Ding Guoxian, formerly known as Ding Buyun, was born in a poor family in Shulu County, Hebei Province. In that poor era, because of the oppression of life, she was sent to a grocery store in Taiyuan City, Shanxi Province, and began her miserable life. However, her inner stubbornness and desire for life made her decide to find a way out in art.
Ding Guoxian chose Jin Opera as her artistic path. With amazing perseverance and tenacious determination, she endured physical and mental pain, and through countless Xi and tempering, she finally made her mark on the stage of Jin Opera. With her unique performance style and exquisite skills, she has won the love and praise of the audience.
However, Ding Guoxian did not rest on his laurels. She has higher aspirations and bigger dreams. She wants to break the conventions on the stage of Jin Opera and let a woman show on the stage as a majestic and macho husband. The idea was very adventurous and innovative at the time, as it required her to step out of her comfort zone and challenge conventional notions of art.
However, Ding Guoxian did not back down. Through observation, imitation and Xi, she gradually mastered the charm and characteristics of male characters. She displayed a unique charm on stage, leaving the audience in disbelief that the long-haired, strong-bodied actor turned out to be a woman. Her performance not only won the applause and cheers of the audience, but also broke the gender boundaries on the stage of Jin Opera and opened up a new path for the development of female actors.
Ding Guoxian's artistic achievements not only influenced the Jin opera industry at that time, but also had a profound impact on later actors. Her acting style and technique became a model for many actors to learn from and imitate Xi. Her innovative spirit and courage have also inspired subsequent actors to constantly challenge themselves to step out of their comfort zone and explore new ways and styles of acting.
At the same time as founding the drama school, Ding Guoxian also followed the old tradition and officially accepted more than a dozen apprentices. She is determined to pass on the artistic wealth she has accumulated over the decades and train more new talents for the art of Jin Opera. Her hard work was not in vain, and a number of outstanding Jin opera actors such as Liu Baojun, Ma Yulou, Liu Hanyin, and Zhang Mingqin stood out under her guidance, injecting new vitality into the prosperity of Jin opera art.
Ding Guoxian not only pursues excellence in art, but also always maintains a high fighting spirit in politics. In 1959, she honorably joined the Chinese Communist Party, achieving the pinnacle of her political career. In order to express her sincerity to the party and the people, the first party fee she paid after joining the party was 10,000 yuan. In 1964, she paid another 10,000 yuan in party dues. She also took the initiative twice to ask for a reduction in her salary to reduce the burden on the country and share the country's worries.
However, fate was not lenient on Ding Guoxian. In 1966, when she was approaching the age of sixties, her emphysema became more and more serious, and she was unable to do it. However, the storm of the "Cultural Revolution" ruthlessly ravaged her. In the early morning of February 16, 1972, this day happened to be the second day of the first lunar month, just when people were immersed in the joy of the festival, Ding Guoxian, the grandmaster of Jin Opera, quietly completed her 63-year life in the First Affiliated Hospital of Shanxi Medical College. After a small wooden flat car brought her body back to the house, when people were asking to make a shroud for Ding Guoxian, her husband Ren Xiufeng said calmly: "No need, let her wear the clothes she wore when she met her in 1952!."”
After smashing the "Gang of Four", the party and ** completely rehabilitated Ding Guoxian. On January 14, 1981, a grand ceremony was held for Ding Guoxian in the Taiyuan Shuangta Temple Martyrs Cemetery.
Even after Ding Guoxian's death, her influence remained undiminished. In December 1992, Taiyuan, the capital of Shanxi Province, held a performance to commemorate the 85th anniversary of Ding Guoxian's birth.