In Bernardo Bertolucci's epic movie "The Last Emperor" (1987), Ying Ruocheng portrayed the sympathetic prison governor who helps the emperor undergo a radical mental change in the hope of becoming a citizen of New China.

Ying also gained fame as the senior Buddhist monk in Bertolucci's "Little Buddha" (1993) and for his portrayal of Kublai Khan in the landmark television drama series "Marco Polo," which was screened nationwide in the United States.

Today Ying's legion of admirers are recalling that familiar face as they mourn the passing of the man who made the prison governor, the senior monk and Kublai Khan so memorable.

To many Chinese, especially theatre professionals, Ying Ruocheng, who died of decade-long liver disease on December 27, was much more than a personification of perseverance and wisdom on the international silver screen.

Devotion to theatre

A member of the renowned Beijing People's Art Theatre, Ying, who was born in 1929, was a devoted stage actor who treated every one of his roles seriously, however minor they might be.

He joined the cast for the premieres of many of the troupe's repertoire, including "Teahouse," written by Lao She (1899-1966), which debuted in Beijing in 1957.

Set in a typical old Beijing teahouse where people from all walks of life gather, the drama offers a cross-sectional view of Chinese society through the rise and fall of the protagonists during the period between 1898, at the end of the Qing Dynasty (1644-1911), to 1948, the eve of the fall of the Kuomintang.

In "Teahouse," Ying portrayed the pimps Old Liu Mazi and young Liu Mazi, two roles that he performed as "10 times more impressive than the characters from my pen," Lao She was quoted as saying.

His most memorable leading stage role was Willy Loman in "Death of a Salesman," written and directed by Arthur Miller. Ying's interpretation of Loman, the tired but tireless salesman who would do anything and sacrifice himself for his sons, brought tears and resounding ovations from theatre-goers.

During the first co-operative production between the theatre and a renowned American playwright and director in 1983, Ying also worked as Miller's interpreter and assistant director.

Ying reworked the language to attune the conversations more to the style of the Beijing People's Art Theatre - a talent that impressed Miller immensely.

"It is surprising that I can follow each line and know the end of each idea, and I know where the actors are at every second," Miller commented during his stay in Beijing. "I know them by the rhythms of the translation."

It wasn't much of a surprise to Ying's colleagues. He was revered as "Mr Knowledgeable," the scholar of the theatre, said Lin Zhaohua, a member of the Beijing People's Art Theatre and a renowned stage director in China today.

Lin especially remembered the days during the "cultural revolution" (1966-76) when the theatre was forced to close down and many of its members dispersed to do manual labour in country farms or factories.

Still when time allowed, "we got together at his home to discuss new repertoire," Lin recalled. "During that time, I learned much from him and completed what I failed to finish in school."

"Mr Knowledgeable," as translator, actor and vice-Minister of Culture, helped internationalize theatre in New China by translating works of Chinese playwrights into English and those of international writers into Chinese.

Before graduating from Tsinghua University, the 18-year-old Ying translated Sergei Mikhailovich Eisenstein's "Sense of Film."

In 1953, he translated Konstantin Stanislavsky's "Director's Plan of 'Othello'."

An Internet search revealed a list of translated works by Ying via the China Translation & Publishing Corporation. The titles include Peter Shaffer's "Amadeus," Arthur Miller's "Death of a Salesman," George Bernard Shaw's "Major Barbara," William Shakespeare's "Measure for Measure" and Herman Wouk's "The Caine Mutiny Court-Martial" from English to Chinese. From Chinese to English, he translated, among others, Lao She's "Teahouse," Ba Jin's "The Family" (adapted by Cao Yu) and Jin Yun's "Uncle Doggie's Nirvana."

Thanks to Ying's great effort, Beijing People's Art Theatre completed a successful tour of Germany, France, Switzerland and Japan with "Teahouse" and "The Family" in 1980 and 1986.

"Ying was a peerless achiever in cross-culture communication in drama and film, and that's why he won respect from so many of us," said Ren Ming, vice-president of the Beijing People's Art Theatre.

Inspiration to the young

Ying Ruocheng also remained an inspiration and encouragement to the younger generation of theatre professionals.

Ying Ruocheng poses with his son Ying Da and grandson Ying Batu in 1996. [File photo]

"We watched him stand and give long and warm applause to the younger cast of 'Cai Wenji,' one night in March 2001.

"It was a great encouragement for us," said Pu Cunxin, a renowned actor in his own right and vice-president of the Beijing People's Art Theatre, his voice choked with emotion.

Pu said Ying was a legend of the theatre. When the famous US comedian and showman Bob Hope visited China in 1979, Ying was Hope's interpreter during the show. When the curtain went down, Hope said: "You are the star tonight."

When Huang Shuqin, a Shanghai-based film director, was directing the TV drama series "Fortress Besieged" in 1990, she had in the cast Ying Da, Ying Ruocheng's son, in the role of a university professor returned from overseas.

The drama series was adapted from the novel of the same name by Qian Zhongshu (1910-98).

When the director looked for an actor for the role of a university president, Ying Da recommended his father to Huang.

"Even though Ying Da told me that Ying Ruocheng was a student of Qian Zhongshu, I knew for a fact that Ying Ruocheng was then vice-Minister of Culture," she recalled.

But Ying Ruocheng agreed to take up the role. "In a supporting role, Ying Ruocheng appears only in a few parts, but he worked seriously and carefully," she recalled. "He is a sensitive observer of life who speaks little, but always to the point."

Addicted to reading

From small roles in his early theatrical career to three years in prison during the "cultural revolution" to his decade-long illness, Ying Ruocheng also endured pain and humiliation in his life.

"Even though life is tragedy, I would do as a comedian," he said.

He gave his full support and advise to Ying Da as his son ventured deep into television sitcom, bringing laughter to Chinese households.

Despite Ying's poor health, "he often came to our theatre to watch new plays and talked with us younger directors and performers about the plays," Ren Ming said.

"He followed the contemporary world drama scene closely," said Zheng Rong, a veteran actor of the Beijing People's Art Theatre. "Every time I visited him I could see some English journals of literature and dramas on his desk."

"He was addicted to reading. Even when he stayed in hospital, he would carry a book when he was out for a short walk," Lan Tianye, another senior member of the Beijing People's Art Theatre, recalled.

Right before his death, he was putting the final touches on his new translation of Shakespeare's "Hamlet."

According to his family, Ying had done the translation before, but he didn't think the first version was good enough for the stage in China.

Although Ying is gone, his quick wit and humour continue to shine and his kindness and devotion will linger on. 

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