Xu Yulan

Biography

Xu Yulan was a prominent Chinese Yue opera actress, born on December 27, 1921, in Fuyang, Zhejiang. She grew up in Xindeng Town, Fuyang District, Hangzhou City. In September 1947, she founded the Yulan Opera Troupe. She joined the Shanghai Yue Opera Theatre in 1954. She played the role of Jia Baoyu in the 1962 Yue opera film "Dream of the Red Chamber," which is considered the pinnacle of her artistic career. In 1987, she co-founded the independent Shanghai Yue Opera Theatre Red Chamber Yue Opera Troupe with Wang Wenjuan. She was a leading actress at the Shanghai Yue Opera Theatre, specializing in young male (sheng) roles, and was known as the "Xu School." Her major works include the 1959 Yue opera "Catching Fish," the 1962 "Dream of the Red Chamber," "The Romance of the Western Chamber," "The Tale of Chunhyang," and "The King of the Northern Land." Her students and successors include Jin Meifang, Qian Huili, Zheng Guofeng, Liu Jue, and others.