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The yearning for Chinese culture
Since he was a child, Daisen has been full of yearning and curiosity for the distant and mysterious East. It all stems from his father's magical legends about China.
The Chinese customs and anecdotes depicted by my father, as well as the simple and optimistic spirit of the people there, made Dashan fascinated and longed for this land.
In 1922, with the lofty dream of saving lives and helping the wounded, Oyama's grandfather crossed the ocean from the beautiful scenery of Canada to China, which was ravaged by war.
He chose to practice medicine and save people in a quiet place called Guide Mansion, and used benevolence and benevolence to rescue those ill-fated Chinese people.
It was a turbulent time, and the people were struggling to make a living. When my grandfather saw countless displaced people struggling to survive under the double blow of poverty and disease, he always extended his warm and strong hands and did not hesitate to provide medical assistance to those in need.
Unfortunately, in that harsh environment, his grandfather's two sons died one after another, and he could only endure the pain and leave his beloved China with great regret. Since then, my grandfather has always had endless thoughts and attachments to this once blessed country.
Dashan has always hoped to find traces of his grandfather's "Guide Mansion" when he practiced medicine, but he regretted it. This obsession not only stems from the reverence for his ancestors, but also because of Dashan's deep-rooted love and yearning for Chinese culture.
It was the bits and pieces of Zu Xun and his father's dictation, which subtly sowed seeds in the heart of the mountain and fell in love with this land.
Learn the episodes and struggles of cross talk
Dashan's fanatical love for Chinese culture not only stems from his family's words and deeds, but also because he has personally experienced the unique charm of cross talk art.
At CCTV's New Year's Day party in 1989, the famous cross talk actor Jiang Kun starred in "Big News".
So, Dashan was determined to move forward, and he sincerely asked Master Ding Guangquan, the most famous cross talk master in China at that time, to teach his skills. Ding Lao also had doubts about foreign apprentices at that time, after all, cross talk is a traditional Chinese culture, and he has never heard of a precedent for foreign disciples.
But in the end, Ding Lao was moved by Dashan's determination to pursue his ideals, and accepted the apprenticeship request of this "foreign apprentice".
The road to learning cross talk is not all smooth sailing, and there are episodes and interesting stories everywhere. The first lesson of the opening went wrong, and when Dashan confidently opened his mouth to speak Chinese, Ding Lao and the other students were all in a fog and accused him of talking nonsense.
It turned out that the "Chinese" that Dashan had learned before was actually just a Cantonese dialect. Dashan's humble appearance and strange "Chinese" caused laughter, and the funny scene still remembers him vividly.
Although there was an episode at the beginning, Dashan was not discouraged, but became more and more diligent in studying his Chinese homework. With perseverance and perseverance, after several years of hard work, Dashan has finally made great progress.
At the CCTV Spring Festival Gala in 2003, he made a wonderful appearance, and with his sophisticated acting skills, he became the most eye-catching cross talk actor in the 90s.
Dashan's love and dedication to the art of cross talk originated from the 1989 New Year's Day party that he will never forget. That night, he showed a cross talk performance in front of the audience for the first time, although he was rusty, but won bursts of laughter and applause.
Dashan sincerely felt the unique charm of Chinese Chinese culture, so he fell in love with the crosstalk performance industry and insisted on moving forward.
Cross talk performance has made a "foreign cross talk actor"
The New Year's Day party in 1989 was destined to be a turning point in Dashan's life trajectory. That night, the audience witnessed a foreign friend speaking crosstalk jokes on stage in authentic Chinese, which was really fresh and interesting, and won bursts of laughter and applause.
It was precisely because of this resounding line "I am the mountain" that this big man from a foreign country attracted the attention of the audience overnight. Since then, people have remembered this simple foreigner and appreciated the unique magic of the name "Daisan".
Dashan himself is full of praise for the name "Dashan", thinking that it is catchy and easy to remember, far better than the literal translation of the English name "Lu Shiwei".
He genuinely identified with and liked the Chinese name.
If it weren't for the unforgettable New Year's Day party for Dashan, I'm afraid he wouldn't have had the opportunity to meet the cross talk master Jiang Kun, and then devote himself to the study of cross talk art.
