Dashan, a foreigner who was not the first to enter the Chinese cross talk genealogy, but was the foreigner who had the greatest influence on the Chinese cross talk genealogy.
On the CCTV Spring Festival Gala, he took the stage with the famous cross talk artist Jiang Kun to talk about cross talk, and at that time he was famous all over the country and went to the world.
It's just that today, when foreigners rely on the wealth code to "eat and drink spicy" in China, why is he nowhere to be found.
One can't help but ask, where did he go, and why did he suddenly disappear?
In fact, his relationship with China began as early as the twenties of the last century.
During the Anti-Japanese War, Dashan's grandfather came to support China's anti-Japanese war as a doctor.
After six weeks of intensive training in Beijing, they were sent to Henan.
In Shangqiu, Henan Province, he established the "Guide St. Paul Hospital" (Shangqiu First People's Hospital), and people are also affectionately known as "Dr. Rao".
After three years in China, Dashan's grandfather was forced to leave China with his wife because of the war (at that time it was not safe for foreigners in China).
The three children they brought with them were dead and wounded, and finally the youngest daughter was still alive, but she also suffered from depression because of stimulation.
In order to continue the incense, after returning to Canada, the couple gave birth to four more children, the youngest of whom is Dashan's father.
Today, of the couple's seven children, only (Mark) Dashan's father and an aunt are still alive.
It is precisely because of this that Dashan has been curious about China since he was a child. And his first real exposure to Chinese culture was in a photo studio.
After graduating from high school, Mark worked part-time at a photo studio, where he met a Chinese Canadian.
Oyama (right)
Many Chinese customers come here to pay for this colleague from Dashan. Watching them speak Chinese every word, Dashan felt amazing: I really want to learn Chinese.
Of course, the Chinese Canadian also encouraged him, but before starting to learn Chinese, the Chinese Canadian asked this question:
"There are two kinds of Chinese, which one do you want to learn?"
Mark was confused when he heard it, he had zero foundation, and Chinese was Chinese to him no matter how it was divided.
Later, my friend added: one is used in the classroom, academic, and the other is Chinese spoken by ordinary people.
Mark understood this explanation.
He didn't want to be bound by the rules, so he decisively chose the latter.
"Well, let me tell you, the Chinese we ordinary people speak daily is called Cantonese. ”
After going to university, in order to study Chinese culture, he took a course to popularize Chinese culture.
Other students are busy talking about love, he is studying Chinese characters, other students are enjoying flowers and relaxing, he is still studying Chinese characters.
The degree of obsession with China made the teacher wonder if he was a Chinese in his last life.
After a few months, the elective could no longer satisfy Dashan, and he simply changed Chinese to a major course. Later, he won the first place in the Chinese Studies course and got the opportunity to study in Beijing.
At that time, he was on a plane to China and dreamed of making a difference in Chinese culture. Unexpectedly, he entered the entertainment industry "by mistake".
In 1989, it was the second year that Mark came to China to study, and it was also this year that he appeared on the New Year's Day party held by CCTV.
That year, CCTV wanted to be ingenious and wanted foreign students to participate in it, so it sent an invitation to Peking University.
Mark, who has good Chinese, is one of them.
Together with other international students, he performed the sketch "Night Return", in which he played a "good Chinese man" named Xu Dashan. ”
Wearing a military coat and wearing a big rumor, the audience laughed as soon as he came on stage.
Dashan performance sketch "Night Return"
"Open the door, I'm the mountain. ”
"What are you doing back?"
"Look at what you said, sleep!"
With a helpless expression and aggrieved words, he contracted almost all the jokes of the show.
not only harvested flowers and applause, but also entered the hearts of the audience.
Since then, no one knows who Mark is, only remembering his name on the show - Big Mountain.
After "Night Return", he became completely popular, and countless directors handed him olive branches, but he became interested in cross talk.
The 39-year-old Jiang Kun is famous in the cross talk circle, and a party made the two who had never met meet meet.
In the conversation between the two, Dashan expressed his love for cross talk very sincerely, and he hoped that Jiang Kun would take him as an apprentice.
Jiang Kun was a little hesitant, after all, crosstalk requires strong basic language skills, and most Chinese can't do it, let alone a gringo?
In addition, his master Hou Baolin did not approve of accepting a foreign apprentice:
Don't make trouble, cross talk is an art, and you can't keep stirring up the news.
simply rejected his request.
