#长文创作激励计划#
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(Peking Opera master Fang Rongxiang)
Fang Rongxiang is a well-known Peking Opera performance artist, and is well-known to fans across the country for his role as "Captain Wang" in the Peking Opera movie "Surprise Attack on the White Tiger Troupe".
In his early years, Fang Rongxiang worshipped Peking Opera master Qiu Shengrong as his teacher, learned to sing Qiu Pai Hua Face, and performed many excellent Peking Opera repertoire such as "Lost Space Chop", "Famen Temple", "Catch and Release Cao", "Bead Curtain Village", "Farewell My Concubine", "A Handful of Snow", "Battle of Changsha", "Pansi Cave", "Thief of the Royal Horse", "Chisang Town", "General Harmony" and many other excellent Peking Opera repertoire.
Fang Rongxiang has won the true biography of the "Qiu School", and shaped Bao Gong in "The Case of Quanmei" into three points, and is known as "the Bao Long picture that does not fall".
Fang Rongxiang came from a humble background, but he married the beloved daughter of his teacher, and their poor marriage was tear-jerking. In the dying years, Fang Rongxiang wrote his last words on a napkin, just a few lines, and countless people cried......
01
(Fang Rongxiang (middle) and Peking Opera performers)
Fang Rongxiang's singing voice is transparent and powerful, exquisite and jade, such as piercing clouds and arrows, and the bamboo is very masculine. The famous writer and dramatist Wang Zengqi once commented on Fang Rongxiang: He is both virtuous and artistic, indifferent to fame and fortune, and is an extremely rare gentleman.
Fang Rongxiang's original surname was Zhou, and he was born on September 6, 1925 in a wealthy family in Guang'anmen, Nancheng, Beiping. His biological father was a clerk under the warlord Ma Hongkui, and Fang Rongxiang and his mother had no worries about food and clothing.
However, the good times did not last long, due to the change of the king's flag at the head of the city, when Fang Rongxiang was 5 years old, his biological father sold his property and abandoned him and his mother.
The mother pulled Fang Rongxiang hard, and in order to fill their stomachs, they ate steamed nest heads with sorghum noodles mixed with rice bran every day. This kind of socket is very hard, and it hurts the throat when swallowing.
(Peking before liberation)
Later, life couldn't go on, and in 1929, his mother took Fang Rongxiang to marry Fang Jizhou, who was the director of the opera troupe, and Fang Rongxiang changed his surname to "Fang".
The stepfather's troupe was very small and the income was very low, so Fang Rongxiang's mother went to the hospital as a handyman, and the family barely survived.
Due to his family's poverty, Fang Rongxiang dropped out of school just after finishing the second grade of primary school. In order to let his stepson have a skill, in 1937, Fang Jizhou asked Fang Rongxiang to worship the famous Peking Opera actor Zhang Xinkui as a teacher and learn to sing with a flower face.
Fang Rongxiang studied drama very hard, and ran to the moat before dawn every day to hang his throat. Then I rushed to Master's house to sweep the yard, make a stove, and empty a commode for Master and Master.
Zhang Xinkui has a daughter named Zhang Yurong, she is 1 year younger than Fang Rongxiang, but Fang Rongxiang respectfully calls her "senior sister" every time he sees her.
(Fang Rongxiang when he was young)
Although Fang Rongxiang is not tall, he has a straight nose and a wide mouth, and his eyes are bright, Zhang Yurong likes him very much. Fang Rongxiang didn't have money to eat breakfast, so he practiced morning exercises on a hungry stomach every day.
Zhang Yurong was very distressed, and often stole horseshoe baked cakes or hard noodles from the kitchen to satisfy Fang Rongxiang's hunger. In getting along day and night, the two have a good impression of each other.
After studying art for 3 years, Fang Rongxiang suddenly became obsessed with Qiu Pai's flower face. As soon as he had time, he ran to the theater to "rub" Qiu Shengrong's play. When Qiu Shengrong was hanging his throat at home, he hid outside the courtyard wall and eavesdropped.
Gradually, Fang Rongxiang was able to imitate Qiu Pai's singing vividly. Zhang Xinkui was very generous when he learned about it, not only did he not get angry, but took the initiative to recommend Fang Rongxiang to Qiu Shengrong: Give me this old face a face, and accept this disciple.
