Xia Meng
Encyclopedia
Xia Meng is a Hong Kong
actress and film producer
. She was the key figure of Hong Kong's Left Wing Mandarin movie scene.
. In 1949, In conjunction with school's event, She was chosen to play the leading role in school's English language
production of Saint Joan
.
First-time acting and being worried, Yang Meng was thinking to withdraw but the headmaster insisted that she must go on. The play was well received at last. This was where the star-to-be developed an interest in acting.
, and this was where she was first spotted by the crews, as well as Studio manager Yuan Yang An.
Through the help of his daughter Mao Mei (later a movie star and Hong Kong Ballerina
), Yang Meng accepted Yuan's invitation and joined the studio in the age of 17. Inspired by Shakespeare's A Midsummer Night's Dream
, the new actress now renamed Xia Meng (literally means Summer dream) by Yuan, which Yuan metaphorically wished her dream come true as she joined the studio in summer.
was a hit and decades later stands out as a genuine classic of Hong Kong cinema. Many other hits followed. There was the tragic demimondaine of Sunrise
, at her best as the virtuous widow of A Widow’s Tears (both 1956), and perhaps most remarkably, her gender-bending turn as a man masquerading as a woman in the all-female Shaoxing opera comedy The Bride Hunter (1960).
Xia Meng's grace, talent and beauty has made her the prima donna of Hong Kong left wing mandarin movie scene, and also one of the Chinese language
cinema
brightest movie stars in 1950s-1960s. In 1959, Xia Meng emerged as the most actress in the Hong Kong Top Ten Mandarin Movie Star Election, organized by The Great Wall Pictorial. No doubt she is dubbed as the 'Crown Princess' of Great Wall. (The 'second princess' is Shi Hui
(Shek Hwei), while the 'third princess' is Chen Sisi (Chan Sze Sze), three leading ladies were as Great Wall's Three Princesses)
A rare actress who embodied the beauties of a modern woman and those of a historical maiden, Xia Meng was often described as "the God's Masterpiece", and she was one of the few Hong Kong movie stars whose films were released in the People's Republic of China
before the Cultural Revolution
, she exuded glamour in a manner that was then no longer permitted among her mainland counterparts.
It has been widely reported that Jin Yong has deep affection towards Xia Meng, apparently Jin Yong joined the studio as a scriptwriter to be near her. She was Cha's muse, inspiring him to model the ethereal Xiaolongnü
character in his novel The Return of the Condor Heroes
on her. Although his devotion to her was unrequited as Xia Meng was already happily married to a businessman in 1954, But he remained infatuated even after Xia Meng left showbiz in 1967. To Jin Yong, her leaving Hong Kong for good was a big newsworthy event. For days, he splashed the news with front-page headlines in the newspaper he founded, Ming Pao Daily News
.
and witnessed the chaotic situation where the Cultural Revolution had just started. The dire effect was soon to be felt on Hong Kong's Studios which were influenced by Communist Party of China
, and Great Wall's movies would no longer had the same cachet as before. Xia Meng realized the facts and she did not agree with that, as well as the Cultural Revolution after the visit.
Feeling insecure and threaten, Xia Meng who was pregnant at the time excused herself from involved in this grand political movement. hence, soon after she finished the screen performance in Oh, The Spring Is Here (1967) in September, she resigned from studio, and quietly left for Canada
even before the film was released. It wasn't until two years later that she returned to Hong Kong, and started the business in garment manufacturing, which she kept a distance from the film industry for about 10 years.
, vice chairman of the National People's Congress (NPC) of that time, to attend the 4th National Congress of China Federation of Literary and Art Circles
(CFLAC) held in Beijing
from 30 October 1979 - 16 November 1979, which considered to be her first public appearance after her final screen performance in 1967. Under the encouragement of Liao, Xia Meng decided to re-embrace the film as movie producer, marked her return to movie industry after she waited for ten years.
