Exhibition Room on Yan Fengying’s Artistic Career

　　  This exhibition, themed around how Huangmei opera shaped Yan Fengying and how she advanced the art form, is divided into five sections. With over 500 photographs, hundreds of artifacts, documents, and audiovisual materials, it offers a comprehensive introduction to Yan Fengying’s extraordinary artistic journey—from performing on makeshift stages to ascending the grand stage of Huangmei opera—and showcases her remarkable achievements in the world of Huangmei opera to a wide audience.

　　  Fun Fact: Yan Fengying (1930–1968) was from Luoling Town, Tongcheng (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 professional Huangmei opera. Over fifteen years with the troupe, she starred in more than fifty plays, among which "The Heavenly Match," "Princess Wencheng," and "The Cowherd and the Weaver Girl" were adapted into films. She created numerous vivid and memorable characters, helping Huangmei opera rise to become one of China’s five major operatic genres and reach new 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 Betrothed to the Golden Branch," 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.”