(Qiu Shengrong (1915-1971))
Qiu Shengrong is only 10 years older than Fang Rongxiang, and when he saw that Fang Rongxiang's image and talent were good, he immediately agreed. Since then, Fang Rongxiang has become Qiu Shengrong's first disciple.
02
In the blink of an eye, in 1943, it was time for 18-year-old Fang Rongxiang to get married. Fang Jizhou learned that Zhang Xinkui's daughter Zhang Yurong was the same age as his stepson, so he took the initiative to come to the door to propose marriage.
Zhang Xinkui thought that the Fang family was too poor, so he politely refused. At this time, Zhang Yurong's life was not easy, after the death of her biological mother, her father remarried soon after, and her stepmother was very harsh on her and her younger brother, and she did not have the slightest nostalgia for this family.
Zhang Yurong loves Fang Rongxiang deeply, and she said to her father with tears: I admit to living a hard life with Rongxiang in the future, I will eat what he eats, and I will never regret it!
(Fang Rongxiang as Cho period)
At the beginning of 1944, Fang Rongxiang and Zhang Yurong got married without any ceremony. Zhang Yurong didn't have any dowry, only wore a jacket, wrapped two changes of clothes in old cloth, and was welcomed into the house by Fang Rongxiang.
The two fans couldn't see it, so they paid Fang Rongxiang and Zhang Yurong to go to the photo studio to take a wedding photo, and the marriage was over.
On the wedding day, Fang Rongxiang said to Zhang Yurong guiltily: It's all because I have no ability to let you be wronged. But my wife said, "It's nothing, as long as I can be with you, my heart will be sweet."
One sentence made Fang Rongxiang's eyes red. He swore in his heart: He must sing well and let his wife and family live a good life!
Due to the difficulty of survival, in the winter of 1944, Fang Rongxiang and his wife took their mother and stepfather to the northeast.
(Fang Rongxiang (right) and his mentor Qiu Shengrong)
Fang Rongxiang sings with a flower face, there are not many scenes, and the silver package given by the drama troupe is very small. In order to support his family, Fang Rongxiang sold tofu during the day outside the customs and sang at night.
At this time, Fang Rongxiang's eldest daughter was born, and it happened that Zhang Yurong had no milk, and the couple let their daughter eat sorghum paste every day.
The daughter was constipated, her abdomen was swollen like a small drum, and she cried all night, and finally cried out of her eye socket.
Fang Rongxiang and his wife were frightened and took their daughter to the hospital overnight. Later, although her daughter's life was saved, she was disabled for life, which became an eternal pain for Fang Rongxiang and his wife.
(Fang Rongxiang's performance photo)
After the liberation of Northeast China in 1948, Fang Rongxiang's opera troupe was incorporated by the People's Liberation Army, and he became a literary soldier.
Zhang Yurong felt sincerely happy that her husband had changed from a "dramatist" who could be bullied by anyone at the bottom to a respected civilian member of the army.
In 1951, Fang Rongxiang took the initiative to sign up for the Chinese People's Volunteer Army to participate in the War to Resist US Aggression and Aid Korea. The temperature in North Korea is extremely low in winter, and Fang Rongxiang brushes his teeth in the morning, but before he finishes brushing his teeth, the mouthwash freezes into ice in the cup.
During the meal, the rice in the pot was frozen as hard as a stone, and Fang Rongxiang and his comrades-in-arms used axes to chisel and eat little by little.
Even so, Fang Rongxiang and his comrades-in-arms often braved the enemy's artillery fire and aircraft strafing, and went to the front line tunnels to perform for the volunteer soldiers.
03
During this period, Fang Rongxiang saw from a battle report that Yan Weicai, a volunteer soldier, led his comrades-in-arms deep behind enemy lines and captured the commander of the "White Tiger Regiment" and the United States adviser.
Fang Rongxiang and his comrades-in-arms in the troupe were deeply inspired, and everyone used this as a blueprint to create the Peking Opera "Surprise Attack on the White Tiger Troupe" in a very short time.
