Shan Tianfang - a well-known Chinese master of pingshu, a traditional Chinese art form of storytelling - died at the age of 84 in Beijing on Tuesday following an illness.
Born in Yingkou in Northeast China's Liaoning Province in 1934, Shan grew up in a family that was engaged in the folk arts. He started his pingshu career in 1954 and retired in 2007.
Pingshu is a traditional art form that dates back to the Song Dynasty (960-1279). In the past, pingshu artists, dressed in traditional clothing, usually performed entire stories in front of small audiences in teahouses or theaters with only a single table as a prop. However, with the emergence of radio and television, a single performance could reach a nationwide audience. Starting in the 1980s, Shan recorded many works at radio and TV stations across the country.
About 200 million people in China have heard one of Shan's performances, according to Chinese media reports. The Romance of the Sui and Tang Dynasties, Heroes in a Troubled Time and The Three Heroes and Five Gallants are some of his most classic performances.
The star also had other pursuits outside his pingshu career. He enjoyed writing blog posts on Sina Weibo, which he joined in 2010.
"I enjoy sharing my feelings and happiness with netizens through blogs," the artist once said.
While the famous master had plenty of fans, he also had his idols.
"His elegant behavior and eyes full of emotions reflect his good acting skills," Shan once said of Jang Dong-gun, a famous star from South Korea. He also professed admiration for Michael Jackson and his dancing style.
"Shan Tianfang's pingshu was very interesting. He could describe a scene and a character extremely vividly. He once had a long talk with me about adapting the heroic stories he told into films or television shows to help promote Chinese classics and traditional culture," film producer and director Zhang Jizhong said in an interview on Tuesday.
After the news of the master's death, many Chinese took to social media to share their grief.
"He has left many classic works for us to enjoy. We should show our respect for him," one netizen posted on Sina Weibo.
"When I turned on the radio to listen to pingshu, Shan Tianfang used his gravely voice to tell me about the rise and fall of nations. These were some of the happiest times of my in life. He has become a legend that will last forever," posted another.
