This year marks the 70th anniversary of the Chinese Volunteers' going abroad to fight in the War to Resist US Aggression and Aid Korea. Seventy years ago, the Chinese Volunteer Army crossed the Yalu River and fought side by side with the Korean military and civilians to resist the invaders and defend their homeland. In this war, the volunteer soldiers went forward and wrote a heroic song with heroic deeds. After three years of stubborn resistance, we finally won a great victory in the War to Resist US Aggression and Aid Korea.
Domestically, the heroic deeds of the volunteer army to defend the country have also won the strong support of the people. During the Period of the War to Resist US Aggression and Aid Korea, China successively organized three large-scale condolence missions to the DPRK to pay tribute to the volunteer army. Chang Xiangyu, Mei Lanfang, Chen Bohua and other famous performing artists are among them, who have spared no effort and feared hardships and dangers, brought wonderful performances to the soldiers, and also sent the warmth of the people of the motherland to the hearts of every soldier.
▍After the outbreak of the Korean War in 1950, a vigorous anti-US and aid korea movement was set off in China
Chang Xiangyu went to the DPRK to perform for half a year
Speaking of Yu opera performance artist Chang Xiangyu, many people know that in 1951, Chang Xiangyu and her drama company, The Xiangyu Opera Society, donated a fighter jet to the volunteer army through a six-month-long performance and with the support of the broad masses of the people. In March 1953, Chang Xiangyu led a number of key actors of the drama club to Go to North Korea for a condolence performance.
▍A fighter donated by Chang Xiangyu, later named "Chang XiangYu"
Chang Xiangyu gave a detailed account of this life in his reminiscence article "Memories of Donating the "Xiangyu Drama Society" Plane and Going to The DPRK to Offer Condolences".
In the life of the condolence performance, Chang Xiangyu remembered a small thing. Spring in North Korea is relatively cold, because of the frequent night marches, coupled with continuous performances, when arriving at the station, Chang Xiangyu launched a high fever, once operated on the ribs, bursts of pain. In order not to cause trouble for the volunteers, Chang Xiangyu took the general medicine given by the doctor accompanying the regiment and rested early that night.
Early the next morning, the military commander and political commissar went to the garrison to visit Chang Xiangyu. The commander was followed by a medic and a female nurse. After entering the room, the military commander said, "I'm sorry, but our comrade Chang Xiangyu is tired and sick!" Chang Xiangyu said while letting the seat sit, "It doesn't matter, a little cold will soon be fine." The chief was so busy that he still came to see me, which was really too much for people to go. The commander said, "When you come here, we will be responsible for you." Speaking of this, the military commander said to the military doctor: "Professor Zhao, please give Comrade Xiangyu a careful diagnosis and diagnosis." The doctor, who was called Professor Zhao by the military commander, carefully diagnosed Chang Xiangyu and told Chang Xiangyu to get an injection, and Professor Zhao also left a few packets of medicine, indicating the amount and number of doses.
Chang Xiangyu later proposed to perform for everyone in the evening, and the political commissar said gently: "Comrade Xiangyu, don't worry, you absolutely can't perform tonight." Whether you can act tomorrow night depends on how your body recovers. When the disease is cured, you can play as much as you want, we can watch it as much as we want, and sing it for three days and three nights at once, so that the soldiers can see enough, and everyone will be happy! ”
After speaking, the commissar took out a white cloth bag from his arms and opened it to see two round and large eggs. The commissar pointed to the egg and said, "In the front, it is not easy to get fresh eggs." These two eggs were just bought from their Fellow Koreans, and they can also be said to have just been taken out of the chicken nest. Use it to brew into an egg spike, add sugar, clear your throat and defeat the fire. This scene deeply touched Chang Xiangyu and every member of the condolence group.
For more than five months in North Korea, Chang Xiangyu marched almost every day, performed every day, and excited her with countless heroic and exemplary deeds in the volunteer army.
