Xun Huisheng (5 January 1900 - 26 December 1968) was one of Peking Opera's "Four Great Dan", along with Mei Lanfang, Cheng Yanqiu, and Shang Xiaoyun.[1][2] All four were men who played the female lead roles (dan) during the generation when such roles became open to actresses again, after two centuries of exclusively male portrayal.
Xun was best known for his portrayal of the "flowery girl" (hua dan) roles, women who tended to be more vivacious or even of questionable character.[1] He served as one of the mentors and guardians of the actress Li Yuru as she began her career.[4]
^Zhou Huan, ed. (1990), 菊海竞渡——李万春回忆录 [The Chrysanthemum Sea Regatta: Li Wanchun's Memoirs], Beijing: Chinese Literature & History Press, p. 7. (in Chinese)
