In Peking Opera circle, Shi Ruoxuan broke rigid inheritance rules to advocate eclectic learning, supporting Li Weikang to explore freely, who later grew into a renowned master despite disputes.
In the Peking Opera world of the last century, there was a sensational public incident in which a renowned Peking Opera artist mercilessly criticized a colleague in a public setting; everyone present remained silent, and no one dared to step forward to mediate or smooth things over.In the opera world of that era, this was a sensitive matter that few dared to comment on lightly; its origins could be traced back more than a decade.
At that time, the rules governing the transmission of opera schools were extremely strict; veteran artists generally adhered strictly to the established guidelines passed down by their masters, refusing to make even the slightest deviation. However, Shi Ruoxu, then president of the China Opera School, went against the prevailing industry norms and publicly proposed that opera education should draw on the strengths of all schools,As soon as these words were spoken, they immediately drew widespread criticism from the opera community; many believed that such an approach would undermine the very foundations of traditional opera’s transmission.
Shi Ruoxu once selected Li Weikang, who was only eleven years old at the time, from among thousands of candidates.At that time, the standard curriculum at the drama school required students to shut themselves away for years to painstakingly master the fundamentals, strictly adhering to the vocal styles and conventions of a single designated school without the slightest deviation. Shi Ruoxu, however, took the young Li Weikang to explore the streets, alleys, and markets of old Beijing,observing the daily behaviors and lifestyles of all kinds of people. He explicitly told her that she need not be bound by the fixed conventions of any particular school; whatever was worthy of adoption could be incorporated into her own artistic expression.
At that time, Liu Changyu—a Peking Opera performer who followed the orthodox lineage of traditional schools—already held differing views on such approaches that broke free from traditional frameworks.Due to their conflicting philosophies, the two eventually engaged in a direct public exchange of criticism. Following the incident, the entire Peking Opera community adopted a wait-and-see attitude; no one was willing to take a side lightly, as everyone watched to see how Li Weikang’s career would unfold.
It was widely believed at
the time that this public criticism would deal a severe blow to Li Weikang’s artistic development. Unexpectedly, however, the controversy did not hinder her artistic journey; on the contrary, it made her artistic exploration even more grounded.She later took first place at the inaugural China Drama Plum Blossom Awards, performed on the stage of the China Media Group’s Spring Festival Gala, and portrayed Yunmei in the 1985 TV series *Four Generations Under One Roof*. Her distinctive character portrayals quickly earned her recognition within the industry as a master of Peking Opera.
As the old saying goes, “A thousand-li horse is common, but a discerning mentor is rare”—a truth that has been proven time and again across various industries.Looking back on their professional journeys, many have encountered bottlenecks within rigid rules and struggled to fully express themselves due to traditional constraints. Encountering a mentor who guides them to break through established boundaries and expand the horizons of art is a truly rare opportunity.
