A divo (or diva) of his time

Our China Perspective column is written by authors from the People's Republic. Today's article is dedicated to the life of Mei Lanfang, an icon of the heyday of Peking Opera.

ET
14. September 2023
Mei was born in Taizhou, Jiangsu1894, into a family of Beijing Opera and Kunqu performers. He made his stage debut at the Guanghe Theatre in 1904 when he was 10 years old.br/br/ In his 50-year stage career, he maintained strong continuity while always working on new techniques. His most famous roles were those of female characters skillful portrayal of women won him international acclaim. He also played an important part in continuing the performance tradition of Kunqu.br/br/ In July 1937, the Marco Polo Bridge Incident occurred. The Imperial Japanese Army soon occupied Beijing. The commander of the Japanese Army ordered Mei to perform for them and appointed Mei to a high ranking official position. But Mei refused to sing throu xSupplier:xCPAxMediaxCo.xLtd.x Copyright: xx

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Last updated: 24. July 2025