It's a sad day for China's Literature and Art Circles, with the loss of two great artists - renowned coloratura singer Zhou Xiaoyan and actor Ge Cunzhuang.

Singer and educator Zhou Xiaoyan dies at 99

Singer and educator Zhou Xiaoyan dies at 99

Zhou Xiaoyan died early this morning in Shanghai, at the age of 99. She is a world-renowned coloratura singer, vocal educator, and a great patriot.

During China's War against Japanese invasion, Zhou devoted herself passionately to the anti-Japanese movement.

In 1937, when the Japanese launched an all-out attack against China, on a simple stage in the street of Wuhan, she sang 'The Great Wall Ballad'. It's a song about the desire of war refugees from northeast China to return to their hometown, which was occupied at the time by Japanese troops after the Manchurian Incident in 1931. The song has become the hallmark of Zhou's career.

Zhou is considered the first important instructor of Western opera in China. As a vocalist, she performed in theaters and concert halls across Europe in 1946 and 1947, earning the nickname the "Chinese Nightingale". Later, she began a career teaching voice at the Shanghai Conservatory of Music in 1949, and remained an instructor there for more than 65 years.

Actor Ge Cunzhuang dies at 87

Actor Ge Cunzhuang dies at 87

Also on Friday morning, veteran actor Cunzhuang Ge died from heart failure caused by cerebral infarction, aged 87.

Ge is known for outstanding performances in such films as "Zhang Ga the Soldier Boy", "Once Upon A Time in China 3", and "Waiting Alone". In 1997, he won Best Supporting Actor at the Goldern Rooster Awards for "Zhou Enlai, A Great Friend".

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