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Zhu Xijuan, this is a name that symbolizes the memories of countless young people of the times! She was awarded the highest honor of "People's Artist", and her words and deeds all demonstrate the noble character and outstanding skills that an artist should have.
This high honor is not only due to her brilliant achievements in the field of film and television performance, but more importantly, she has carried that simple and fiery patriotic feelings all her life, and has made indelible contributions to the cultural cause of the motherland with practical actions.
As China's first "Hundred Flowers Award Actress", Zhu Xijuan's representative work is undoubtedly the war blockbuster "Red Women's Army" adapted from real people and true stories. In this film full of revolutionary romanticism, her superb acting skills captivated the audience, and she vividly portrayed the image of the indomitable women's army with her magnetic voice and weather-beaten face, which won warm applause and high praise from the audience.
It is this classic that has made her a household name in one fell swoop and has left a deep imprint in the hearts of people across the country.
Dating back to the early 60s of the last century, a film based on the story of the real Anti-Japanese War was in full swing. This film is the famous "Red Women's Army", director Xie Jin tried his best to find a suitable actress to interpret the image of the tenacious, heroic and combative Women's Army in the play.
However, just when he was about to give up, a chance encounter led him to meet Zhu Xijuan, who was only 24 years old at the Shanghai Theater Academy.
When he saw Zhu Xijuan for the first time, Xie Jin was attracted by her heroic and resolute image. The tough and strong aura exuded by Zhu Xijuan perfectly fits the image of the women's army conceived in Xie Jin's mind.
Therefore, he did not hesitate to send an invitation to Zhu Xijuan. Despite some apprehensions at first, after careful consideration, Zhu Xijuan finally bravely took on this challenging role.
In addition to being well prepared in terms of spiritual realm, it is also important to build a strong body. Zhu Xijuan follows the iron-clad military style, and fully devotes herself to the month-long rigorous military training, whether it is wearing military uniforms, practicing martial arts, or staying up late for military drills, she goes all out, and strives to be closer to the real Women's Army soldiers in terms of appearance.
So, after a lot of hard work, "Red Detachment of Women" finally met the audience as promised in 1961. Zhu Xijuan's superb acting skills injected unique vitality into the film, which caused a sensational response across the country after the film was released.
In an instant, Zhu Xijuan became a well-known star. What is even more rare is that when the first "Hundred Flowers Award" was grandly unveiled the following year, she won the supreme honor of "Best Actress", which was affirmed by the highest honor in the literary and artistic circles, and was personally awarded by the contemporary literary giant Guo Moruo.
As an advocate, the then Premier Zhou Enlai also came to the award ceremony, he not only cheered for Zhu Xijuan with joy, but also had kind eyes, and personally sent a warm invitation to the young powerful movie star to dance together.
However, in the face of all kinds of doubts from the outside world, although Zhu Xijuan has mixed feelings in her heart, she knows that her original intention is not so. In fact, the reason why she chose to immigrate to the United States stems from a sincere heart dedicated to promoting cultural exchanges between China and foreign countries.
As early as many years ago, she had an insight into the emergence of a frenzy of going abroad in China, whether it was immigration or studying abroad, more and more people began to yearn for life in a foreign country.
In the face of this unstoppable torrent, Zhu Xijuan's heart was full of worries. She worries that if these people who go abroad have too high expectations and expectations for life abroad, but fail to understand the true face of it, it may lead to cultural conflicts and confusion of values in the future.
Therefore, she resolutely made up her mind to set foot on this road herself, to truly record and show the reality of life abroad.
So, after the initial success of her career, Zhu Xijuan moved with her family to Los Angeles, USA, with a firm belief in further cultivating the field of art, where she founded a well-known company focusing on cultural exchange.
Over the past few years, Zhu Xijuan's keen and unique perspective has been like a magic spell of a master of light and shadow, successfully freezing and recording the bits and pieces of Chinese life in the United States. With accurate and sharp photography techniques, she deeply analyzes and shows the pros and cons of overseas life through images, leading the audience to deeply realize that there is no world of difference between domestic and foreign life!
