Xiong Feiying

Biography

Xiong Feiying (1911–1968), born Xiong Ziqing in Jiangxi, China, was a renowned Cantonese opera singer and Hong Kong film star. As a child, she fled famine and moved to Guangdong province. At age seven, she was sent to study Cantonese opera female roles (huadan) under a famous master, and later became a disciple of Liang Kunchen, who taught her the dahu (grand vocal) technique. She began performing on stage in Hong Kong at age fourteen. Known for her rough, powerful voice and emotional delivery, she excelled at portraying heroic male characters such as Zhang Fei, Guan Yu, Yue Fei, Zhaoyun, Han Xin, and Cao Cao, earning the nickname "Male Zhang Fei." She won the Song Flower Ranking three consecutive times and was hailed as the "Leader of Dahu." She was among the most prominent artists of her era alongside Li Shaofang, Huang Shaomei, Li Danhong, and Chen Lingyu. She joined the Guangzhou Quyi Work Troupe, the city's first state-run performing arts troupe, and gave her debut performance in January 1954. Throughout the 1950s, she performed regularly at various venues in Guangzhou, giving around 18 performances per month. She also appeared in Hong Kong films, including "Room No. 66" (1936), based on a real murder case, and "Mysterious Night" (1937), Hong Kong's first musical film. China Records produced a Cantonese opera dahu record of her performance "Wu Song's Lion Tower Rampage."