Yan Qinggu/Resume　　

Yan Qinggu is an actor in Shanghai Peking Opera House. He is well-known for his acrobatic comedian roles and also for playing Monkey King, Yan is now recognized as one of the best Peking Opera actors in China. He is also a member of Shanghai Theatre Artist Association and member of Shanghai Overseas Returned Scholars Association.

Young and talented, Yan has received attention from and been instructed by many master actors of Peking Opera in China, including Yan Shixi, Ai Shiju, Sun Zhengyang,
Niubiao, Sun Ruichun, Liu Yilong, Chen Zhengzhu and Liu Yunlong. He has been studying with the renowned Peking Opera artist Zhang Chunhua since 1998.

On the stage, Yan's performance and singing is forceful and impressive. He is elegant, and exceptionally good at Kong Fu and acrobatic dancing. Yan is the leading actor in some of the most popular Peking Opera productions, such as "Stealing the Dragon-cup", "Jiangping snatches the Seal", "Autumn River","Shiqian Steals Chickens", "Shiqian Steals the Armour", "Stealing the Silver Pitcher","Fighting at the Crossroad Inn" ("Sanchakou"), "Lianhuantao", "Haizhou guoguan", "The little cowherd" ("Xiaofangniu"), "Heroes", "Monkey King" and "Golden Swords".

Yan Qinggu captivates fans and critics alike with vivid stage presence in many recent Peking Opera productions, such as Wang Ying in "Madame Yi and Wang Ying", Monkey King in "Monkey King fighting in the Pansi Cave", Fan Zhonghua in Peking Opera TV drama "Stealing the prince", Chen Xiang in the fairy tale Peking Opera "Baoliandeng", Lu Xiaohu in "Blood and Passion", and Polonius in "The Revenge of the Prince" (Hamlet).

Yan is thoughtful and hard-working. He has published a number of essays in domestic and foreign theater magazines. Therefore he is widely considered as "an acrobatic comedian on stage, a scholar behind the scenes".

In 2002, Yan was invited to study Kyogen in Japan by Kobe Gakuin University as an overseas student.

In 2003, Yan was invited to Sweden by the Swedish National Academy of Mime and Acting in Stockholm, to give a one-month lecture on Peking Opera.

In August 2005, Yan Qinggu played Polonius in the Peking Opera "The Revenge of the Prince". It was staged at the famous castle Kronborg in Denmark, where "Hamlet" has been played by famous actors since the 19th century, and the Peking Opera version was a huge success in Denmark. Yan's acting received excellent reviews in the biggest Danish newspapers.

As a result of his extensive traveling around the world , Yan has become a rare Peking opera performer with an international background and rich understanding of foreign culture.