Gong Qiuxia | |||||||||||
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| Born | 4 December 1916 Chongming, Jiangsu (now Shanghai), China | ||||||||||
| Died | 7 September 2004 (aged 87) | ||||||||||
| Occupation(s) | Actress, singer | ||||||||||
| Chinese name | |||||||||||
| Traditional Chinese | 龔秋霞 | ||||||||||
| Simplified Chinese | 龚秋霞 | ||||||||||
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| Musical career | |||||||||||
| Genres | Shidaiqu, Mandopop | ||||||||||
Gong Qiuxia, also romanized as Kung Chiu-hsia (4 December 1918 – 7 September 2004) was a Chinese actress and singer. By the 1940s, she became one of the seven great singing stars.[1]
In 1933, she traveled across Southeast Asia as a member of the Shanghai Plum Flower Troupe (梅花歌舞团). One of the theatrical plays she took part in was the Five Tiger Generals (五虎將).[1] As a result of her training, she was an accomplished tap dancer. Her early films would capitalize on this talent as one of the few Chinese female stars who was a triple-threat (acting, singing, dancing). People would affectionately refer to her as an older Shirley Temple.
In 1946, she moved to Hong Kong with her husband. They later moved to Taipei, Taiwan, in 1967.[2]
She died on 7 September 2004 in Hong Kong exactly ten years before fellow Seven great singing star Li Xianglan.[1]
In 1936, she made her first film (父母子女, Father Mother Son Daughter). In 1937, she starred in the movie 壓歲錢 and began taking a relatively serious attitude toward filmmaking. She is most recognized for playing the mature, housewife image.[1]
From 1938 to 1980, she took part in a number of movies. The movie 四千金 (Four Daughters) would earn her the nickname "Big Sister."[1]
In the 1930s, she was recognized as one of the three great mandopop singers with Zhou Xuan and Bai Hong.[1]
