Zhang Junqiu (1920--1997) was a top Peking Opera performer. Zhang is remembered for his excellent performance and his efforts made in inheriting and developing the quintessence of traditional Chinese opera.
Zhang Junqiu began drama learning at the age of 13 and his debut at the age of 15. He has prevented some Peking Opera plays from being lost by performing 120 items in various schools. He also trained a group of youngsters for the art as well. In 1963, Zhang went to Hong Kong and Macao to perform. In 1979, he started to teach opera in the Beijing Drama School. In 1990, Zhang Junqiu won the Lifelong Artistic Achievement Prize awarded by the Sino-US Art Association in US and New York Lincoln Art Center.His voice was sweet, loud and clear, and his appearance graceful and handsome. The representative works of Zhang Junqiu are: The Orphan of The Zhaos, The West Chamber and Leifeng Tower, and so on.His elder son, Zhang Xuejin, is a famous Laosheng (elderly character type) in Pekinig Opera.
