The detached house at 788 Changle Road in Shanghai's Jing An District is the former home of Zhou Xinfang, a great artist and master of Beijing opera. Entering through its glass entrance, you can see that rooms are furnished with a fine taste. A corridor next to the living room turns right to the second floor. The staircase rail is made of teak, carved with delicate designs. The sakhu stairs are covered with a dark carpet. The bedroom in the southwest corner on the second floor adjoins the bathroom and repository. There is a simple and small theater behind the house, built originally for his son Zhou Shaolin to practice his opera skills and also used for some simple performance to entertain guestrs.
Throughout his life Zhou Xinfang never stopped his assiduous practice and pursuit of the opera art. Every time after he returned home from his performance, it would always be around midnight. Before he went to bed, he would still read some books or newspapers. Early next morning, he would be up again to practice singing. No matter it was the hottest summer day or coldest winter time, he persisted his practice so that he never lost his artistic vigor.
The hostess of the residence, Zhou Xingfang's wife Qiu Lilin was the third daughter of the owner of Qiutianbao Bank. She fell in love with Zhou Xingang, also known as Qilintong, and lived happily with him till the start of the "cultural revolution."
Zhou Xinfang was also very fond of the art of calligraphy. On the wall of the house there are a few sets of hanging scrolls among which, one reads"The art of callingraphy." This expresses exactly what he liked, as he usually sat upright and practiced his calligraphy earnestly by copying the models. To him, the art of calligraphy shared the same roots with the art of opera and two kinds of art can inspire and promote each other.
During the "cultural revolution," Zhou Xinfang was branded as an active counter-revolutionary and so was persecuted together with his wife Qiu Lilin. He died on March 8, 1975, unavenged. Now an art research society was set up at his residence. Looking at his newly renovated former residence, we could not but feel the great loss of this outstanding Beijing opera artist.
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