Song Zuying: A famous Chinese soprano and a national first-class actress

Positions held: Deputy to the Ninth National People's Congress, member of the Tenth and Eleventh National Committee of the Chinese People's Political Consultative Conference, member of the Standing Committee of the All-China Youth Federation, member of the Executive Committee of the All-China Women's Federation, member of the China Federation of Literary and Art Circles, council member of the Chinese Musicians Association, "China's first philatelic ambassador" appointed by the State Post Bureau, China's Hans Christian Andersen Ambassador appointed by the Danish Prime Minister, deputy head of the Song and Dance Ensemble of the Political Department of the Chinese People's Liberation Army Navy

Deputy to the 9th National People's Congress, Member of the 10th and 11th National Committee of the Chinese People's Political Consultative Conference
Member of the Standing Committee of the All-China Youth Federation
Executive Member of the All-China Women's Federation
Member of the China Federation of Literary and Art Circles
Council Member of the Chinese Musicians' Association
"China's First Philatelic Ambassador" appointed by the State Post Bureau
China's Hans Christian Andersen Ambassador appointed by the Danish Prime Minister
Deputy Head of the Song and Dance Ensemble of the Political Department of the Chinese People's Liberation Army Navy

Songs: "Xiao Bei Lou", "La Mei Zi", "Bing Ge Ge", "Hao Ri Zi", "Ai Wo Zhong Hua", "Da Di Fei Ge", "Wang Yue", "Zhang Da Hou Wo Jiu Cheng Le Ni", "Long Chuan Diao", "Dong Fang Mu Dan"
Operas: "Shang Shi", "Hong Shan Hu", "Lü Ye Hong Hua"
Musicals: "Chi Dao Yu"
TV Series: "Wan Jun"
Songs she has performed include:
"Gu Zhang Cha Ge"
"La Mei Zi"
"Zhang Da Hou Wo Jiu Cheng Le Ni"
"Deng Ni Lai"
"Shi Ba Wan Shui Lu Dao Wo Jia"
"Xiao Bei Lou"
"Yuan Fang De Ke Ren Qing Ni Liu Xia Lai"
"Bing Ge Ge"
"Hao Ri Zi"
"Ying Xiong"
"You Chang Jiang Nan"
"Hao Shou Cheng"
"Miao Ling Lian Beijing"
"Zhong Guo Yong Yuan Shou Huo Zhe Xi Wang"
"Ying Xiong"
"A Gong De Jiu Wan"
"Tu Jia Xi Jiu Dong Dong Kui"
"Tong Che Yao"
"Chun De Zhu Fu"
"Shen Zhen Wan Qing Ge"
"Wan Wan De Qing Ge"
"Yue Xia Qing Ge"
"Song Gei Ma Ma De Mo Li Hua"
"Yu Ge"
"Shan Shui Shi Peng You"
"Xiang Nü Duo Qing"
"Ba Yan Ka La"
"Mian Gui Hua Kai Shi Li Xiang"
"Hu Die Quan Bian"
"Hun Shi"
"Jiu Jiu Yan Yang Tian"
"Shi Song Hong Jun"
"Ying Shan Hong"

Song Zuying has continuously integrated her artistic pursuits with China's outstanding ethnic music. From the works she has performed, one can clearly see the trajectory of the inheritance, expansion, and re-creation of Chinese ethnic vocal music. Her singing techniques incorporate contemporary musical art methods, forming her own unique vocal art expression and singing style, making her an important benchmark and splendid spectacle of contemporary ethnic vocal art. Over the years, in various professional music competitions and public opinion polls in China, she has won numerous top honors and awards (partial list):

Gold Award at the 2nd National Ethnic Vocal Music Competition of China;
Gold Award and Best Vocal Performance Award at the 5th CCTV Music Television Competition ("Good Days," "Give Your Love");
First Place in the Professional Ethnic Singing Category at the "Golden Dragon Award" National Singers Competition;
Gold Award in the Ethnic Category at China National Radio's "National Listeners' Favorite Singer Selection" (three consecutive years, 1996-1998);
First Prize at the "Starlight Award" and Gold Award for MTV from the Ministry of Radio, Film and Television of China ("Eighteen Bends Waterway to My Home," "Spicy Girl," "Good Days");
China National "Golden Record" Award;
CCTV "China Ethnic Vocal Music Contribution Award"; "China Ethnic Vocal Music Most Outstanding Achievement Award";
China Drama "Plum Blossom Award";
"Virtue and Art" Artist title from the Ministry of Personnel and the China Federation of Literary and Art Circles (2000);
"China Charity Award" from the Ministry of Civil Affairs of China;
Five-One Project Award from the Publicity Department of the CPC Central Committee ("Hero," "Soldiers from East, West, South and North");
"World Chinese Music Best Ethnic Vocal Performance Award" (2000)
Best Song Award at the 16th National TV Golden Eagle Award ("Spicy Girl")
Title of "One of the Top Ten Stars Most Loved by Soldiers" at the First "Red Eagle" Cup (1998)
Nomination for "Best Classical Crossover Album" at the 49th Grammy Awards (album "A Century of Phonograph Records," 2006)