▍Chang Xiangyu performed in North Korea
On July 27, 1953, the Korean Armistice Was signed at Panmunjom. A few days after the signing of the armistice agreement, Commander-in-Chief Peng Dehuai met with all the members of the condolence mission. Peng Dehuai also said to Chang Xiangyu: "We are old acquaintances, I have seen your play in Xi'an." You and your troupe donated a plane to the Volunteers, and this patriotism is remarkable, and we in the Volunteers thank you! Chang Xiangyu hurriedly said, "No, no, we haven't done enough, we're far worse than the volunteers." The volunteers shed blood and sacrificed themselves to defend the security of the motherland, and we should thank the volunteers. In the evening, Peng Dehuai watched the performance of the condolence group, the program was very wonderful, won a round of applause, Chang Xiangyu performed the famous Yu opera "Mulan".
After the performance, Peng Dehuai walked onto the stage and shook hands with the actors one by one, and Peng Dehuai specially presented a bouquet of flowers to Chang Xiangyu. He said to Chang Xiangyu: "You sing well, perform well, I can hear every word and every sentence, which is very rare." The play "Mulan" is educational and can be performed more for the warriors. Mulan's patriotic spirit should be carried forward. ”
Mei Lanfang braved the rain to sing "Phoenix Returns to the Nest"
Although an armistice was signed at the end of July 1953, the smoke of the war did not dissipate. In October 1953, the third group of condolence missions to Korea crossed the Yalu River and came to Korea. The leader of the condolence group was He Long, the famous Peking Opera performance artist Mei Lanfang was the deputy head of the group, and Mei Lanfang and more than 3,000 artists and literary and art workers went to the DPRK to perform condolences and performances.
In 2000, the book "Documentary on Supporting the War to Resist US Aggression and Aid Korea" published by the China Literature and History Publishing House included Mei Lanfang's article recalling her condolences to North Korea in that year, telling many details at that time.
▍ In 1953, Mei Lanfang (third from right) performed "Noble Concubine Drunk" in North Korea
The first performance of Mei Lanfang and others to offer condolences to the Korean battlefield was warmly welcomed by the soldiers, and the audience reached 20,000 people. The programs of this performance include "Closing Guansheng", "Female Uprising", "Golden Leopard", etc., and finally "Fishing and Killing Family" cooperated by Mei Lanfang and Ma Lianliang. When the East China Peking Opera Troupe 'Closing Guan Sheng' took the stage to perform, the weather suddenly changed, the wind blew more and more, although the wind affected the performance effect, but the actors still looked at the board, one move and one style seriously.
Halfway through the performance of "Closing The Pass", it began to rain, and the rain was getting heavier, and the curtains and blankets were wet, but the martial arts actors still performed meticulously in turn. At that time, Mei Lanfang was waiting in the background, and his clothes were wet, so he had to retreat to the powder room. After more than ten minutes, the sound of gongs and drums outside stopped, and "Closing The Victory" was finished. The mechanic team began to set up a tent on the left side of the stage to keep the accompaniment team from getting wet. At this time, Mei Lanfang's son Mei Baojiu had already dressed up as Su San of "Female Solution" and stood in front of the mirror. Mei Lanfang said to him: "You hurry out, stand behind the scenes, and wait for the appearance." Although the rain is so heavy, you can't let more than 20,000 comrades of the volunteer army sit in the rain and wait for you alone. ”
After Mei Baojiu listened, he went outside the door, and it just so happened that two responsible cadres of the volunteer army walked in, stopped Mei Baojiu, told him not to go out, and then said to Mei Lanfang: "Now that the rain is still so heavy, we consider that you still have a lot of condolence performance work, if you spoil the line, it will affect the future performance, and we advocate that today's play will not be performed." Just now explained this reason to the comrades watching the play and asked them to return to the team, but all the comrades in the audience refused to leave, and they unanimously demanded to meet with Mr. Mei and say a few words to them. ”
Mei Lanfang said: "Just a few words, I am too sorry for the comrades of the Volunteer Army." Moreover, they came from two or three hundred miles. In this way, Mr. Ma Lianliang and I each sang a piece of oratorio to show our sincerity. Ma Lianliang agreed with Mei Lanfang's opinion, and the two of them came out of the dressing room and walked to the stage. Ma Lianliang sang his best "Borrowing the East Wind", and Mei Lanfang sang "Phoenix Returns the Nest". When they finished singing, the clothes of the 20,000 volunteers in the audience were soaked, but they sat in the heavy rain and listened attentively to their singing, "I couldn't help but be moved to tears. Rain poured down from the brim of my hat and melted with tears. This oratorio in the rain was something Mei Lanfang had not experienced in decades of stage career, and left him with unforgettable memories.
