Mei Lanfang

Mei Lanfang, born Mei Lan, was a Chinese Peking opera performer who lived from 22 October 1894 to 8 August 1961, celebrated for his mastery of female lead roles, particularly the qingyi category of graceful young and middle-aged women. Ranked among the Four Great Dan performers of Peking opera alongside Shang Xiaoyun, Cheng Yanqiu and Xun Huisheng, he pioneered bringing Peking opera to international audiences through tours of Japan, the United States and Europe, and his refined performance style became known as the Mei School. During Japan's occupation of Beijing after 1937 he refused to perform for the Imperial Japanese Army despite pressure, a stance he maintained throughout the Second World War.