Song Zuying has to date released numerous solo vocal albums and videotapes, and has published "Good Days—Song Zuying Style Collection," "True Feelings in the Sea of Music—Selected Songs Sung by Song Zuying," "Fly," "Phoenix Dances and Auspicious Songs—Complete Record of Song Zuying's Audio-Visual Works," and "Classic Songs from a Century of Chinese Cinema—A Century of Phonograph Records."

In recent years, Song Zuying has traveled many times with Chinese art troupes to Europe, Australia, the United States, Canada and Southeast Asia for artistic exchanges.
In 2002, she was invited to perform on behalf of Chinese people at the large concert for the Japan-Korea World Cup.
In December 2002, as a cultural envoy for the 30th anniversary of the establishment of diplomatic relations between China and Australia, she successfully held the "Good Days—Song Zuying Solo Concert" at the Sydney Opera House in Australia.
In November 2003, she successfully held a solo concert at the Golden Hall of the Musikverein in Vienna, Austria.
In October 2006, she held "What a Beautiful Jasmine Flower—Song Zuying Solo Concert" at the John F. Kennedy Center for the Performing Arts in Washington, D.C., USA. The Washington government declared October 12 of each year as Song Zuying Day.
On August 24, 2008, at the closing ceremony of the 29th Summer Olympic Games, Song Zuying and Domingo performed the closing ceremony theme song "Flame of Love," their heavenly voices shaking the night sky.
On June 30, 2009, at the China Beijing Bird's Nest Summer Concert—2009 "Charm·China" Bird's Nest Grand Concert, Song Zuying joined forces with Domingo, Lang Lang and Jay Chou for a spectacular performance. This concert was not an ordinary pop music concert, nor a traditional European-style classical music concert; it was a grand open-air musical celebration with modern Chinese characteristics, creating an international super performance platform for Chinese ethnic music.

August 13, 1966: Born in Dangtou Village, Guzhang County, Hunan Province;
1978: Father died of pulmonary tuberculosis;
July 1981: Graduated from junior high school;
August 1981: Officially joined the Guzhang County Song and Dance Troupe;
August 1982: In the second half of the year, participated in the quanzhou civil and military huadan training class held in Liye, Longshan, by the Xiangxi Autonomous Prefecture Drama Research Office. Shortly after the training class ended, participated in the then prefecture-level key production "The Blood-Stained Hundred-Bird Picture";
1983: Participated in the Ulan Muqir artistic performance, and won acclaim with the song "Lang Cong Men Qian Guo";
December 1984: Officially joined the Xiangxi Autonomous Prefecture Tujia and Miao Song and Dance Troupe;
September 1985: Admitted to the Music and Dance Department of the Central University for Nationalities, studying under teacher Zhou Benqing;
1987: Won the gold award at the Second National Minority Vocal Music Competition with the song "Today the Miao Mountains Have the Most Songs." In the same year, participated in the Third Hunan Provincial Young Singers Grand Prix and won first place;
June 1987: Participated in the celebration activities for the 30th anniversary of the establishment of Xiangxi Prefecture;
October 1988: The "Golden Dragon Cup" National Singers Invitational, sponsored by the Chinese Musicians Association, was held in Changsha. Song overwhelmed the other contestants with a song in Miao style, "A Ge Ni Mo Zou," and won the Golden Dragon Cup in the professional folk singing category of the national "Golden Dragon Cup" Singers Competition, and was spotted by the famous music educator Jin Tielin, who took her as his student;