It was the enthusiastic response from the audience that made Dashan deeply appreciate the unique charm of Chinese Chinese language and culture, and thus fell in love with the crosstalk performance.
It can be said that this New Year's Day event in full swing has achieved Dashan's unique identity as "the world's first foreign cross talk actor", and also opened a dazzling chapter in his life in the field of cross talk art in the future.
Everything stems from the consistent sentence "I am the mountain".
The road to find the roots found the clues of "Guide Mansion".
The motivation for Dashan to find his roots not only stems from wanting to solve his grandfather's regrets about practicing medicine in China, but also because of his love and attachment to this motherland. In 1990, Dashan was fortunate to go to Liaoning to participate in a theatrical performance, and this trip met the staff Gan Lin.
After many exchanges and interactions, Dashan and Gan Lin had a deep affection for each other, and finally entered the palace of marriage. Since then, Dashan has not only had the identity of a Chinese family, but also has taken root in this foreign land.
Despite this, Dashan has never given up his obsession with finding his grandfather's "Guide Mansion", where he practiced medicine. It wasn't until 2001, after years of hard work, and with the help of enthusiastic people, that Dashan finally found the place that had haunted him.
It turned out that the Guide Mansion was now Suiyang District, Shangqiu, and the hospital served by my grandfather had been renamed the First People's Hospital of Shangqiu City.
Excited, Oyama went to the two small buildings on the west side of the hospital, and on the wall of the room, he found an old photo of a hundred years of memory, showing a family portrait of his grandfather's family of five.
In the face of these precious historical traces, Dashan was very moved, and his eyes couldn't help but moisten. In recognition of the outstanding contributions of Dashan's grandfather in the past, the Shangqiu Municipal Government specially awarded him the lofty title of "Honorary Citizen of Shangqiu".
Since then, Dashan has proudly called himself a "Shangqiu person", pinning infinite reverence for his ancestors.
This persistent process of searching for roots is the best footnote to Dashan's deep yearning and attachment to the bloodline of Chinese culture. His love for the motherland not only stems from the influence of his family, but also because this is his hometown where he took root and grew up, and it is the place where he dreams and yearns for it.
Outstanding contribution to promoting cultural exchanges between China and Canada
In addition to his outstanding achievements in the field of cross talk art, Dashan has been committed to promoting cultural exchanges and mutual learning between China and Canada, and has made outstanding contributions to enhancing the friendship between the two countries.
In 2004, Dashan was awarded the title of "Top Ten Outstanding Young Persons in Beijing" for his outstanding performance in the field of Sino-Canadian cultural exchanges, becoming the first foreigner to receive this honor.
This is undoubtedly the highest recognition of his years of dedication.
In order to celebrate the 85th anniversary of the founding of the Communist Party of China and the 70th anniversary of the victory of the Red Army's Long March, Dashan personally starred in a very important drama "Red Star Shining on China", playing the classic role of an international friend Snow.
Oyama put a lot of effort into the creation and production of this work, and made a significant contribution to the success of the work.
Stage performances are just one aspect of Dashan's involvement in the cultural exchange between China and Canada, and he himself has also held important media positions on many occasions. In 2010, when the Vancouver Winter Olympics were in full swing, Dashan was honored to be part of the media delegation of the People's Republic of China to cover the event.
Although Dashan's main position has now shifted to Canada, he is still committed to promoting Chinese culture and working hard to promote cultural exchanges between the two countries.
In Canada, Dashan has opened a small theater to show the unique charm of Chinese culture to Canadians through various forms such as talk shows, acrobatics, and cross talk performances.
At the same time, Dashan also actively guides Chinese students in Canada to integrate into local life, and continues to support young cross talk actors to develop their careers in Canada.
He prides himself on being a "loyal friend", always keeping in mind the teachings of his mentor Jiang Kun, and insisting on promoting the culture of the motherland.
Dashan's unremitting efforts to promote cultural exchanges between China and Canada have also won numerous honors and medals.
From the art of cross talk to the stage of drama, from media reports to cultural promotion, Dashan has interpreted a foreigner's love for Chinese culture with practical actions, and also witnessed the friendly bond between the two people with his own life experience.