Wei Yun

Biography

Wei Yun was born in 1936 in Zhengzhou, Henan Province. She was a Chinese opera (Yu opera) performer specializing in female (dan) roles. Local oral tradition among elderly residents in Zhengzhou holds that the Wei family descended from Wei Zhongxian, and there was once a Wei ancestral temple beside the City God Temple in Zhengzhou. She began her artistic career in 1951 by joining the Zhengzhou Cultural Work Troupe, and in 1952 transferred to the Henan Provincial Opera Troupe. From the early 1950s, she starred in a series of major theatrical productions including "New Conditions," "Luo Han Qian," "Xiao Erhei's Marriage," "The Volunteer Army's Fiancée," "Ploughing the Clouds," "Red Coral," "People and Horses Rejoice," and "Sunshine Valley." After the Cultural Revolution, she performed in new productions including "Proud Poplar," "Sweet Career," "Trial of Love," and "The Inside Story of Sunshine Valley." Her portrayal of the educated youth Yin Huan sent to the countryside in "Sunshine Valley" became her most iconic role, with the character's beautiful, kind, and hardworking image deeply embedded in audiences' hearts. Wei Yun held prominent positions including member of the 4th, 5th, and 6th Henan Provincial Committee of the Chinese People's Political Consultative Conference, vice chairman and later consultant of the Henan Provincial Theatre Association, and member of the Chinese Theatre Association. She retired in 1993 and passed away on December 5, 2007.