1989: Entered the China Conservatory of Music for further studies, under the tutelage of teacher Jin Tielin;
1990: Collaborated with Yu Xiaofan and others in "Wanjun", playing the Miao woman Anu. Gained initial recognition for the interlude "Little Back Basket" from "Wanjun" at the CCTV 1990 Spring Festival Gala;
1990: Participated in the National Young Singers TV Grand Prix, winning third place in the professional folk singing category;
1990: Participated in the 6th All-Army Art Performance and won the first prize for performance;
1991: Transferred to the Song and Dance Troupe of the Political Department of the Chinese People's Liberation Army Navy as a solo singer, becoming a civilian cadre of the PLA;
1995: Released the single "Spicy Girl", which set off a "Zuying fever" in the music scene;
1998: Elected as a deputy to the National People's Congress;
1998: Awarded the title of one of the Top Ten Favorite Stars of Soldiers in the first "Dahongying" Cup;
1998: Admitted to the China Conservatory of Music's Outstanding Young Performers Research Class, pursuing postgraduate studies;
1999: Joined the Communist Party of China;
2001: Graduated from the China Conservatory of Music's Outstanding Young Performers Postgraduate Class;
2001: On September 21, appointed by the State Post Bureau as "China's First Philatelic Ambassador";
May 2002: Served as a judge for a singing competition for the first time, as a judge for the amateur folk singing category of the 10th National Young Singers Grand Prix;
2002: Performed at the Korea-Japan FIFA World Cup;
2002: On December 20, successfully held a solo concert at the Sydney Opera House in Australia;
2003: Elected as a member of the National Committee of the Chinese People's Political Consultative Conference;
2003: On November 23, successfully held a solo concert at the Vienna Golden Hall;
2003: On December 24, made her debut in the musical "Equatorial Rain" at the Beijing Tianqiao Theater;
2004: In July, served as a judge for the professional folk singing category of the 11th Young Singers Grand Prix;
June 9, 2004: Participated in the Athens Olympic torch relay event held in Beijing;
2005: Recorded the album "A Century of Phonograph Records";
2005: Became a mother;
May 2006: Appointed deputy head of the Song and Dance Troupe of the Political Department of the PLA Navy, transitioning from a civilian cadre to an active-duty officer, awarded the rank of Senior Captain of the Navy. Served as a judge for the folk singing category of the 12th National Young Singers Grand Prix;
October 12, 2006: Held a concert "What a Beautiful Jasmine Flower" at the Kennedy Center in the United States, and Washington, D.C. declared October 12 as local "Song Zuying" Day;
December 2006: Appeared on "Women of the World";
December 2006: Received a Grammy Award nomination, the only one in the folk music field;
January 2007: Appeared on CCTV's "Face to Face";
May 2007: Received the Kennedy Center Gold Medal in the Arts, one of only seven people worldwide;
February 2008: Spring Festival Gala "Spring in the Fields";
March 2008: Elected as a member of the 11th National Committee of the Chinese People's Political Consultative Conference;
March 2008: Served as a judge for the folk singing category of the 13th National Young Singers TV Grand Prix;
April 18, 2008: The Navy Party Committee awarded Song Zuying a First-Class Merit; the Navy Political Department adjusted Song Zuying's professional technical grade to level three. However, her military rank remained Senior Captain of Professional Technology;
May 2008: Transferred from active-duty officer to civilian cadre, civilian level three. Many media outlets erroneously reported it as "Rear Admiral of the Navy";
August 7, 2008: As a torchbearer for the 2008 Beijing Olympics, lit the cauldron at the Ditan Altar;
At 8 p.m. on August 24, 2008, the Olympic closing ceremony was held at the "Bird's Nest". The much-anticipated duet "Flame of Love" by China's famous singer Song Zuying and the renowned tenor Domingo, one of the world's three great tenors, resounded in the Bird's Nest. Domingo gave Song Zuying high praise—"Sweet singing, very artistic. Very, very beautiful, and performing on the same stage with her is a A very, very joyous occasion……”. At the center of the stage, Song Zuying in a silver gown became the highlight of the Bird's Nest venue, and the red sash added a touch of Chinese charm to the gown. Domingo, in a white shirt paired with a black suit, appeared elegant and solemn.