In 1980, she formed Bluebird Movie Enterprises Ltd, and produced the debut film Boat People
(Ann Hui
, 1982), a movie and landmark feature for Hong Kong New Wave
, which won several awards including the best picture and best director in the second Hong Kong Film Award. After producing Young Heroes
(Mou Dunfei, 1983) and Homecoming
(Yim Ho
, 1984), Xia Meng sold her film company to Jiang Zu Yi. She does not officially involve in any movie production since then.
in Tsim Sha Tsui
Promenade, Hong Kong.
In August 2005, China has honored 128 movie stars in a commemorative stamp collection marking 100 years of Chinese language cinema, Xia Meng was one of the honoree.
As Actress:
Hong Kong
Hong Kong is one of two Special Administrative Regions of the People's Republic of China , the other being Macau. A city-state situated on China's south coast and enclosed by the Pearl River Delta and South China Sea, it is renowned for its expansive skyline and deep natural harbour...
actress and film producer
Film producer
A film producer oversees and delivers a film project to all relevant parties while preserving the integrity, voice and vision of the film. They will also often take on some financial risk by using their own money, especially during the pre-production period, before a film is fully financed.The...
. She was the key figure of Hong Kong's Left Wing Mandarin movie scene.
Debut on stage
In 1947, Miranda Yang Meng moved with her family to Hong Kong, where she attended Maryknoll Convent SchoolMaryknoll Convent School
Maryknoll Convent School is a Roman Catholic girls' school with primary and secondary sections at Kowloon Tong, Hong Kong. It was founded by the American Maryknoll Sisters in Hong Kong in 1925 at Kowloon Tong, Hong Kong. MCS is well-known for its distinguished academic results and school traditions...
. In 1949, In conjunction with school's event, She was chosen to play the leading role in school's English language
English language
English is a West Germanic language that arose in the Anglo-Saxon kingdoms of England and spread into what was to become south-east Scotland under the influence of the Anglian medieval kingdom of Northumbria...
production of Saint Joan
Saint Joan (play)
Saint Joan is a play by George Bernard Shaw, based on the life and trial of Joan of Arc. Published not long after the canonization of Joan of Arc by the Roman Catholic Church, the play dramatises what is known of her life based on the substantial records of her trial. Shaw studied the transcripts...
.
First-time acting and being worried, Yang Meng was thinking to withdraw but the headmaster insisted that she must go on. The play was well received at last. This was where the star-to-be developed an interest in acting.
Film career
How Xia Meng stepped into movie industry was in fact an unintentional one. In 1950,curiosity has driven Yang Meng and her friends to visit the film set of Great Wall Movie Enterprises LtdGreat Wall Movie Enterprises Ltd
Great Wall Studio was Hong Kong's leading left-wing studio and one committed to making progressive mandarin films with social content as well as entertainment value.-Overview:...
, and this was where she was first spotted by the crews, as well as Studio manager Yuan Yang An.
Through the help of his daughter Mao Mei (later a movie star and Hong Kong Ballerina
Ballerina
A ballerina is a title used to describe a principal female professional ballet dancer in a large company; the male equivalent to this title is danseur or ballerino...
), Yang Meng accepted Yuan's invitation and joined the studio in the age of 17. Inspired by Shakespeare's A Midsummer Night's Dream
A Midsummer Night's Dream
A Midsummer Night's Dream is a play that was written by William Shakespeare. It is believed to have been written between 1590 and 1596. It portrays the events surrounding the marriage of the Duke of Athens, Theseus, and the Queen of the Amazons, Hippolyta...
, the new actress now renamed Xia Meng (literally means Summer dream) by Yuan, which Yuan metaphorically wished her dream come true as she joined the studio in summer.
