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It was an ordinary afternoon, and the 90-year-old Wang Xiaotang was sitting on a comfortable rattan chair, intently and intoxicatingly savoring the yellowed old script.
The sunlight that pours into the room through the spacious floor-to-ceiling windows seems to add a warm glow that has been precipitated over the years to this artist who is still in style.
Her eyes roamed on each page like a trickle, as if she had the power to travel through time and space, making people feel as if they were in that era filled with gunfire, breathing and sharing fate with her.
In 1934, Wang Xiaotang fell to the ground in Kaifeng City, Henan Province, a city with a long history and profound cultural heritage. However, the shadow of war quickly enveloped her homeland, and the family had to flee from Kaifeng to Nanjing, and then to Hangzhou to settle down temporarily.
Although life is like duckweed in the wind, fluctuating, under the earnest teachings of her parents, she has been bathed in a strong artistic atmosphere since she was a child, and her love for art is deeply rooted in her heart.
When recalling that simple and turbulent childhood, Wang Xiaotang's eyes flashed with a soft and nostalgic light. She seemed to see the once innocent self, under the guidance of her parents, learning Peking Opera tunes, pronunciation and pronunciation, and developing an incomparable obsession with this ancient art.
This pure pursuit of art and firm belief burned like a blazing fire in her heart, and finally turned into a powerful driving force for her to serve the motherland and devote herself to the opera career.
In this way, under the baptism of war and the difficult environment of the family, Wang Xiaotang's artistic talent was fully tapped and cultivated, laying a solid foundation for her dazzling acting career in the future.
As a young and promising woman, she resolutely chose to join the Chinese People's Liberation Army and shone brightly on the stage of the Peking Opera Troupe of the General Political Department. Just a year later, she rose to prominence and successfully entered the General Political Drama Troupe, showing extraordinary talent and exceptional talent.
Wang Xiaotang was immersed in the ocean of memories, time seemed to go backwards, and she clearly saw her high-spirited self at the age of 21. In 1956, she ushered in her life debut - the movie "Mysterious Traveling Companion", playing a Yi girl.
Although this is her first foray into the screen, she is not afraid, and with her keen insight and deep understanding of the script, she brings the role of Xiao Liying to life, winning warm applause and crazy pursuit from the audience.
Wang Xiaotang used her talent and courage to present vivid and vivid roles to the audience, her unique acting skills, dazzling eyes like torches, and a classic Chinese character face, all of which made countless people fall in love.
With such a depiction, one stone stirred up a thousand waves, Wang Xiaotang became a household name overnight with his outstanding performance, and won the reputation of "national goddess".
In the following years, she starred in one popular masterpiece after another, and her career also climbed to a peak. People can still clearly recall her wonderful performance in "Heroes and Die Hard", and the passionate rumba dance made countless fans crazy.
In the masterpiece "Wildfire Spring Breeze Fighting Ancient City", she successfully created a completely different role with her unique master-level acting skills, which aroused enthusiastic pursuit from the audience.
Looking back on those glorious years, Wang Xiaotang straightened his originally curved waist, and the corners of his mouth were filled with a proud smile. At that time, she seemed to be omnipotent, and even authoritative film critics unabashedly praised: "Male audiences love Wang Xingang, and female audiences are obsessed with Wang Xiaotang."
She has become a true A-list superstar, and her career has reached the peak of her life.
However, this joy did not last long, and it was enveloped by a thick cloud. A series of changes completely changed the trajectory of her life and kept her away from the once dazzling stage.
Wang Xiaotang's face showed deep melancholy, and her eyes flashed with pain and helplessness Yes, just when her career was booming and turning purple, the special historical environment and the background of the times at that time were like a heavy hammer, ruthlessly crushing her dreams.
Due to various irresistible factors, the former A-list superstar had to come to an end in the spotlight, and was forced to leave the bustling city and demobilize to a remote forest farm.
In this way, she began a six-year period of oblivion, and her career fell into an unprecedented trough.
In the face of this sudden and huge blow, Wang Xiaotang did not choose to give up, but faced life with a more tenacious attitude. In that isolated world, she thought deeply about what kind of works can really be close to life and win the sincere love of the audience.
Time is like an arrow, time is like a shuttle, and six years seem to be just a drop in the ocean, but for an artist, it is a severe test of will and character.
In those difficult years, Wang Xiaotang has never been discouraged, nor has she wavered in her firm belief in art, she has always had a good expectation for the future, with the selfless support and encouragement of her family, silently persevered, with diligence and hard work, step by step tempering her will.
After six years of trials and hardships, the country's policy has finally begun to take a turn for the better. Wang Xiaotang did not hesitate to devote himself to the art career he loved again, and rekindled his passion for artistic dreams.
Although Wang Xiaotang has been away from the stage for six years, she has never given up the pursuit of an artistic career. In 1975, at the age of 48, she directed and starred in the film "Xiang", which she wrote and starred in, which showed her deep understanding of life stages in simple terms, and achieved unprecedented success, making her stand out in the film industry again.
The hit of "Xiang" has undoubtedly become another peak in Wang Xiaotang's career, but it has been followed by a series of heavy blows.