Not only that, Zhu Xijuan also frequently travels between the two places, selflessly imparting her profound performing arts attainments to actors in China and the United States, hoping to take this opportunity to give full play to her strengths and contribute to the film and television industry of the two countries.
Although she is in a foreign country, she has always been concerned about the prosperity of her motherland in her heart, and she has repaid this hot land that once nurtured her growth with practical actions.
Time flies, time flies, and in a blink of an eye, Zhu Xijuan has been away from the entertainment industry for dozens of spring and autumn. During this period, she devoted herself to the great cause of promoting cultural exchanges between China and foreign countries.
However, that deep attachment to her hometown has always lingered in her heart, and finally rekindled her passion for film and television in her later years.
At that time, Zhu Xijuan was over eighty years old, but she still maintained her innocent heart and was eager to make another modest contribution to the country's film and television industry.
At this time, the executives of Shenzhen TV were well aware of the plight of the development of the local film and television industry and urgently needed a large number of outstanding talents to join, so they found Zhu Xijuan and explained to her in detail the severe challenges they are currently facing.
As a leader in the national film and television industry, Zhu Xijuan is naturally insightful about this. She did not hesitate to agree to join the team of Shenzhen TV station, and after discussing with her husband, she decisively decided to move her family to Shenzhen at the end of 1983 to devote herself to this hot land full of infinite possibilities.
When the young Zhu Xijuan set foot in Shenzhen, she was full of a vigorous fighting spirit, as if she had regained her youthful vitality. Soon after, she was hired by the TV station as the deputy director, becoming an important promoter of the development of the film and television industry in this emerging city, and won the high honor of "Shenzhen TV drama pioneer".
With Zhu Xijuan's unremitting efforts, Shenzhen TV has gradually grown and risen, and all kinds of wonderful film and television masterpieces have sprung up one after another, contributing an indispensable force to the film and television industry of Shenzhen and even the whole country.
This highly respected veteran artist has affectionately interpreted the true meaning of "People's Artist" with his practical actions.
Whenever she had the opportunity, she encouraged the young performers on the TV station: "To be a good actor, you must not only have solid basic skills, but also have that deep and fiery patriotic feelings."
However, the vicissitudes of time and time flies, and Zhu Xijuan has entered the last stage of her life. Deep in her heart, she longs to return to the warm embrace of her homeland in her old age and spend the rest of her life in this familiar homeland.
However, the children have long since settled in a foreign country and live a very different lifestyle from her and her husband. In order not to put too much pressure on her children, after careful consideration, 78-year-old Zhu Xijuan made an unexpected decision - to move to a nursing home and enjoy her old age there.
As soon as this news came out, it immediately aroused widespread attention and heated discussions in all walks of life.
However, this is not what one might think. In fact, in the first year of their return to China to settle down, Zhu Xijuan and his wife lived with their son Hou Liang for a period of time.
However, because two generations have lived in different linguistic and cultural backgrounds for a long time, there is a gap that is difficult to bridge in terms of living habits and values.
Zhu Xijuan is old, her physical condition is declining, and she cannot take care of herself completely, while Hou Liang has been working overseas for a long time and has no time to take care of her family. In order to reduce the burden on her children, Zhu Xijuan resolutely chose to go to the nursing home alone, opening a new chapter in her life.
Initially, Hou Liang and his daughter tried to persuade their parents to change their minds, but Zhu Xijuan politely rejected the children's kindness. She said with a smile: "You have lived abroad for too long, and your habits are very different from ours."
"Let us seniors live in nursing homes so that we can live a more comfortable and secure life."
Since then, after Zhu Xijuan and her husband have been admitted to a nursing home, the children can only find time to visit in their spare time. What is surprising is that although she is in her old age, Zhu Xijuan still maintains the romantic and heroic literary atmosphere of the year, and is still often active in various activities in the film and television industry.
Whenever a young actor came to visit, the old artist, who was far away from home, always affectionately admonished: "Young people, you are the future of the motherland." ”