Yan Jupeng

Biography

Yan Jupeng (1890–1942) was a Peking opera performer in the laosheng (older male) role. His original name was Yanshou, courtesy name Siqi, and pseudonym Yanshan, of the Marat clan of the Mongol Bordered Blue Banner. Born in Beijing, he was the great-great-grandson of Song Yun. He studied at the Military Nobles Academy and served as a minor official in the Mongolian and Tibetan Affairs Bureau. In 1916, he frequented opera clubs such as the Yanle Society and the Chunyang Association, excelling in the Lao Tan (Tan Xinpei) style as a leading amateur performer. He toured Shanghai as an amateur alongside Mei Lanfang. After resigning from the Mongolian and Tibetan Affairs Bureau, he turned professional. With Lao Tan gone and Yu Shuyan rarely performing, fans of the Tan style rallied around Yan Jupeng, and he became the leading figure among laosheng actors. When his voice lost its power, he took a different path, relying on vocal elegance and tonal variation, founding the renowned Yan school, recognized as one of the "Four Great Schools of Peking Opera Laosheng." He died on June 20, 1942, at his residence in Beijing and was buried in Songwang Cemetery.