On December 8, 2008, the new album "Eastern Peony" was released. 16 new songs as a super heavyweight collection, carefully recorded over 5 years, with 24 renowned lyricists and composers spanning both ethnic and pop music circles, including Xu Peidong, Li Haiying, and Yin Qing, joining hands in an unprecedented collaboration! The album tracks are: 01. Blooming Peony 02. Mother's Eyes 03. Spring in the Fields 04. Fortune as Vast as the East Sea 05. Expectation 06. Pioneer of the Times 07. With You 08. Clear Wind and White Lotus 09. Sun Drum 10. Dragon Dance Brings Auspiciousness 11. A Soldier's Dream 12. Sending You an Eastern Jasmine 13. Gratitude 14. Harmonious Movement 15. Tender as Water, a Man's Heart as Hard as Iron 16. To the Motherland

Song Zuying performs at the Winter Universiade. On February 28, 2009, Song Zuying will appear as the finale, performing "Happily Letting Go at the Winter Universiade."

On May 12, 2009, the "365 Blessings CCTV Heart-to-Heart Art Troupe" went to Sichuan for a consolation performance. Song Zuying appeared as the finale, in a red long dress, singing "Love My China" at the top of her voice, magnificent and resounding through the sky.

On June 30, 2009, Song Zuying held a concert at the Bird's Nest, with Placido Domingo, Lang Lang, and Jay Chou supporting. This 2009 Charming China Beijing Bird's Nest Summer Concert had an exceptionally massive lineup, and it was also the first time in the history of the Bird's Nest that a single-sided three-dimensional stage was used.

On September 29, 2009, the large-scale gala celebrating the 60th anniversary of the founding of the People's Republic of China—"Long Live the Motherland"—was broadcast live from Studio 1 of China Central Television. Song Zuying sang "Singing and Dancing," and a joyful atmosphere filled the entire gala scene.

On October 1, 2009, Song Zuying participated in the National Day celebration gala at Tiananmen Square, and the song "Good Days" once again resounded across the country.

On October 3, 2009, Song Zuying was invited to participate in the 11th Zhanhua Winter Jujube Festival in Binzhou, China. As soon as she appeared on stage, fireworks rose all around, and the salute cannons were deafening and resounded through the clouds. Song Zuying, wearing a grand and beautiful woven gown, closed the entire performance with "Sending You an Eastern Jasmine" and "Good Days," bringing the atmosphere to its highest climax.

On October 31, 2009, at the finals of the "2009 Miss Chinese International Pageant" held in Shanghai, singer Song Zuying served as a judge for the first time.

1990 "Little Back Basket"
1991 "Festival Night"
1992 "Waiting for You to Come"
1993 "Three Joys on New Year's Eve"
1994 "When I Grow Up, I Become You"
1995 "Spicy Girl"
1996 "Soldier Brother"
1997 "True Love Endures Forever"
1998 "Good Days"
1999 "Spicy Girl"
2000 "How Are You"
2001 "Better and Better"
2002 "The Scenery Here Is Uniquely Beautiful"
2003 "Beautiful Mood"
2004 "Gazing at the Moon"
2005 "Fly"
2006 "Five Blessings Arrive at the Door"
2007 "Harmonious Movement"
2008 "Spring in the Fields"
2009 A duet with Jay Chou of "Compendium of Materia Medica," and a solo of "Sending You an Eastern Jasmine"

On August 13, 1966 (the 27th day of the sixth lunar month), Song Zuying was born into an ordinary mountain family of farmers for generations in Lijia Village, Yantouzhai Township, Guzhang County, western Hunan. Going back three generations, the Song family had no one with any special talent in music or art. Song Zuying's birth rewrote the history of the Song family. That year was the year of Bingwu, the zodiac sign was Horse, and the constellation was Leo. In music history, August is a month that nurtures and produces musicians. The famous French violinist Francescatti was born, and Beethoven, Schubert, Liszt, and the Swedish musician Sibelius were all born in August. As for Song Zuying, a Leo and a Horse in the Chinese zodiac, astrological books say: he is a victor, fearing neither hardship nor opposition; in life he seeks to go all out, and in an encouraging atmosphere strives to constantly surpass himself...

These characteristics may have been verified in master musicians like Debussy and Bernstein, but young Song Zuying showed none of them. With the delicate and fragile appearance of a lamb, Song Zuying was a good girl to her mother from a young age—timid, honest, dutiful, and obedient, with a gentle, quiet, and introverted personality, never causing trouble. In her childhood, Song Zuying once had happy times, but those times passed in a flash. At the age of 12, her father died of illness, and the family suddenly lost its support, its mainstay removed. Her frail mother, for the sake of the family and children, shouldered the heavy burden of life with thin shoulders, enduring hardship to raise three children. Song Zuying was the eldest, with a younger sister and a younger brother below her. The sudden change left a deep mark on young Song Zuying's tender heart. From then on, Song Zuying lost the leisure and joy of childhood. As the eldest daughter, she had to help her mother manage household chores and share the heavy burden of life. She was a sensible child. In the early morning, she got up early to help her mother cook, wash vegetables, and dress her younger siblings. After finishing all this, she went to school; after school, she washed clothes, swept the floor, carried water, and gathered firewood... She could do everything a little farm girl should do, and she could also do what boys should do.

