Mei Lanfang[File photo]

Mei Lanfang, a world famous master of Peking Opera in China, had made a prominent contribution to the popularization and improvement of the quintessence of Chinese culture during his life time. The Chinese Peking Opera performing system named after him is regarded as the model of oriental drama performing systems. It belongs to one of the "Three Major Drama Performing Systems in the World" together with the Russian Stanislavsky Performing System and the German Brecht Performing System.

On his 120th anniversary, let's look at how other famous people talk about him.

"He is a Peking Opera master with a unique style, who carries on past traditions and opens up a way for the future. With a spirit of continuous self-improvement, he works hard and practices diligently. He is also a patriot and won great glory for our Chinese nation," said Lao She, a famous Chinese writer, in an article mourning Mei Lanfang when he had just passed away.

"The name of Mei Lanfang, as a symbol of our Chinese opera art, has gone beyond national boundaries and become an internationally recognized sigh of beauty", said Ma Shaobo, playwright.

"Master Mei, in his more than 50 years of performing on stage, has devoted himself steadfastly to the innovation and reform of Peking Opera. Through daring attempts and constant practice, he accomplished epoch-making reforms to Peking Opera in singing, costumes, and stage designs, which have lasted till today. During his lifetime, Peking Opera gained tremendously in terms of development and progress. The Peking Opera would never have been so well received and appraised by mass audiences both at home and abroad without Master Mei's great efforts," said Du Jinfang, a famous artist in Peking Opera and also a student of Mei.

Feng Mu, a Chinese literary critic, said that Mei Lanfang stood out as a notable landmark in the development of Peking Opera and served as a link between past and future.