But Dashan did not give up because of this, but relied on unremitting efforts to impress Jiang Kun.
Adhering to the concept of "education without class", Jiang Kun officially accepted Dashan as a disciple at the end of 1989.
As it turns out, Dashan doesn't do it on a whim, he takes the time to practice hard, and when he encounters problems, he will ask for advice.
Sometimes Jiang Kun is too busy, so he will consult another cross talk master, Ding Guangquan.
With his help, Dashan also learned a lot of professional skills.
In 2018, Master Ding Guangquan passed away, and Dashan immediately issued a message of condolences.
For him, although he did not formally apprentice, in his heart, Ding Guangquan had already become his master.
Under the guidance of Jiang Kun and Ding Guangquan, Dashan's cross talk level improved by leaps and bounds, and finally appeared on CCTV in 1991 with his own efforts.
collaborated with Master and Tang Jiezhong in "King Kong Legs" and "Famous Teacher and High Apprentice";
collaborated with Ma Ji and Zhao Yan in "Sending Spring Festival Couplets";
and Pan Changjiang performed the sketch "A Postage Stamp";
In this way, Dashan laid a foundation for himself in the cross talk circle.
From 98 to 11 years, Dashan Sideng Spring Festival Gala was no less popular than the current Guo Degang.
Even netizens spoke highly of him:
"Chinese has surpassed the vast majority of Chinese. ”
"If Dashan were a Chinese national, I would rather be the president of the National Cross Talk Association. ”
The evaluation is quite high, but it is a little exaggerated, but it cannot be denied that Dashan is indeed very successful.
Not only in career, but also in love.
Career is in full swing, and love is also on the agenda.
That year, when Dashan was twenty-five years old, when he was invited to participate in a performance in Liaoning, he met a Chongqing girl named Gan Lin.
Gan Lin was mainly responsible for the work arrangement of the band at that event, and Dashan, who knew both Chinese and English, became the translator of the band and singers.
In the process of communication, Dashan became interested in this Ganlin.
He asked her for contact information and offered to invite her to dinner after the event.
A meal brought the two closer, and since then, the two have often made an appointment to play.
came and went, the relationship warmed up, and the friendship between the two was sublimated into love.
Three years later, Dashan and Gan Lin walked on the red carpet and officially stepped into the marriage hall, giving birth to a son and a daughter after marriage.
With a successful career and a happy family, Dashan at that time could be described as a real winner in life.
It's just that what people can't figure out is that he keeps saying that he loves Chinese culture, so he turned around and sent his wife and daughter to Canada to learn French and Canadian culture.
In the face of this move, some people expressed doubts, and some people questioned that he did not really love China, but just wanted to take the opportunity to come to China to make money.
He explained:
Sending children abroad is for their future growth and to protect their families from interference.
Is this the case?
The answer is indeed true.
Although Dashan sent his children to a French school, he taught his children to speak Chinese from an early age, allowing them to live in the Chinese area and understand Chinese culture.
After sending his children and wife to Canada, Dashan began to run on both ends, and it lasted for many years.
During this period, he thought about leaving China and accompanying his wife and children with peace of mind, but he was unwilling to give up his hard-working career.
It wasn't until Feng Gong appeared that he completely made up his mind to leave China.
"If you want to continue to be successful, you have to step out of the loop. ”
This is Feng Gong's advice to him, and it is also his advice.
And the approximate meaning of this sentence is:
It's not impossible for you to follow this path, but maybe one day, the audience will lose the freshness of this foreign cross talk actor in a coat, and at that time you will be eliminated by the times.
Dashan understood and understood, so he began to transform.
After that, he left China and returned to Canada, and he gradually disappeared from the stage.
Got rid of the burden of cross talk, and began to really contribute to China: from Beijing's Top Ten Outstanding Young Persons to the Olympic Special Envoy.
When he reappeared, he was no longer a cross talk actor in a coat, but a veritable cultural envoy between Canada and China.
Later, he combined foreign talk shows with domestic cross talk to produce a program of "Dashan Kan Dashan".
Later, he returned to Canada to promote Chinese culture online:
Recite ancient poems in short videos, talk about the differences between Chinese and foreign cultures, or study the local dialect of China......
There are no exaggerated body expressions, no piercing patriotic slogans, but it makes people feel extremely comfortable.
Time has passed, and now Dashan is 57 years old, from a young talent to an old man, the only thing that remains unchanged is his love for China.