Celebrating an operatic life

Yang Chi, a veteran actor and head of the Dalian Peking Opera Troupe in Liaoning province, is a student of Yuan Shihai. At a commemorative event in Beijing, Yang expressed deep gratitude for Yuan Shihai's 20 years of mentorship. He recalls two pieces of advice from his mentor.

"On art, he said, 'Absorb what I have to offer and make it your own; do not lose yourself trying to become me.' A true artist should inherit a teacher's essence while developing an individual voice," Yang says.

"On life, he said, 'Do not be elated by gain, nor distressed by loss.' It was a lesson in humility, balance, and inner composure."

Yang also recalls that, at the time, he was very young, and Yuan Shihai worked tirelessly to teach him because Yang's foundation and experience were limited.

"I felt that his teaching was like a university professor guiding a middle school student — so advanced that I often didn't understand or grasp it. Yet, he never lost patience when I struggled; he would repeatedly explain and demonstrate," Yang says.

He was particularly impressed when he performed alongside his mentor in The Mouth of Jiujiang. "I played the first three sections, and he performed the rest. Then he told me to sit in the audience and watch the performance carefully, saying, 'You must see it for yourself to truly understand,'" Yang recalls.