"She experienced great joy and suffered great sorrow later in her life," said Yang Kewei (杨克伟), younger brother of a well-known actress Yang Likun(杨丽坤) in Yunnan.
Yang Likun, a Yi woman, was born on April 27, 1941 in Mohei Town of Ning'er County in South Yunnan's Pu'er city. She passed away on July 21, 2000 in Shanghai. Yang gained world fame for her role as Bai woman Jinhia in Five Golden Flowers, about the life of Bai people living in Yunnan's Dali, and as Ashima, an Yi woman in the eponymous film about the life of Yi people in Yunnan's Stone Forest. Both films are regarded in China's film industry as masterpieces. Yang was a screen goddess to generations for over half a century.
In some audiences' eyes, Yang Likun is the most impressive "golden flower" in the movie. In her brother's eyes, "Both appearance and heart were beautiful. She was low-key even after gaining considerable fame as an actress."
Five Golden Flowers: A musical comedy of misunderstandings resulting from five women having the same name, Jinhua (Golden Flower), set in Yunnan among the Bai minority during the Great Leap Forward. A young blacksmith falls in love with a girl at a fair and makes a date to meet her again a year later. When she doesn’t show up, he searches for her with only her given name to go on, leading to the meetings with the other “Golden Flowers.” When he finally finds her, it turns out that she is deputy director of a commune.
Yang was raised by her second elder sister and sister-in-law in Kunming, as her mother passed away and her father was wrongly jailed when she was eight. Yang was fond of dancing and used to take part in some art performances at school. Luckily, she was selected to Yunnan Troupe by accident.
"She ran away from the stage at her official debut, shyly." But since then, she practiced and practiced, becoming a leading actress in the troupe. Owing to some historical reasons, her elder sister and her sister's husband who used to work in government was dispatched to labor at a mine. She become more lonely and her life got more difficult.
A film director Wang Jiayi was going to shoot Five Gilden Flowers and selected actresses in Yunnan Troupe in 1959. Yang was not recommended owing to her family conditions. Bur later Wang found her nice with natural charms. Later she was confirmed as a main role in the movie.
The movie turned out to be a complete success, winning great reputation in China. She was received by Prime Minister Zhou En’lai and had visited some foreign countries.
Yang Likun acted Ashima, an opera film in 1964. Ashima tells a story about the Sani girl of Ashima was forced to die for fighting against marring to the son of the ruler and after death, she became the never stop echo in the stone forests. She announced bravely that I will never disappear even the sun and cloud disappears, my soul and my sound will exist till the end of time. Her role as Ashima impressed numerous audiences by her brave and sad romance, creating much of a stir both in China and foreign countries. The filmed was awarded as the "best (dancing) film" in the third Festival Internacional de Santander, one of Spain's oldest music festivals, in 1982 when she won a god reputation as one of the "best ten actresses in China".
A special issue was published in 2009 by Southern People Weekly Magazine, a comprehensive people magazine in China. It had the theme of "the most beautiful twelve people in China" and contained celebrities such as Yang Lan and Zhang Ziyi. After the article was published, a reader said: "Though I was born in the Post-'80 generation, I was fascinated by Ashima acted by Yang Likun."
Unfortunately, Yang suffered a lot during the "cultural revolution" (1966-76). "She was dismayed and under the pressure of panic all day. Finally she brokedown and got insane." Later, Premier Minister Zhou En'lai showed concern about her and saved her. She was sent for treatment. After out of hospital, she married. However, with several kinds of illness, she fell into o decline and lost her attractive elegant demeanor in the previous days. (Editors: Lynn, Minnie)
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