ChinaDaily.com.cn – By Wang Zhuoqiong and Xie Fang
Some might think of cross-dressing as high camp, but in China these days it could also be considered high art, or at the very least a bit of good clean fun.
In the most high-profile example of this growing trend, a recent talent contest on China Central Television (CCTV) featured a young man who dressed like a woman and sang like a nightingale. This young showman so enchanted audiences that he walked away with third prize.
Though Li Yugang’s set consisted mainly of folk songs, he seemed to channel the spirit of Mei Lanfang (1894-1961), the great Peking Opera master who carved out a place for the national art form in the world pantheon of esteemed art.
Indeed, the 28-year-old from the countryside of Jilin Province got his start by taking lessons from Mei’s disciples. Despite these historical roots, Li has had to struggle against the longstanding stigma of men performing female roles, a technique that has fallen out of favour in the past half century.
People in China generally frown on transvestite performances, known locally as fanchuan, except when they are done for comic effect. But that did not stop television audiences from marvelling at Li’s beauty and grace as he sang and danced. A fan club quickly sprung up online and called on the performer to take the starring role in a forthcoming biopic of Mei Lanfang.