The Great Wall Crown Princess
Xia Meng was given her first role as the title character in Li Ping Qian's A Night-Time Wife (1951), rocketed to stardom in her debut. The comedyComedy
Comedy , as a popular meaning, is any humorous discourse or work generally intended to amuse by creating laughter, especially in television, film, and stand-up comedy. This must be carefully distinguished from its academic definition, namely the comic theatre, whose Western origins are found in...
was a hit and decades later stands out as a genuine classic of Hong Kong cinema. Many other hits followed. There was the tragic demimondaine of Sunrise
Sunrise
Sunrise is the instant at which the upper edge of the Sun appears above the horizon in the east. Sunrise should not be confused with dawn, which is the point at which the sky begins to lighten, some time before the sun itself appears, ending twilight...
, at her best as the virtuous widow of A Widow’s Tears (both 1956), and perhaps most remarkably, her gender-bending turn as a man masquerading as a woman in the all-female Shaoxing opera comedy The Bride Hunter (1960).
Xia Meng's grace, talent and beauty has made her the prima donna of Hong Kong left wing mandarin movie scene, and also one of the Chinese language
Chinese language
The Chinese language is a language or language family consisting of varieties which are mutually intelligible to varying degrees. Originally the indigenous languages spoken by the Han Chinese in China, it forms one of the branches of Sino-Tibetan family of languages...
cinema
Film
A film, also called a movie or motion picture, is a series of still or moving images. It is produced by recording photographic images with cameras, or by creating images using animation techniques or visual effects...
brightest movie stars in 1950s-1960s. In 1959, Xia Meng emerged as the most actress in the Hong Kong Top Ten Mandarin Movie Star Election, organized by The Great Wall Pictorial. No doubt she is dubbed as the 'Crown Princess' of Great Wall. (The 'second princess' is Shi Hui
Shi Hui
Shi Hui was the son of Shi Xie, the Prefect of Jiaozhi in Eastern Wu during the Three Kingdoms period of Chinese history. Following his father's death, he prevented Lü Dai, the appointed successor to take over his position. Shi Hui then claimed the title of prefect for his own...
(Shek Hwei), while the 'third princess' is Chen Sisi (Chan Sze Sze), three leading ladies were as Great Wall's Three Princesses)
A rare actress who embodied the beauties of a modern woman and those of a historical maiden, Xia Meng was often described as "the God's Masterpiece", and she was one of the few Hong Kong movie stars whose films were released in the People's Republic of China
People's Republic of China
China , officially the People's Republic of China , is the most populous country in the world, with over 1.3 billion citizens. Located in East Asia, the country covers approximately 9.6 million square kilometres...
before the Cultural Revolution
Cultural Revolution
The Great Proletarian Cultural Revolution, commonly known as the Cultural Revolution , was a socio-political movement that took place in the People's Republic of China from 1966 through 1976...
, she exuded glamour in a manner that was then no longer permitted among her mainland counterparts.
It has been widely reported that Jin Yong has deep affection towards Xia Meng, apparently Jin Yong joined the studio as a scriptwriter to be near her. She was Cha's muse, inspiring him to model the ethereal Xiaolongnü
Xiaolongnü
Xiaolongnü is the fictional female protagonist of Jin Yong's wuxia novel The Return of the Condor Heroes. The author describes her physical appearances as "skin as white as snow, beautiful and elegant beyond convention and cannot be underestimated, but appears cold and indifferent" .-Name:It is...
character in his novel The Return of the Condor Heroes
The Return of the Condor Heroes
The Return of the Condor Heroes is a wuxia novel by Jin Yong, and the second part of the Condor Trilogy. It was first serialized between May 20, 1959 and July 5, 1961 on Ming Pao. The story revolves around Yang Guo and his lover Xiaolongnü in their adventure in the wulin fraternity, which does not...
on her. Although his devotion to her was unrequited as Xia Meng was already happily married to a businessman in 1954, But he remained infatuated even after Xia Meng left showbiz in 1967. To Jin Yong, her leaving Hong Kong for good was a big newsworthy event. For days, he splashed the news with front-page headlines in the newspaper he founded, Ming Pao Daily News
Ming Pao
Ming Pao is a Chinese language newspaper published by Ming Pao Group in Hong Kong. In the 1990s, Ming Pao established four overseas branches in North America, each provides independent reporting on local news and collect local advertisements. Currently, only the two Canadian editions remain: Ming...
