About Ma Sanli
Lived 1914 – 2003 (aged 88). Ma Sanli was a Chinese actor, xiangsheng performer and xiangsheng.
Ma Sanli (Xiao'erjing: , ; 1914 – 11 February 2003) was a Chinese comedian in the traditional Xiangsheng or "crosstalk" style.
Biography Ma was born in Beijing; he was of the Hui ethnic group, and the son and grandson of practitioners of Xiangsheng. He was apprenticed to Zhou Deshan in 1929. Ma was a Chinese Muslim.
He came to be noted for avoiding complication in a way that kept his performances accessible to a mass audience. He pursued his art in Tianjin.
He became a widower in 1984. In December 2001, Ma retired from the Xiangsheng profession.
On 11 February 2003, he died in Tianjin after a long battle with cancer.
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Important facts
Contemporaries
People whose lives overlapped Ma Sanli's
Frequently asked questions
Who was Ma Sanli?
Chinese xiangsheng actor
When was Ma Sanli born?
Ma Sanli was born on 1 October 1914 in Beijing.
When did Ma Sanli die?
Ma Sanli died on 11 February 2003 in Tianjin.
What was Ma Sanli's occupation?
Ma Sanli was an actor, xiangsheng performer and xiangsheng.
What nationality was Ma Sanli?
Ma Sanli was Chinese.
Sources & further reading
Cite this page
APA: Biography.guide. (2026). Ma Sanli. https://biography.guide/ma-sanli/
MLA: "Ma Sanli." Biography.guide, https://biography.guide/ma-sanli/.
Chicago: "Ma Sanli." Biography.guide. https://biography.guide/ma-sanli/.
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