Chinese renowned Peking Opera actress Liu Guijuan recently made waves in a video on the internet, speaking candidly and criticizing several heavyweight figures in the Peking Opera industry. She accused these individuals of not only marginalizing her in the industry but also attempting to use political means to force her off the stage. Her remarks have sparked widespread attention. Previously, Liu Guijuan was reported and suppressed by authorities for posting content online that was deemed to mock Mao Zedong and Lei Feng.
According to a video released by Netease titled “Liu Guijuan Exposes the Dark Side of the Peking Opera World, Criticizing Yu Kuizhi and Li Shengsu in Anger,” Liu Guijuan directly pointed out a serious phenomenon of “internal strife” in the Peking Opera world, alleging that well-known figures in the industry, including Yu Kuizhi, Li Shengsu, and a performer surnamed Yuan, have “dishonest intentions and malicious methods.” The authenticity of the video’s content cannot be verified at the moment.
In the video, Liu Guijuan stated, “I know how bad these people are, Yu, Li, including Yuan, they are so malicious, not a single one is a good person. They don’t just throw stones at you, they basically cover the well lid and wish to destroy you.”
She accused them of not only marginalizing her in the industry but also trying to use political means to pressure her off the stage, saying, “It would be best to throw you into prison.”
Liu Guijuan specifically mentioned her experience collaborating on a new historical Peking Opera adaptation of “Go West,” with Yu Kuizhi and Li Shengsu. She claimed that during the three years of working together, she gradually saw through their true colors, stating, “They are very bad.” She openly admitted to seeing through the scheming and hypocrisy within the performing arts circle, saying, “I don’t make friends with anyone from the theater troupe, I see through these sons of bitches.”
As of the publication, Yu Kuizhi and Li Shengsu have not publicly responded to the allegations.
Yu Kuizhi, born in 1961, is a national first-class actor, a successor of the Yang-style old male roles in Peking Opera, currently serving as the artistic director of the China National Academy of Drama, head of the Beijing Kunqu Opera Series, vice chairman of the China Drama Association, and dean of the Henan University Henan Drama Art Academy. He has also been a member of the Chinese People’s Political Consultative Conference and a representative of the National People’s Congress in multiple sessions.
Li Shengsu, born in 1966, is a representative figure of the Mei school Qinqi (青衣, a type of female role) in Peking Opera, a national first-class actor, and the head of a troupe at the China National Peking Opera Company. She was a member of the National Committee of the Chinese People’s Political Consultative Conference. In 1995, she officially became a disciple of Mei Baojiu and is considered a successor of the Mei school.
In fact, Liu Guijuan is no stranger to controversy.
Just last year, following the cancellation of Liu Guijuan’s performances in Nanjing, her scheduled performances at the Tian Chan Yifu stage in Shanghai were also abruptly halted. The reasons were suspected to be related to her previous sensitive remarks on social media.
Some netizens dug up Liu Guijuan’s old Weibo posts, pointing out that she had made remarks during the 2022 Chinese People’s Political Consultative Conference mocking the “Learn from Lei Feng” campaign: “Hotels are full, restaurants are full… You make me learn from Lei Feng today!”
As early as 2013, she also posted on Weibo, saying, “Mao Zedong often made others angry but never got angry himself, that’s what a great man is.” The post was accompanied by a photo of a blood-stained party flag covering a dog.
These past statements have been reported to authorities by some “little pinks” (online patriotic youth) in the current environment of tightened speech control, alleging violations of the “Law on the Protection of Heroes and Martyrs,” the “National Flag Law,” and related criminal laws.