, in the night of 10 September 1966 she committed suicide after the

Red Guards Red Guards () were a mass student-led paramilitary social movement mobilized and guided by Chairman Mao Zedong in 1966 through 1967, during the first phase of the Cultural Revolution, which he had instituted.Teiwes According to a Red Guard le ...

had ransacked her home and accused her of being a counter revolutionary.

Biography

Born on 5 October 1919, Yan Huizhu was born into a musical family of Mongolian ethnicity. After her parents were divorced while she was a small child, she was brought up by her father Yan Jupeng (1890–1942), a jingju actor who had developed his own style of "Yan" singing. Despite her father's efforts to discourage her from entering a difficult profession, she developed her artistic talents and learned songs and acting roles while he was away on tour. While at Chunming Girls' School in Beijing, she played Nüqijie in the opera ''Yutangchun'' so well that Yan Jupeng allowed her to act. As a result, in 1937 she took singing and acting lessons using the stage name Huizhu and joining the Yongpingshe Troupe. When she was 24, she was trained by the ''jingju'' master

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 ...

who devoted time to her while he was unable to perform during the city's occupation by the Japanese. As she gained popularity, Yan Huizhu became known as "Little Mei Lanfang". In February 1946, she was particularly successful in performing ''Shengsi hen'' at the Queens' Theatre, after which she became known as the "Queen of Beijing Opera". Following the establishment of Communist China in 1949, Yan Huizhu continued to perform. In 1957, she was appointed vice-president of the School of Traditional Operas in Shanghai and taught at the Mei school. Together with the celebrated Yu Zhenfei, she frequently performed in a revised version of ''Qiangtou mashang'' which led to their marriage in 1960. At the beginning of the Cultural Revolution, she was denounced by the Red Guards who ransacked their home. She committed suicide by hanging herself on the night of 10 September 1966, while Yu Zhenfei who was in the same room denied any knowledge of what had happened.

References

{{DEFAULTSORT:Yan Huizhu 1919 births 1966 deaths Actresses from Beijing Singers from Beijing Chinese film actresses Chinese Peking opera actresses 20th-century Chinese actresses 20th-century Chinese women singers Suicides during the Cultural Revolution Chinese people of Mongolian descent Kunqu actresses Suicides by hanging in China 1966 suicides