.
Cultural Revolution
1967 summer, Xia Meng visited GuangzhouGuangzhou
Guangzhou , known historically as Canton or Kwangchow, is the capital and largest city of the Guangdong province in the People's Republic of China. Located in southern China on the Pearl River, about north-northwest of Hong Kong, Guangzhou is a key national transportation hub and trading port...
and witnessed the chaotic situation where the Cultural Revolution had just started. The dire effect was soon to be felt on Hong Kong's Studios which were influenced by Communist Party of China
Communist Party of China
The Communist Party of China , also known as the Chinese Communist Party , is the founding and ruling political party of the People's Republic of China...
, and Great Wall's movies would no longer had the same cachet as before. Xia Meng realized the facts and she did not agree with that, as well as the Cultural Revolution after the visit.
Feeling insecure and threaten, Xia Meng who was pregnant at the time excused herself from involved in this grand political movement. hence, soon after she finished the screen performance in Oh, The Spring Is Here (1967) in September, she resigned from studio, and quietly left for Canada
Canada
Canada is a North American country consisting of ten provinces and three territories. Located in the northern part of the continent, it extends from the Atlantic Ocean in the east to the Pacific Ocean in the west, and northward into the Arctic Ocean...
even before the film was released. It wasn't until two years later that she returned to Hong Kong, and started the business in garment manufacturing, which she kept a distance from the film industry for about 10 years.
Return as movie producer
After the end of The Cultural Revolution, Xia Meng was invited by Liao ChengzhiLiao Chengzhi
Liao Chengzhi was a Chinese politician. He joined the Communist Party of China in 1928, and rose to the position of director of the Xinhua News Agency; after 1949, he worked in various positions related to foreign affairs, most prominently president of the Beijing Foreign Languages Institute,...
, vice chairman of the National People's Congress (NPC) of that time, to attend the 4th National Congress of China Federation of Literary and Art Circles
China Federation of Literary and Art Circles
China Federation of Literary and Art Circles , established in July 1949, is a non-governmental organization composed of nationwide associations of writers and artists...
(CFLAC) held in Beijing
Beijing
Beijing , also known as Peking , is the capital of the People's Republic of China and one of the most populous cities in the world, with a population of 19,612,368 as of 2010. The city is the country's political, cultural, and educational center, and home to the headquarters for most of China's...
from 30 October 1979 - 16 November 1979, which considered to be her first public appearance after her final screen performance in 1967. Under the encouragement of Liao, Xia Meng decided to re-embrace the film as movie producer, marked her return to movie industry after she waited for ten years.
In 1980, she formed Bluebird Movie Enterprises Ltd, and produced the debut film Boat People
Boat People (film)
Boat People is an award-winning Hong Kong film directed by Ann Hui, first shown in theaters in 1982. The film stars George Lam, Andy Lau, Cora Miao, and Season Ma. At the second Hong Kong Film Awards, Boat People won awards for Best Picture, Best Director, Best New Performer, Best Screenplay,...
(Ann Hui
Ann Hui
Ann Hui On-Wah is a Hong Kong film director, film producer and occasional screenwriter, one of the most critically acclaimed amongst the Hong Kong New Wave.-Early life:...
, 1982), a movie and landmark feature for Hong Kong New Wave
Hong Kong New Wave
The Hong Kong New Wave was a blanket term applied to a number of young, groundbreaking Hong Kong filmmakers of the late 1970s and 1980s, many trained in overseas film programs and with experience in the territory's thriving television drama scene...
, which won several awards including the best picture and best director in the second Hong Kong Film Award. After producing Young Heroes
Young Heroes
"Young Heroes" is a song from the self-titled debut album by British singer Kim Wilde. It was released as a single in Peru in 1982....
