Xin Fengxia and the Transformation of China's Ping Opera

By: Siyuan Liu

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Synopsis: This Element focuses on Xin Fengxia (1927–1998), a star of the regional xiqu form pingju, and her prominent role in transforming the genre from folk entertainment for the lower class to one of the most notable winners of the xiqu reform after the establishment of the People's Republic of China (PRC) in 1949. The Element's four sections expand from this core concept to include the four stages of her life experience and artistry that shaped her legacy: growing up in China's third largest theatre market Tianjin before 1949, national stardom in Beijing (1949–1957), restricted creativity amidst political upheavals (1957–1975), and as a prominent author after a stroke (1977–1998). Rather than following a biographical approach, these sections zero in on the environment before and after 1949 that made her a prominent pingju reformer and the consequent price of such success.