In the play, Fang Rongxiang plays an important figure and the head of a certain unit of the Chinese People's Volunteer Army.
Once "Surprise Attack on the White Tiger Regiment" was launched, it was deeply loved by fans. Among them, Fang Rongxiang sang "Take advantage of the night to surprise the soldiers" and "Never let the Meili Bandits escape" and other singing segments, which are infectious and inspiring, and have become classics that have been sung for a long time.
(Fang Rongxiang's "Surprise Attack on the White Tiger Regiment" stills)
(Stills from "Surprise Attack on the White Tiger Regiment")
In 1957, Changchun Film Studio put the Peking Opera "Surprise Attack on the White Tiger Regiment" on the screen, and the courageous and resourceful, wise and brave "Captain Wang" in the play is still played by Fang Rongxiang.
The film not only has the stumbling and tumbling of traditional martial arts, but also cleverly integrates into the ballet, Fang Rongxiang's chic appearance and loud singing voice have touched countless fans.
With the release of "Outwitting Tiger Mountain" across the country, Fang Rongxiang quickly became popular all over the country.
Whether it is a penniless little "flower face" in the old society drama troupe, or a famous actor who has become a high-profile actor, Fang Rongxiang has always remained the same to his wife and loves his wife.
(Fang Rongxiang sang for the masses in the rain)
He gave all the small allowances to his wife to take care of, and on the wedding anniversary, he had no money to buy gifts for his wife, so he grinded the waste bullet casings of the anti-aircraft machine gun into a ring and solemnly gave it to Zhang Yurong.
Zhang Yurong can feel Fang Rongxiang's sincere love, although she is very busy and tired with several children, her heart is always warm.
As early as 1956, Fang Rongxiang transferred from the army and was assigned to the Peking Opera Company of Shandong Province.
Here, Fang Rongxiang has sung excellent repertoire such as "Black Whirlwind Li Kui", "Thief of the Royal Horse", "Removing the Three Evils", "Bringing Harmony", "Quanmei Case", "Surprise Attack on the White Tiger Regiment" and other excellent plays, and is the backbone actor of the unit.
(Fang Rongxiang (left) is admired by fans both in and out of the play.) This is a scene when he and Tan Yuanshou co-starred in "Will Be Peaceful". ）
Due to its fame, as long as the three words "Fang Rongxiang" appeared on the performance poster, the tickets were sold out quickly. Many theater fans will even make a special trip to Jinan from Beijing, Tianjin, Hebei, Jiangsu and other surrounding provinces and cities to watch Fang Rongxiang's performance.
In the early 60s of the last century, the supply of materials across the country was tight, and the people regarded food as very expensive. However, among the fans, there is a saying that "I would rather give up a load of food than give up Fang Rongxiang", which shows the fans' love and pursuit of Rongxiang.
04
In the 70s of the last century, Zhang Yurong was tidying up the house at home. The leaders of the Peking Opera Company of Shandong Province suddenly came to visit, and they asked with concern: Are you and Lao Fang living in difficulty?
One sentence asked Zhang Yurong. It turned out that Fang Rongxiang was reluctant to go to the unit's canteen to eat at noon every day. As soon as the meal arrived, he ran to the roadside stall outside and ate cheap soy sauce noodles without vegetable stew.
(Fang Rongxiang (right) and his disciple Song Changlin)
After Fang Rongxiang returned home, Zhang Yurong asked again and again to learn that after the death of his mentor Qiu Shengrong, his wife in Beijing was in difficulty, so Fang Rongxiang squeezed out some money from the monthly food expenses to help his wife.
He worked for more than ten years a week until his wife died. After the news spread, everyone admired Fang Rongxiang's affection and righteousness, and they admired it.
In 1985, Fang Rongxiang was admitted to the hospital due to a massive heart attack. Due to the severity of his condition, he was in a coma in the ward three times.
Zhang Yurong was afraid that her husband would make any mistakes, so she guarded the bedside day and night.
(Fang Rongxiang on the hospital bed)
Worried that Fang Rongxiang would leave in her sleep in the middle of the night, she didn't dare to close her eyes all night, and put her ear to her husband's nose seven or eight times a night to probe her nose.
