Yu Lan

Biography

Yu Lan was born on June 3, 1921, in Liaoning province, China. She began her acting career in 1951, earning critical acclaim for her performances in films such as "Red Flag on the Emerald Ridge" and "Dragon Beard Ditch." She starred in "A Revolutionary Family" alongside her husband Tian Fang, which was the only film they collaborated on. In 1962, she won the Best Actress award at the Moscow International Film Festival for this film and was also selected as one of the "New Chinese People's Actors." She became widely beloved across China for her portrayal of Sister Jiang in "Eternal Flames," which was immensely popular with mainland audiences. After the Cultural Revolution, she became the first director of the China Children's Film Studio. She also founded the China International Children's Film Festival and served as honorary president of the China Children and Youth Film Society. In 1978, she directed the film "Sari Macho." She received numerous honorary and lifetime achievement awards from prestigious Chinese film festivals. Yu Lan passed away on June 27, 2020, in Beijing at the age of 99.