First of all, her only son Yanqun, who was only five years old, unfortunately contracted pneumonia and died under the backward medical conditions at that time.
Wang Xiaotang's eyes moistened, and this pain is still deeply imprinted in her heart. She clearly recalled the moment when she faced the death of her beloved son, and the pain in her heart was like a knife, and she couldn't help but die.
That young life should have been the pride and reliance of her and her husband Yan Xiaopeng on the road of art, and they once taught the ancient art of Peking Opera with great respect, hoping that their son would inherit the family tradition and carry it forward.
However, the creation of people and the departure of Yan Qun undoubtedly brought a heavy blow to them. Wang Xiaotang and her husband were grief-stricken. What's even more cruel is that not long after Yan Qun's death, her husband Yan Xiaopeng, who shared the responsibility of the family, also died of illness, and in just one year, Wang Xiaotang suffered the two heaviest blows in his life.
Being alone, facing such a predicament, is enough to break anyone's will. However, Wang Xiaotang did not give in, because she knew that she was carrying too many responsibilities, and there were still many things worth her struggle waiting for her to complete.
Subsequently, she once again shouldered the lofty mission of inheriting the profound heritage of Peking Opera and sincerely performing for the country and the nation with her own strength! On the road of life, the wind, frost, rain and snow experience is extraordinary, and it is the furnace that forged Wang Xiaotang's indomitable character! Looking back on those magnificent and glorious years, she could not help but rise and fall in her chest, and her eyes shone with perseverance and determination.
Looking back, it was a war-torn childhood, and under the careful teaching of her parents, she has been deeply immersed in the ancient art of Peking Opera.
Although her family was displaced between the three cities of Kaifeng, Nanjing, and Hangzhou, her artistic talent was nurtured and honed in such a harsh environment.
After that, she finally joined the Chinese People's Liberation Army Repertory Troupe as she wished, and since then she has embarked on a dazzling artistic career. When he first set foot in the film industry, Wang Xiaotang became famous with his first work "The Mysterious Traveling Companion" and won the reputation of "National Goddess".
Since then, she has starred in many critically acclaimed films for several years in a row, and her career has reached its peak.
However, just as her career was in full swing, due to the special historical environment and background of the times, Wang Xiaotang had to quietly retire under the spotlight and was forced to demobilize to a remote forest farm, starting a six-year forgotten time.
This is undoubtedly a heavy blow to her career, however, she has not given up her persistent pursuit of art because of this, and has always maintained a calm mind to love life, and deeply think about what kind of works can really touch people's hearts.
Six years later, Wang Xiaotang regained his spirits and chose to retire behind the scenes as a director. The film "Xiang", which she directed and starred in, was an unprecedented success, and this film is a perfect summary of her life stage.
However, after the joy, tragedy ensued - her five-year-old son Yan Qun and husband Yan Xiaopeng died one after another, bringing her the heaviest pain and blow in her life.
Faced with such a predicament, ordinary people may choose to give up. However, Wang Xiaotang did not do so, because she knew that she shouldered the great responsibility of inheriting the family history and serving the country and the people.
Looking back on the long journey of life, every tempering and setback has made her more deeply aware of how precious art is to her! It is precisely because of the support of this noble quality that even in her old age, she still unreservedly devoted herself to the cause of literature and art, contributed all her strength to this field, and became a model for future generations to learn.
Now, Wang Xiaotang has spent more than 90 years of spring and autumn, and her life is as warm and moving as the afterglow of the sunset. Although the years have left a deep trace, she is still active at the forefront of the art world, and has won numerous supreme honors for her selfless dedication and outstanding contributions to the cause of literature and art.
This is undoubtedly the highest praise for her life's work.
However, when Wang Xiaotang sees the current entertainment industry's misunderstanding of the ancient teaching of "virtue and art", he will always feel extremely sad. Those young actors who aspire to win this honor are actually just blindly chasing fame and fortune, and have such a superficial understanding of the true meaning of "virtue and art".
The "virtue" in "Virtue and Art" represents the nobility of personality and spiritual realm, and "art" is the foundation of showing talent.
This veteran artist, who has been baptized by war and experienced many ups and downs, has enough qualifications and prestige to interpret the true meaning of this ancient teaching.
Her profound remarks have undoubtedly attracted widespread attention and left many of today's acting stars speechless.
Looking back on the legendary course of his half life, Wang Xiaotang's understanding of "virtue and art" can be said to be deep in the bone marrow. Influenced by her family roots since childhood, she has a pure and unwavering love for art.
Although she suffered many blows and tribulations later, she never gave up the pursuit of her career, but tempered her will step by step through diligence and hard work.
It is precisely because of this noble ethics and persistent pursuit of art that Wang Xiaotang can still contribute his strength to the cultural cause at the age of 90 and become a model for future generations to learn.
She hopes that contemporary performing arts practitioners can stop their hurried pace, reflect on themselves, and rediscover their original enthusiasm and awe for art, rather than just blindly pursuing fame and fortune.
Only in this way can they become real people of "virtue and art".