Xu Yulan

Xu Yulan (born Wang Yulan, December 27, 1921 – April 19, 2017) was a Yue opera singer-actress who plays Sheng roles (all male characters).

Early life Xu Yulan was born in Zhejiang province (the location of present-day Xindeng township, Fuyang District). She trained in traditional Chinese opera, which included training in acrobatics and martial arts, at Dong'an Theatre School.

Career Xu Yulan (back, second from right) with other 9 Yue opera actresses in 1947, collectively known as the "Ten Sisters". Xu Yulan often played male roles in all-female Yue opera productions, and the "Xu style" of playing these xiaosheng (young male) roles is named for her. She co-starred with Wang Wenjuan for many years beginning in 1948, and commissioned works from other composers. In 1949 she was one of the performers required to take classes and pursue research on folk opera for the Shanghai government. In 1952 she won first prize in the first Chinese folk opera festival organized under the new Ministry of Culture. In 1953 she performed opera for Chinese and Korean military audiences, for which she was awarded a medal by the Korean Workers' Party. For much of her life she was an instructor, consultant, and advisor to the Shanghai Yue Opera Academy, and performed with the Academy's opera company on overseas tours to East Germany, the Soviet Union, Vietnam, and North Korea. She also produced a television series of her career highlights. With the loosening of restrictions on artists in China, she formed the Red Mansions Opera Company, and was a popular guest at concerts in Singapore, Hong Kong, Taiwan, and Thailand. Late in life she was on the executive committee of the Chinese Dramatists' Association.