Exhibition Room of Yan Fengying’s Artistic Career

Exhibition Room of Yan Fengying’s Artistic Career

The Exhibition Room of Yan Fengying’s Artistic Career is located in the west wing of the rear courtyard of the Confucius Temple in Tongcheng City.

This exhibition, themed “Huangmei Opera shaped Yan Fengying, and Yan Fengying developed Huangmei Opera,” is divided into five sections. Through more than 500 photographs, hundreds of objects, materials, and audiovisual items, it offers a comprehensive look at Yan Fengying’s remarkable artistic career, from performing on makeshift stages to gracing the grand stage of Huangmei Opera. It showcases her outstanding achievements in the world of Huangmei Opera to a wide audience.

Fun Fact: Yan Fengying (1930–1968) was from Luoling Town, Tongcheng City (now Yixiu District, Anqing City). She herded cattle and sang as a child, studied under the veteran artist Yan Yun’gao, and wandered the country performing. In 1953, she joined the Provincial Huangmei Opera Troupe, stepping into the realm of Huangmei Opera artistry. During her fifteen years with the troupe, she starred in over fifty plays, among which “The Heavenly Match,” “The Female General,” and “The Cowherd and the Weaver Girl” were adapted into films. She created numerous vivid and memorable artistic characters, elevating Huangmei Opera to one of China’s five major opera genres and ushering it to glorious artistic heights. Senior leaders of the Party and the country, including Mao Zedong, Zhou Enlai, Liu Shaoqi, and Chen Yi, spoke highly of Yan Fengying. After watching “The Princess Zhaojun,” Mao Zedong remarked, “Yan Fengying is an outstanding actress. Her portrayal of the Seventh Fairy has become a story known to all across the nation.”