Wu Zhaonan Explained

Wu Zhaonan
Birth Date:1926 1, df=y
Birth Place:Peking, Republic of China
Death Place:Los Angeles, California, U.S.
Occupation:Xiangsheng comedian
Years Active:1951–2018
Children:1
Awards:Lifetime Achievement Award from the Lincoln Center
Golden Melody Award for Lifetime Contributions
Module:
Child:yes
T:吳兆南
S:吴兆南
W:Wu² Chao⁴-nan²
P:Wú Zhàonán

Wu Zhaonan (; 14 January 1926 – 14 October 2018) was a Chinese xiangsheng comedian based in Taiwan. He was officially recognized by the government of Taiwan as a "national treasure". He was the recipient of the Lifetime Achievement Award from the Lincoln Center and the Golden Melody Award for Lifetime Contributions. Before becoming a comedian, he ran a food stall in Taipei where he created and popularized the dish Mongolian barbecue.

Creation of Mongolian barbecue

Wu was born in Beijing, Republic of China, on 14 January 1926. He graduated from the with a degree in economics.[1] [2]

He fled to Taiwan when the Communist Party took over mainland China in 1949, and opened a street food stall in, Taipei in 1951, where he created the popular dish Mongolian barbecue.[3] [4] He originally wanted to call the dish "Beijing barbecue", but because of political sensitivity with the city, which had just recently been designated as the capital of Communist China, he settled with "Mongolian barbecue" instead, even though it had no direct connection with Mongolia.[5]

Wu's food stall became very popular, and even attracted foreign diplomats and wealthy businesspeople as customers despite being a cheap eatery. However, it was later destroyed by flooding during a typhoon, in which Wu nearly drowned. When he exited the restaurant business to develop his xiangsheng career, numerous imitators emerged to capitalize on the popularity of the dish he created, which was later also introduced to the West.

Xiangsheng career

Wu began performing xiangsheng in 1951 and later exited the restaurant business as his popularity grew. Performing on radio and on stage, he became one of the most famous xiangsheng actors in Taiwan. He frequently partnered with, and their radio show became an iconic memory in Taiwan.

Wu moved to the United States in 1973, where he continued to perform xiangsheng as well as Peking opera. He also developed a brand of beef jerky. In 1983, the xiangsheng master Hou Baolin took him as a disciple, inducting him into the formal lineage of the art. Wu trained many students of his own, notably, Lang Tzu-yun,,, and Fan Kuang-yao.[6] Lang Tzu-yun founded the performing arts troupe Spring Sun, for which Wu has written.[7] [8]

Wu received many awards including the Lifetime Artistic Achievement Award from the Lincoln Center for the Performing Arts in New York City, the Xinchuan Award (Chinese: 薪傳獎) of Taiwan and the Outstanding Artist of Asia Award. In 2009, Wu was given the Golden Melody Award for lifetime contributions,[9] which was followed by an honor bestowed at the first Taipei City Master of Traditional Arts Awards ceremony in 2010.[10] The government of Taiwan formally named him a "living national treasure" in 2011.[11] [12]

Personal life

He was married until his wife's death in 2009.[12] [13] They had one son, Wu Manyu.[14]

On 14 October 2018, Wu Zhaonan died from multiple organ failure in Los Angeles, California, aged 92. A memorial service was held at the Chiang Kai-shek Memorial Hall in Taipei on 2 November, which was attended by many dignitaries including Ma Ying-jeou, Hung Hsiu-chu and Jason Hu, as well as Wu's disciples including Lang Tzu-yun and Liu Erjin.[15]

Notes and References

  1. Web site: Three Degrees of Togetherness. 2010. University of California, Los Angeles. 6 November 2018.
  2. News: zh:相聲大師吳兆南93歲辭世 鄭麗君哀悼:永遠的相聲國寶 . https://www.ettoday.net/news/20181014/1281293.htm . 10 November 2018 . ETToday . 14 October 2018 . zh.
  3. News: Ceremony to be held honoring late crosstalk master Wu Zhao-nan. Chang. Eddy. 1 November 2018. Taipei Times. 6 November 2018.
  4. News: Restaurant review: Genghis Khan Mongolian Bar-B-Q. Chang. Eddy. 24 July 2014. Taipei Times. 6 November 2018.
  5. Web site: http://news.xinmedia.com/news_article.aspx?newsid=203282&type=1. zh:呷台灣/吳兆南發明的蒙古烤肉 蒙古吃不到. Liang Fengrong 梁峰榮. 13 December 2012. Xin News. 6 November 2018. 7 November 2018. https://web.archive.org/web/20181107104351/https://news.xinmedia.com/news_article.aspx?newsid=203282&type=1. dead.
  6. News: https://www.chinatimes.com/realtimenews/20181014002495-260404. zh:享壽93歲 相聲大師吳兆南驚傳離世. Li Jiaying 李家穎. 14 October 2018. China Times. 6 November 2018. zh-TW.
  7. News: Lee . Vico . Sex and the Taipei City connection . 6 November 2018 . Taipei Times . 26 September 2003.
  8. News: Buchan . Noah . Not so apt pupils . 6 November 2018 . Taipei Times . 27 June 2008.
  9. News: Ho Yi . Golden Melody presents awards for artistic and traditional music . 6 November 2018 . Taipei Times . 30 June 2009.
  10. News: Mo . Yan-chih . City government honors traditional folk arts masters . 6 November 2018 . Taipei Times . 11 April 2010.
  11. News: Eight to receive awards . 6 November 2018 . Taipei Times . 18 November 2011.
  12. News: 'Crosstalk' icon honored . 6 November 2018 . Taipei Times . 1 September 2011.
  13. News: zh:相聲大師吳兆南「洛杉磯住家辭世」 享壽93歲 . https://www.ettoday.net/news/20181014/1281256.htm . 10 November 2018 . ETToday . 13 October 2018 . zh.
  14. News: 相聲大師吳兆南 10月27日玫瑰岡墓園公祭 . 10 November 2018 . World Journal . 25 October 2018 . zh.
  15. News: https://udn.com/news/story/7266/3457226. zh:影/相聲大師吳兆南追思會 馬英九獻花. Wang Yanjun (王彥鈞). 2 November 2018. United Daily News. 6 November 2018. zh.