Mak Bing-wing

Biography

Mak Bing-wing, born Mak Hon-ming on December 19, 1915 in Panyu, Guangzhou, Guangdong, was a renowned Cantonese opera artist who studied under Leung Chung. Known in the industry as "Sixth Brother" and "Glory Bull", he was the brother-in-law of action director Hon Ying-chap and the son-in-law of Yu Jim-yuen. He began his career with troupes including "Ren Shou Nian", "Jue Xian Sheng", "Xin Sheng Huo Ju Tuan", and "Qian Feng Yue Ju Tuan", rising from supporting roles to leading actor. In 1930, he became the principal male lead. Before the war, he worked in both theatre and film in Hong Kong, and during the 1940s he toured in the United States and filmed "Lucky Bride". In 1947, he premiered his famous work "Cang Que Chun Shen Suo Er Qiao" at Tai Ping Theatre with Shanghai Mei. In the late 1950s, he co-founded the "Da Long Feng Troupe" with Tam Lan-hing and Fung Wong-nei, producing numerous successful works. He served as chairman of the Hong Kong Chinese Artists Association in 1963-1964. He died in the United States on September 13, 1984 from a heart attack at the age of 68.