Ruan Lingyu: The Love and Hate Life of China's First Female Star

Author: Huang Weijun
Publisher:
Publish Date: 2004-09-01
Features: Ruan Lingyu was born into a poor family in 1910. After her father passed away when she was six, she lived with her mother, who worked as a maid in a wealthy household. At the age of 16, she entered the film industry and, in the short span of nine years, starred in 29 movies. She was hailed as "China's Greta Garbo" and "China's Ingrid Bergman." With her gentle and fresh demeanor, she was like a beautiful lily growing in a wild, stormy wilderness amidst the chaos of the world. Such a woman especially needed the protection of men. Yet, throughout her life, she encountered three men, none of whom were reliable. On March 8, 1935, she fell from grace as the uncrowned queen of silent films. In 1993, Maggie Cheung won the Hong Kong Film Golden Bauhinia Award for Best Actress for the film of the same name.