Ying Ruocheng Explained

Office1:Vice-Minister of Culture
Term Start1:1986
Term End1:1990
1Blankname1:Minister
1Namedata1:Wang Meng
Ying Ruocheng
Native Name:英若诚
Native Name Lang:zh-hans
Birth Date:21 June 1929
Birth Place:Beijing, China
Death Place:Beijing, China
Party:Chinese Communist Party
Occupation:Politician, director, actor, playwright
Nationality:Chinese
Children:Ying Da
Ying Xiaole
Parents:Ying Qianli
Cai Baozhen
Relations:Ying Lianzhi (grandfather)
Aisin Gioro Shuzhong (grandmother)
Alma Mater:Tsinghua University
Awards:Ramon Magsaysay Award (1998)

Ying Ruocheng (; June 21, 1929 – December 27, 2003) was a Chinese actor, director, playwright and vice minister of culture from 1986 to 1990. He first came to the attention of Western audiences for his portrayal of Kublai Khan in the 1982 miniseries Marco Polo. He is best known for playing the part of the governor of the detention camp in the Bernardo Bertolucci's film The Last Emperor, and the role of the Tibetan Buddhist Lama Norbu in Little Buddha. He also worked as a theater translator, director, and actor for the Beijing People's Art Theatre, particularly for his role as Pockmark Liu in Lao She's Teahouse and as Willy Loman in Death of a Salesman in 1983, directed by Arthur Miller (Ying also translated the script).

Biography

Ying was born in Beijing into a Manchu family. He studied in a church school in Tianjin in his early years, and later graduated from the Department of Foreign Languages of Tsinghua University. He was forced into the provinces to perform manual labor during the Cultural Revolution.

Ying is the author of a memoir, co-authored by Claire Conceison, "Voices Carry: Behind Bars and Backstage During China's Revolution and Reform" (Lanham: Rowman & Littlefield, 2009).

Ying died on December 27, 2003, at the age of 74.

Personal life

His wife, Wu Shiliang (1928–1987), was a translator, and his son, Ying Da, is also a noted actor. His grandson Ying Rudi is a noted ice hockey player.

Ancestry

His father Ying Qianli (Chinese: 英千里; 1900–1969) was a professor at National Taiwan University and Fu Jen Catholic University. His mother Cai Baozhen (Chinese: 蔡葆真) was president of Beijing Children's Library. His grandfather Ying Lianzhi (英敛之; 1867–1926) was the founder of Takungpao and Fu Jen Catholic University. His grandmother Aisin Gioro Shuzhong (Chinese: 爱新觉罗·淑仲) was a member of the Qing dynasty royal family and therefore related to Puyi the last Emperor of China. His maternal grandfather Cai Rukai (蔡儒楷; 1867–1923) was president of National Beiyang University.[1] [2] [3]

Autobiography

Filmography

Year Title Role Notes
1964Baiqiu'en daifuSecretary Tong
1981Zhi yinYuan Shikai
1982Cha guanLiu Ma Zi
1982-1983Marco PoloKublai Khan5 episodes
1987The Last EmperorGovernor of Detention Center
1993Little BuddhaLama Norbu

External links

Notes and References

  1. News: http://news.67.com/bamiwen/2012/11/13/669584_2.html . zh:英达家族五代传奇经历 慈禧亲赐“英”姓有皇族血统 . 67.com . 2012-11-13 . zh.
  2. News: Southern People Weekly . http://news.sina.com.cn/c/sd/2010-01-22/153619525802.shtml . zh:关注英氏家族成功奥秘:历代重视中西文化交流 . sina . 2010-01-22 . zh.
  3. News: http://www.chinanews.com/hr/news/2010/06-02/2319230.shtml . zh:英达接受华媒采访谈英氏家族 称婚姻比事业更难 . Chinanews . 2010-06-02 . zh.