As a star who is much in demand in acting circles, Feng has a tight schedule.

The 30-day program for the academy was delayed for almost eight months, but Feng insists on teaching, as a remote salute to his beloved German teacher Mellchen.

"In some senses, she treated me like a son."

The German professor regarded Feng as a genius student. She offered him the chance to study in her college and provided free accommodation. So while most other Chinese students had to work part-time to make ends meet, Feng had the luxury to focus exclusively on his studies.

But Feng decided to quit studying there after two years and return to China, as he couldn't endure the feeling of alienation as a foreigner in Germany.

"I could never be Hamlet on a German theater stage. The audiences would say 'Hey, look, the Chinese doesn't look like Hamlet'," he says. The decision disappointed Mellchen.

But Germany has left its mark on Feng.

For the past two decades, Feng has got used to saying "thank you" to his wife－not something Chinese husbands typically do－and he has hardly ever been late for an appointment.