Her hometown had inconvenient transportation, with high mountains and steep roads, and everything relied on carrying on shoulders and backs. She would never forget the image of her mother, with a basket on her back, crawling like a snail along the winding, steep mountain paths; even more, she would never forget her mother's silhouette spinning thread with a humming sound under the dim kerosene lamp. Many times waking up in the middle of the night, Song Zuying still saw her mother gently turning the small spinning wheel, twisting the colorful threads of life, and tears blurred her eyes. Song Zuying later told others that the person she worried about most in the world was her mother. "Mother's smiling face when she turned back is still sweet in my heart." This is what Song Zuying sang for her mother.

Song Zuying was good at blending the bitter wine of life into mellow, sweet nectar. Beethoven said that music is the complaint of suffering and also a refuge from distress. At that time, Song Zuying certainly did not know that a person named Beethoven had said such a famous quote. She always felt that when certain emotions could no longer be stored in her heart, she would sing and shout, and those pent-up emotions would be released, making her feel relaxed and happy all over. Whether encountering troubles or joys, Song Zuying liked to use singing to vent and express. She did not yet understand what music was, nor what effect music had on people. At that time, she was just a little girl from a remote Miao village in western Hunan, a first-year junior high school student in a rural middle school; a good girl still inseparable from her mother. The hardships of life did not wear away her childlike innocence and purity, but instead made her yearn even more for a novel and vibrant world. Listening to the cheerful calls of birds in the woods, hearing the gurgling mountain springs by the stream, or going to the market with her mother and listening to young men sing folk songs and play wooden leaves would all bring Song Zuying indescribable pleasure and joy.

Song Zuying loved to sing, which the villagers and her teachers and classmates at school had long noticed. This usually quiet and reserved little girl, once she started singing, took on a completely different demeanor—lively and innocent, radiating a pure and passionate expression all over, often astonishing those who knew her.

Pure Girl • Bright Voice • Attracting the Troupe's Recruiter • Entering the Guzhang County Opera Troupe Trainee Class • Initial Vocal Education • From 18 to 8 • A Brief Leap from Extra to Lead • The First Role as Shanmei • The Troupe's Four Sisters

There is a saying that expresses this meaning: Opportunity will only be firmly grasped by those who are prepared. Song Zuying had not made any preparations, yet an opportunity to start a new life came gently toward her.

In August 1981, the Guzhang County Opera Troupe decided to recruit a group of new actors to strengthen its ranks. That day, two strange men came to Yantouzhai Township Middle School. These two uninvited guests had come to recruit workers for the Guzhang County Opera Troupe. The principal called Song Zuying and more than a dozen other classmates and lined them up in a row before the two recruiters. The recruiters scanned them one by one with scrutinizing eyes, conducting an appearance assessment. Song Zuying had never encountered such an occasion. Originally shy around strangers, she became even more constrained and uneasy. However, the recruiters' four eyes were fixed on her alone. Her coarse clothes could not hide Song Zuying's natural beauty and pure simplicity, but they did not show it. As an opera troupe actor, having only a beautiful appearance was not enough; one should also have a good voice. The two exchanged a glance and asked Song Zuying to sing a song.

Singing was not difficult for Song Zuying. In front of strangers, Song Zuying hesitated for a moment, then began to sing. Without any specialized training, Song Zuying's voice at this time was completely in a natural state, with a pure timbre, without a trace of impurity, giving people a feeling of tenderness and sweetness. This kind of voice, unadulterated by any technique, was innate, a gift from the Muses. The two recruiters could not help but clap their hands. It was her! The god of fate, on this sunny autumn day, generously gave opportunity to Song Zuying.

Song Zuying bade farewell to her mother, younger sister, and younger brother, and for the first time left her hometown, becoming a new trainee in the training class of the Guzhang County Opera Troupe. Song Zuying carried a simple bundle, forcibly enduring the pain of parting with her relatives, walked out from the moss-covered stone-slab path of her hometown, and with longing for a new life and hopes for the future, stepped onto the road to Guzhang County town. Even she herself had not expected that once she left, she would never turn back.