(Mou Dunfei, 1983) and Homecoming
Homecoming
Homecoming is the tradition of welcoming back alumni of a school. It most commonly refers to a tradition in many universities, colleges and high schools in North America...
(Yim Ho
Yim Ho
Yim Ho is one of the most famous Hong Kong directors of the 1980s, and a leader of Hong Kong New Wave.He began his career in television production making television programs for RTHK, then became a film director in 1980....
, 1984), Xia Meng sold her film company to Jiang Zu Yi. She does not officially involve in any movie production since then.
Awards
Xia Meng's performance in Peerless Beauty (1953) and A Widow's Tears (1956) won her the Greatest Individual Achievement Award given by the Cultural Ministry of the People's Republic of China. In 1995, Xia Meng was honored the Chinese Film Stars Special Award, in conjunction with 90 anniversary of Chinese Cinema.Political activities
She was also involved in political activities, being selected as a committee member of the Chinese National Cultural Alliance and the Chinese People’s Political Consultative Conference. In the meanwhile, she has been the president of South China Film Industry Workers union before.Tribute to Xia Meng
For her contribution to the motion picture industry, Xia Meng has a star with hand print and autograph by the name of Miranda Yang on the Avenue of StarsAvenue of Stars, Hong Kong
The Avenue of Stars , modelled on the Hollywood Walk of Fame, is located along the Victoria Harbour waterfront in Tsim Sha Tsui, Hong Kong. It honours celebrities of the Hong Kong film industry.-History:...
in Tsim Sha Tsui
Tsim Sha Tsui
Tsim Sha Tsui , often abbreviated as TST, is an urbanized area in southern Kowloon, Hong Kong. The area is administratively part of the Yau Tsim Mong District. Tsim Sha Tsui East is a piece of land reclaimed from the Hung Hom Bay now east of Tsim Sha Tsui...
Promenade, Hong Kong.
In August 2005, China has honored 128 movie stars in a commemorative stamp collection marking 100 years of Chinese language cinema, Xia Meng was one of the honoree.
Filmography
As producer:- Homecoming (1984)
- Young Heroes (1983)
- The Boat People (1982)
As Actress:
- Oh, The Spring Is Here (1967)
- White Collar Beauty (1966)
- The Heroic Romance (1965)
- Garden of Repose (1964)
- My Darling Princess (1964)
- Legend of Dong Xiaowan (1963)
- Between Vengeance and Love (1963)
- We Wanna Marry (1962)
- The Princess Falls in Love (1962)
- The Bride Hunter (1961)
- Ah, It's Spring (1961)
- The RendezvousThe Rendezvousis a 1972 Japanese film directed by Kōichi Saitō. It was entered into the 22nd Berlin International Film Festival.-Cast:* Keiko Kishi - Woman on parole* Kenichi Hagiwara - Burglar* Yoshie Minami - Supervisor* Rentarô Mikuni - Detective* Jin Nakayama...
(1960) - Romance in the Boudoir (1960)
- The Eternal Love (1960)
- A Mermaid's Love (1960)
- Hao Men Ye Yan (1959)
- An Unfulfilled Wish (1959)
- Sweet As Honey (1959)
- Husband Hunter (1958)
- The Way of Husband and Wife (1958)
- The Green Swan Club (1958)
- Those Bewitching Eyes (1958)
- Escape into Trap (1957)
- Whither Spring (1957)
- Forever Waiting (1957)
- Three Loves (1956)
- Sunrise (1956)
- A Widow's Tear (1956)
- The Wedding Night (1956)
- Never Leave Me (1955)
- Tales of the City (1954)
- Joyce and Deli (1954)
- Merry Go Around (1954)
- A Torn Lily (1953)
- The Gold-plated Man (1953)
- Day Dream (1953)
- Peerless Beauty (1953)
- Marriage Affair (1952)
- Nyohyah (1952)
- Father Marries Again (1952)
- A Night-Time Wife (1951)