Mei Lanfang Performed in various ways and under all conditions for the loveliest people in their days in Korea, in addition to performing condolence performances on stage. One day after dinner, when Lao She and Zhou Xinfang were walking, they heard the sound of Huqin in a room, so they discussed and temporarily organized a cappella party to comfort these comrades in charge of logistics. So Lao She, Mei Lanfang, Zhou Xinfang, Ma Lianliang, gao Yuanjun (Shandong Kuaishu art performer) and others came to the logistics office to hold a cappella party.
At that time, someone proposed to find a piano player from the troupe to accompany him, and Mei Lanfang said: "There is no need to look for them, just now when we came, we heard the sound of the huqin here, so we asked the comrades here to play it for us, which is more interesting." ”
As soon as the oratorio party began, the news spread, everyone came to listen, and the black pressure station in the open space outside the door was full of volunteer comrades, who concentrated on appreciating the voices from the motherland.
After the oratorio party began, Ma Lianliang first sang "Ma On Shan" and "Three Niang Godsons", and Zhou Xinfang sang "Four Soldiers". Lao She sang a passage of "Fishing for Golden Turtles", and Mei Lanfang sang "Yutang Spring". Finally, Gao Yuanjun took out two pieces of copper from the pocket of his robe and said a few light and interesting small paragraphs, everyone laughed forward and backward, and everyone unanimously asked him to do another paragraph of "Wusong Fighting Tiger", he was in a very narrow place between the two beds, punching and kicking and singing Wu Erlang's good play of fighting tigers in Jingyanggang.
Some people clapped their hands on the board, and some gently hummed along with their tone, and the comrades said: "A cappella party like this is even more rare than watching a performance on the stage!" ”
Chen Bohua wore a single shirt to perform in the snow
Chen Bohua (1919-2015), a famous Chinese opera performance artist, in her reminiscence article "Special Performance", told the scene of performing in North Korea at that time.
▍ Chen Bohua stills
In October 1953, Chen Bohua was appointed as the deputy head of the third group of the condolence group to the DPRK, and followed He Long to Korea. After they arrived at a ravine, Chen Bohua made a request to the leaders of the garrison troops for a condolence performance, and the leaders advised them to perform again the next day with concern. Chen Bohua said: "The sun has not yet set, you can catch a show." The leader said: "Now the sun has no heat at all, and the clouds have risen to the west, and in a few moments there will be a blizzard." But the enthusiasm of the condolence group was unstoppable, and the leaders informed the soldiers to assemble in the square. The so-called square is just a wilderness between two mountains covered in ice and snow. The warriors broke through the ice and took the soil, built a small earthen platform, installed a few pillars on both sides, and hung a simple curtain to set up a simple stage.
As the leader of the troops had expected, in a few moments the sun set, and a bitter cold wind struck, and a blizzard followed. Although everyone was wearing thick cotton jackets, their hands were still frozen and their faces were frozen. Still, the actors are meticulous in acting on stage.
When it was Chen Bohua's turn to play, she had a habit of wearing only a single costume when performing, and if she put on a sweater, it was like being tied by a rope and unable to perform. As soon as Chen Bohua took off the military cotton coats draped at her by the soldiers, he took off the stage. Chen Bohua performed "Yutang Spring", and at first he did not feel particularly cold, and when he performed the "Three Churches Trial", he felt the cold of the winter night in North Korea. At this time, the leader of the unit ordered the soldiers to pull up the canvas around the stage and lit several pots of charcoal on the stage, but the stage was still bone-chilling. The soldiers under the stage, wrapped in blankets and canvas, motionless, stared at the stage with their eyes, watching Chen Bohua perform, and in a short while they were covered with snow, and the band comrades on the stage also played as usual. Chen Bohua insisted on singing this large part of the play, which won the warm applause of the soldiers in the audience.