The Guzhang County Opera Troupe training class had recruited 18 trainees in total this time. After a year of study and training, 10 of the 18 trainees would be selected to be formally recruited into the troupe. Therefore, as soon as Song Zuying arrived at the training class, she felt an invisible pressure, a kind of competition. Song Zuying was recruited into the training class mainly because of her good voice, so the troupe focused on giving her specialized training in music, and of course also practiced some basic skills for actors. The teacher who guided Song Zuying in vocal training was a vocal music teacher surnamed Wu specially invited by the troupe from the Zhuzhou Song and Dance Troupe. He taught Song Zuying some of the most basic vocal knowledge and pronunciation techniques. This was the earliest vocal education Song Zuying received. A year later, the opera troupe selected the best 10 trainees from the 18 and formally recruited them into the troupe. Song Zuying was the only trainee at that time to receive unanimous approval from all 7 assessors. This year was August 1982. Song Zuying was 16 years old.

The first production in which Song Zuying participated in rehearsal and performance after joining the troupe was Tixiao Yinyuan, in which she played a minor role named Gua Zhenzhu. The more influential production she took part in was Du Hun Ji. At first she only appeared as an extra, a background performer. But Song Zuying was a thoughtful girl. Relying on her astonishing memory, she secretly memorized all the lines and singing parts of the production. Later, when the troupe went to perform in the countryside, the actor playing the lead could not go because her child had fallen ill, and the troupe leaders were frantic with worry. Someone told the leaders that Song Zuying could play this role. The troupe leaders did not believe it and asked Song Zuying to give it a try. Sure enough, it was true. Although her movements and techniques were not yet highly polished, her lyrics were accurate and her movements coherent, enough to handle the performance in the countryside. So on the spot they decided that Song Zuying would take on the major role of the lead. At that time, Song Zuying had been formally in the troupe for less than half a year, and she had already completed the short leap from extra to lead.

What is somewhat mysterious is that in the Guzhang County Opera Troupe, Song Zuying also participated in the rehearsal of the opera Red Coral, playing the role of Shan Mei. After this program was rehearsed, for various reasons it was not publicly performed, but this was Song Zuying's earliest contact with the role of Shan Mei. More than 10 years later, Song Zuying, by then an actress in the Naval Political Department Song and Dance Troupe, once again participated in Beijing in the high-level and high-standard revival and performance of Red Coral, still playing the role of Shan Mei. This had a rather fatalistic flavor.

In the Guzhang County Opera Troupe, Song Zuying had three of the best sisters. Four innocent and romantic girls in the flower of youth, close as sisters, ate together, played together, slept together, and spent that beautiful period in the troupe freely and carefree. Song Zuying was reserved when speaking to outsiders, quiet and shy, but with these good sisters, she laughed when it was time to laugh and acted wild when it was time to act wild, revealing the true face of a pure young girl, without any concealment. Song Zuying was a person who deeply cherished old ties and valued affection. Even after she became a famous singer, she still kept in contact with the three sisters working in western Hunan. Whenever she returned to western Hunan, she would gather with the three sisters, without the slightest air of a star. From appearance to speech, she was still just as she had been in the Guzhang Opera Troupe, still that quiet and pure Song Zuying. To the other two teachers and elders who gave her great help on her path to becoming a singer, she would send greetings by letter every festival and holiday, and when she came to western Hunan, she would never forget to visit them. The impression she gave people was still the essential, true Song Zuying, not the dazzling Song Zuying packaged on stage.

