On December 3, the Education University of Hong Kong awarded a doctorate to the 92-year-old Bai Xuexian, but due to special reasons, he was unable to hold a ceremony on campus, and the Chairman of the School's Board of Trustees, Ma Shiheng, personally went to Bai Xuexian's home to present the award. Although the award was presented at home, Bai Xuexian was not sloppy at all, and she was wearing a doctor's uniform and seemed to be carefully dressed.
After the award, Bai Xuexian said that this is not her honor alone, this is an affirmation of the Xian Fengming Troupe, and she hopes that the precious traditional art of Cantonese opera can continue to be inherited and carried forward.
Bai Xuexian is a Cantonese opera performance artist who has a pivotal position in the Cantonese opera industry. This honorary doctorate in social sciences is also due to her contribution to the inheritance and development of Cantonese opera.
In fact, as early as 2004, Bai Xuexian received an honorary doctorate in literature from the University of Hong Kong, and she was once known as a superstar in the Cantonese opera industry.
Bai Xuexian has not been married in her life, and she has devoted most of her time to the cause of Cantonese opera, and some netizens said that Bai Xuexian married herself to Cantonese opera.
Bai Xuexian met Ren Jianhui in his early years, when Bai Xuexian was only 15 years old and Ren Jianhui was 30 years old, and the two became close friends because of their intoxication and devotion to Cantonese opera. One of them plays Xiaosheng and the other plays Hua Dan, which is called by many people as a match made in heaven.
It has been 31 years since Ren Jianhui died in 1989, when Bai Xuexian wrote on the link: "If it can be redeemed, people will be a hundred people" (if I can replace you, I am willing to die a hundred times). Bai Xuexian and Ren Jianhui are partners and rare acquaintances. There is a lyric that once described this: "When you see Ren Jianhui, there is always a white snow fairy."
On November 29 this year, Bai Xuexian appeared to commemorate Ren Jianhui's death. Over the years, Bai Xuexian has never been absent from Ren Jianhui's every anniversary. Wang Manling also posted on social platforms lamenting Bai Xuexian's deep friendship with Ren Jianhui.
Bai Xuexian, who stopped performing on stage after Ren Jianhui's death, said when she won the Lifetime Achievement Award at the 2004 Hong Kong Film Awards: "The world is very wonderful, I received half of the award today for myself, the other half for another person, to get this lifetime achievement award not late and not early, to achieve the achievements of another person." As soon as Bai Xuexian's words fell, he received continuous applause from the scene.
Today, Snow White has long since returned to its normal state of life. As can be seen from the recent photos of Bai Xuexian, the 92-year-old is in very good condition, and Bai Xuexian wears a pale yellow top and has neat hair, giving people a sense of charity and peace.
Bai Xuexian and her best friend Ren Jianhui have spent most of their lives on the cause of Cantonese opera, and even if they are not Fans of Cantonese Opera, they all know her deep friendship with Ren Jianhui. Bai Xuexian's dedication to Cantonese opera is admirable and wishes her better and better.