In just one week, Zhang Yurong lost more than 10 pounds. Fang Rongxiang, who was sick, was particularly fragile, and he said to his wife sadly: After decades of marriage, you have suffered with me, and I am sorry for you in this life!
One sentence made Zhang Yurong burst into tears: Don't say that, I'm very content, you have me in your heart, that's enough. The true feelings of their suffering moved the medical staff on the side to tears.
Fortunately, Fang Rongxiang was successfully discharged from the hospital after heart bypass surgery for more than two months.
(Fang Rongxiang and his lover Meng Guanglu)
In 1988, Fang Rongxiang went to Hong Kong with the troupe to perform. After some overseas fans learned about it, they flew over from United States, Singapore, and Japan to enjoy Fang Rongxiang's performance.
At that time, Fang Rongxiang had just undergone a second heart operation, and his body was still relatively weak. He was hospitalized during the day and performed on stage at night. He has starred in more than 49 of the company's more than 40 performances in Hong Kong.
05
On the eve of returning to the mainland, Fang Rongxiang sang "The Case of Quanmei" on stage, and when he returned to the recess, he suddenly fell ill and collapsed backstage. The colleague panicked and planned to let his disciple replace Fang Rongxiang on stage.
("Bao Gong" played by Fang Rongxiang)
After the discomfort eased slightly, Fang Rongxiang waved his hand and said: Don't go back to the play, perform as usual! The organizers were afraid of taking responsibility and did not agree. Fang Rongxiang immediately wrote a letter of guarantee: If there is an accident, I will bear all the consequences!
In the end, Fang Rongxiang relied on his infatuation with Peking Opera to successfully present the upright and jealous "Bao Zheng" on the Hong Kong stage. Waves of applause and cheers echoed in the theater again and again!
At the curtain call, the host told the story of what happened backstage, and thousands of viewers in the audience were moved to tears. Since then, Fang Rongxiang has been praised by fans as "the unfallen Baolong picture".
After Fang Rongxiang went home, Zhang Yurong blamed him for not singing so hard.
(Fang Rongxiang and grandchildren)
Fang Rongxiang said emotionally: Singing is a vocation, and being a man is fundamental. Peking Opera has made me, opera fans have made me, and I want to be worthy of the fans and the stage. After saying a word, Fang Rongxiang and his wife both burst into tears.
However, luck did not always surround Fang Rongxiang. On April 22, 1989, Fang Rongxiang, a generation of Peking Opera masters, died of a recurrence of heart disease in Jinan at the age of 64.
Zhang Yurong and his three sons and four daughters are all immersed in great grief.
(Fang Xiangxiang (September 6, 1925–April 22, 1989))
Before his death, due to the rush of time, Fang Lao wrote his last words on a napkin, and he thanked his wife, son, and medical staff with words. Tell your family that if something happens to you, you can't be dissatisfied with the medical staff! The future should be done simply, and do not cause trouble to the country and the people around you......
Seeing these simple and sincere words, Fang Rongxiang's family and medical staff all shed tears.
Inspired by Fang Rongxiang, half of his sons, daughters-in-law, daughters-in-law, sons-in-law, and grandsons are engaged in Peking Opera.
(Peking Opera master Fang Xu)
Especially Fang Rongxiang's grandson Fang Xu, who inherited the essence of Qiu School art and graduated from the graduate class of outstanding young performers of Peking Opera in China.
Fang Xu has won gold medals in Peking Opera competitions many times, and appeared on the stage of CCTV Spring Festival Gala in 2019. Fang Xu sang "The Case of Quanmei", "Lock Five Dragons", "Tanyin Mountain", "Chisang Town" and "Muhu Pass" were widely praised by fans.
On February 16, 2013, Zhang Yurong died of illness at the age of 87. The old man walked very peacefully, she went to heaven to follow her lifelong wife Fang Rongxiang.
By July 2024, Peking Opera master Fang Rongxiang has been away from us for 35 years.
He played "Captain Zhang" in "Surprise Attack on the White Tiger Regiment", "Bao Zheng" in "The Beauty Case", "Xiang Yu" in "Farewell My Concubine", and his pure, clear, bright and powerful singing voice, which will always be loved by fans!
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The first work, plagiarism must be investigated!