Liyu Training • A Phoenix-Tail Bamboo by the Youshui River • Cried Three Times • An Unforgettable Graduation Gala • A Voice That Stunned Everyone • One of Life's Greatest Turning Points
Longshan's Liyu is an ancient market town in western Hunan. The clear Youshui River flows gently eastward past Liyu Town. Since ancient times, Liyu has been an important wharf along the Youshui River and a distribution center for goods in the border regions of Hunan, Sichuan, and Hubei. Later, when roads were built, this transportation advantage gradually declined, but as a famous town in western Hunan, Liyu still retained its former glory. In July 1982, the Drama Research Office of the Xiangxi Autonomous Prefecture chose Liyu as the training site for the prefecture-wide workshop on civil and military female roles, and troupes from all counties and cities in the prefecture sent personnel to attend. The Guzhang County Opera Troupe sent three actors, and Song Zuying was one of them. This was Song Zuying's first time leaving Guzhang County to participate in prefecture-wide professional training. Most of the trainees in this workshop were promising young professionals from various troupes, some of whom had already been performing on stage for several years. Relatively speaking, the three girls from Guzhang had somewhat weaker theatrical skills. Song Zuying in particular, after joining the troupe, mainly performed vocal music programs; although she had practiced the basic skills of theatrical performance for a period, she had spent less effort on them than others. Teacher Guo, who taught them, was very strict with the trainees. Sometimes when Song Zuying failed to do the sword-and-shield moves or spear-flower twirling properly, she would be scolded, which made Song Zuying cry three times. But she was a stubborn girl who refused to fall behind others. In order to quickly master the theatrical movements taught by the teacher, she got up early every day and ran alone to the riverbank of the Youshui River to practice secretly by herself. By the Youshui River in Liyu, there was a large grassy lawn, a natural training ground. The slender Song Zuying, standing on the lawn, was like a phoenix-tail bamboo, gracefully erect, adding a beautiful and enchanting scene to the emerald Youshui River. She ran around the field, practiced leg work, and worked on posture combinations, often standing alone by the river pondering over a single move, sometimes becoming lost in thought. Song Zuying was timid and shy. When encountering difficulties, she did not dare ask the teacher alone, preferring to hide away and figure things out by herself. After more than a month of such diligent practice, Song Zuying's basic theatrical skills made great progress. This month of study was very rewarding for Song Zuying, but what had a huge impact on her future life destiny was the gala at the end of the workshop.

　　After Song Zuying's workshop training ended, a gala was held on the graduation day. Every trainee had to perform a program. This was not difficult for the other trainees; they were all people who had seen the stage and more or less had some specialty, so performing one or two items at this small gala was a piece of cake. But it stumped Song Zuying. In theatrical performance, she felt she could not present a decent program, and the audience consisted of experts, so Song Zuying was afraid of being laughed at. Therefore, when it was her turn to perform, she froze. Seeing her embarrassed and shy appearance, someone reminded her, if you cannot perform a program, then just sing a song. When singing was mentioned, it was like a sudden enlightenment; her uneasy mood was swept away completely. Her beautiful dark phoenix eyes became bright and charming. She parted her cherry lips slightly and let out her sweet voice. The noisy gala suddenly became completely quiet. Her singing was sweet and delicate, elegant and fresh, with a pure timbre, soft and bright. That ethereal and crisp voice was like an oriole warbling and a spring singing in a secluded valley. It felt like listening on a moonlit night in the vast open fields as a master played Mendelssohn's famous piece 'Spring Song,' stirring the heart and moving the soul. She sang the song 'Zhi Yin,' which was Song Zuying's favorite song and had once been recorded by Guzhang County Broadcasting and played throughout the county. After a year of vocal training in the trainee class, Song Zuying had mastered the most basic vocal techniques, and the effect was naturally very different from before. As soon as her song began, everyone's thoughts drifted gently along with her singing. Song Zuying sang with great emotional investment; that understanding of the lyrics from the depths of her heart and soul, and her almost instantaneous perception of the leaping notes, reached a state where emotion arrived and voice followed, astonishing the experts present. This somewhat avant-garde sensibility laid a solid foundation for Song Zuying's path to becoming a singing star. Not long after the Liyu training ended, the frequency with which the goddess of fortune smiled upon Song Zuying confirmed this.

First Performance in Beijing • From Guzhang to Jishou • Entering the Xiangxi Prefecture Song and Dance Troupe • I Want to Study • A Mountain Girl Ventures into the Capital • From Xiangxi to the World
Song Zuying's Liyu training, especially her outstanding singing voice, left a deep impression on the leaders and experts of the cultural department of the Xiangxi Autonomous Prefecture. Intentionally or not, Song Zuying, relying on her own strength, seized the opportunity to appear at the prefectural capital and stepped out of her narrow, closed circle.

