Zhao Yanxia

Zhao Yanxia (; March 1, 1928 – March 19, 2025) was a Chinese opera singer, known for her performances with the National Peking Opera Company.

Life and career Zhao Yanxia was born in 1928 in Shenjiatai town, within the Chinese city of Linghai.

Under the direction of her father, Zhao Xiaolou, who was a famous actor, Zhao Yanxia began learning Beijing opera at age 8. Her grandfather and eight of her aunts were also Peking opera performers. Then, alongside other actors, she was not allowed to perform from 1966 to 1977 due to China's Cultural Revolution.

However, by the 1980s, she was back onstage and had become "China's leading female opera star," according to The New York Times.

Zhao retired from the stage in 1996. She died in Beijing on March 19, 2025, at the age of 97.