Double Talent and Virtue (Yin Guifang's Biography)

Author: Chen Huaxing
Publisher:
Publish Date: 2006-12-01
Features: Yin Guifang, a Yue Opera young male (Xiaosheng). Founder of the Yin School of Yue Opera. Born in Xinchang, Zhejiang. Throughout her life, she has performed in over 100 plays, with notable works including Pan Qi Su Qi (Discarding Wife, Seeking Wife), Desert Prince, Carefree Scholar, Dream of the Red Chamber, Romance of the West Chamber, Qu Yuan, He Wenxiu, Jade Swallowing Dragon, Lord Xiling, and Jiang Jie. She has portrayed a series of artistic figures such as Jia Baoyu, He Wenxiu, Liang Yushu, Qu Yuan, Zhang Sheng, and Lord Xiling. During the Cultural Revolution, she suffered cruel persecution and became partially paralyzed. Yet, undeterred by her physical limitations, she continued to actively contribute to the revitalization of Yue Opera and the cultivation of new talents. Yin Guifang's artistic style is profound, lingering, smooth, and tender. Her singing technique is rich, rustic, and full of fluctuations, characterized by the three key qualities of "roundness, smoothness, and chewiness." Her artistry has captivated the Yue Opera world and remains enduringly influential. The majority of young male performers in Yue Opera study the Yin School, earning it the reputation of "Ten out of Ten young males learning Yin."
Zhejiang, a land not vast but deeply rooted in culture, has nurtured numerous cultural luminaries: Wang Xizhi, Xie Lingyun, Luo Binwang, Meng Jiao, Han Shan, Zhao Mengfu, Huang Gongwang, Wang Meng, Mao Dun, Xia Yan, Yu Dafu, Zhu Kezhen, and Tong Dizhou. They have devoted their talents to both preserving and innovating culture, achieving remarkable accomplishments.
The "Biographies of Zhejiang Cultural" series is a cultural project launched by the Zhejiang Academy of Social Sciences in response to the provincial government's call. It presents the biographies of 100 ancient and modern Zhejiang-born cultural figures. This book is one of the series, introducing the exceptionally talented and artistically virtuous—Yin Guifang.