Not long after the training in Liye ended, the Xiangxi Tujia and Miao Autonomous Prefecture Song and Dance Troupe and the Huayuan County Opera Troupe jointly rehearsed "The Blood-Stained Hundred-Bird Picture." The head of the prefecture's drama research office, who had watched Song Zuying perform in Liye and was deeply impressed, suggested that Song Zuying be transferred to take part in the rehearsal of this key prefecture-wide production. In this production, which later won the Silver Award in the National Minority Script Competition, Song Zuying played a young girl. This was the first time Song Zuying left the Guzhang County Opera Troupe to take part in the rehearsal of a key prefecture-wide production. Not long afterward, the Xiangxi Tujia and Miao Autonomous Prefecture Culture Bureau chose to organize the Xiangxi delegation in Longshan County to take part in the National Ulan Muqir Art Performance, and again transferred Song Zuying to join the Xiangxi delegation as lead singer. Going to Beijing for the first time to take part in a national art performance opened Song Zuying's eyes wide. In these several performance activities, Song Zuying left a deep impression on everyone.

After this, Song Zuying frequently appeared on the prefecture's stage, drawing people's attention and regard. Everyone now knew that the Guzhang County Opera Troupe had a Song Zuying, who sang beautifully and was also beautiful in appearance. After fate had played a cruel joke on Song Zuying in childhood, it finally smiled upon her. In December 1984, Song Zuying was formally transferred from the Guzhang County Opera Troupe to the Xiangxi Tujia and Miao Autonomous Prefecture Song and Dance Troupe, becoming a young singer in the prefecture song and dance troupe, completing her self-transcendence from a county-level art troupe to a prefecture-level art troupe. Song Zuying was exactly 18 years old that year, having worked in the Guzhang County Troupe for three years and four months. Once again leaving her hometown and relatives, bidding farewell to her good sisters, she set out on the journey to the prefectural seat, Jishou. It was just as the old saying goes: "After bitterness comes sweetness."

Not long after Song Zuying arrived at the prefecture song and dance troupe, the goddess of fortune smiled on her once again. The Music and Dance Department of the Central University for Nationalities came to Xiangxi to recruit students. The recruiters traveled thousands of miles from Beijing to the Xiangxi Song and Dance Troupe to select and assess students. Song Zuying's bright temperament and excellent personal qualities immediately caught the eye of the visitors, but to truly enter the school for further study, she still had to pass the cultural examination. Song Zuying, who had not even graduated from junior high school, faced yet another difficult test. "I want to study." The clever Song Zuying understood how important this opportunity was for improving herself, realizing her life's value, and shaping herself. This Xiangxi girl, who had grown up on barren land, bravely met the challenge of fate. She learned from those who were capable, was not ashamed to ask those below her, and devoured books day and night in study. She grew several sizes thinner and lost several jin of weight. In the end, when she took the cultural examination, she actually passed this steep pass. Song Zuying smiled, smiling brightly. This extraordinary woman, who had endured hardships and tasted life's bitterness since childhood, had finally found the ladder to the road of a singing star.

In September 1985, Song Zuying, carrying a small back basket, just like her fellow townsman Shen Congwen of years past, left Xiangxi, crossed Dongting Lake, and went alone to the capital to make her way in the world. Song Zuying walked with confidence and composure. A mountain girl was so tiny in the vast city of Beijing. Apart from a very few acquaintances from home, no one knew there was a person named Song Zuying in Beijing. But a few years later, Song Zuying mounted the capital's stage in dazzling brilliance, and from then on, all of Beijing and all of China knew Song Zuying.

Song Zuying, this most ordinary Xiangxi woman, relying on the persistence and tenacity of a mountain person, finally carried her small back basket from Xiangxi to the world.

　　Song Zuying also played a great role in Xiangxi tourism. Guzhang County in the Xiangxi Tujia and Miao Autonomous Prefecture is a poverty-stricken mountainous area that Hunan Province focuses on supporting. Relying on her celebrity influence, Song Zuying specially produced the MTV "Guzhang Tea Song" at her own expense for her hometown Guzhang. After Song Zuying's song "Guzhang Tea Song" aired on more than 600 television stations nationwide, the fame and market share of Xiangxi Guzhang tea from her hometown rose sharply. Song Zuying did not forget her roots. At the invitation of the Publicity Department of the Hunan Provincial Party Committee, the Xiangxi Prefecture Party Committee, and Zhangjiajie Tourism Development Co., Ltd., Song Zuying returned to her hometown to shoot three MTVs: "Miao Mountain Bright Moon," "Dragon Boat Tune," and "My Hometown Has a Mengdong River." "I hope that through my songs, I can make Xiangxi tourism flourish," Song Zuying said.

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