About Ying Ruocheng
Lived 1929 – 2003 (aged 74). Ying Ruocheng was a Chinese stage actor, film actor, politician, writer, translator and television actor.
Ying Ruocheng (; June 21, 1929 – December 27, 2003) was a Chinese actor, director, playwright and vice minister of culture from 1986 to 1990. He first came to the attention of Western audiences for his portrayal of Kublai Khan in the 1982 miniseries Marco Polo. He played the part of the governor of the detention camp in the Bernardo Bertolucci's film The Last Emperor, and the role of the Tibetan Buddhist Lama Norbu in Little Buddha. He also worked as a theater translator, director, and actor for the Beijing People's Art Theatre, particularly for his role as Pockmark Liu in Lao She's Teahouse and as Willy Loman in Death of a Salesman in 1983, directed by Arthur Miller (Ying also translated the script).
Biography
Ying was born in Beijing into a Manchu family. He studied in a church school in Tianjin in his early years, and later graduated from the Department of Foreign Languages of Tsinghua University. He was forced into the provinces to perform manual labor during the Cultural Revolution.
Ying was a Vice Minister of Culture.
He translated the Arthur Miller play Death of a Salesman and in 1983 performed the role of Willy Loman.
Autobiography
Filmography
Don’t just read it —
keep it.
Full-length biographies made to live with: read them, listen on the way to work, watch them tonight.
- E-book
- Audio
- Video
Instant download · yours to keep · every purchase keeps this site free
Important facts
Family & relationships
People in Ying Ruocheng's life
Named in this biography and alive at the same time
Contemporaries
People whose lives overlapped Ying Ruocheng's
Frequently asked questions
Who was Ying Ruocheng?
Chinese actor, translator (1929-2003)
When was Ying Ruocheng born?
Ying Ruocheng was born on 21 June 1929 in Beijing.
When did Ying Ruocheng die?
Ying Ruocheng died on 27 December 2003 in Beijing.
What was Ying Ruocheng's occupation?
Ying Ruocheng was a stage actor, film actor, politician, writer, translator and television actor.
What nationality was Ying Ruocheng?
Ying Ruocheng was Chinese.
Sources & further reading
Cite this page
APA: Biography.guide. (2026). Ying Ruocheng. https://biography.guide/ying-ruocheng/
MLA: "Ying Ruocheng." Biography.guide, https://biography.guide/ying-ruocheng/.
Chicago: "Ying Ruocheng." Biography.guide. https://biography.guide/ying-ruocheng/.
Data last updated: 2026-09-20 · Spot an error? Report a correction.
Page generated 2026-09-27 05:33 UTC