On the evening of November 20, the well-known mainland Chinese actress Zheng Zheng, who portrayed the character “Yuan Yang” in the 1987 version of “Dream of the Red Chamber,” passed away in Beijing at the age of 61.
Her husband issued a statement in the obituary on the evening of the 20th, revealing that Zheng Zheng had been ill and after various medical treatments proved ineffective, she passed away on the evening of November 20. Although the exact cause of death was not specified, according to reports from several mainland Chinese media outlets and Weibo, Zheng passed away after several days of rescue efforts in the intensive care unit, leaving her fans deeply saddened.
Zheng Zheng rose to fame for her role as “Yuan Yang” in the 1987 version of “Dream of the Red Chamber.” Her character was Jia Mother’s head maid and one of the four notable maids. This version of “Dream of the Red Chamber” caused a sensation when it aired on CCTV, and Zheng Zheng’s pure image left a lasting impression on the audience.
Born in Beijing, Zheng Zheng began dancing at a young age. When the cast for “Dream of the Red Chamber” was being selected nationwide, she, who had just retired from the army, got the chance to audition. Preparing for the scene where “Yuan Yang resists marriage,” she held scissors in her hands and stood with her back to the director’s team for 5 minutes before turning around and kneeling to deliver her lines. Immersed in her role, when it came to the line “cut my hair and become a nun,” she took out the scissors and was about to cut her hair before being stopped by the director’s team just in time.
Due to her portrayal of “Yuan Yang,” Zheng Zheng’s popularity soared, leading to continuous acting opportunities in productions such as “Many Stories in the Family,” “Nine Nines Returns to One,” and “Nine Phoenixes in the Family.” Recognized as a talented actress in the Chinese entertainment industry, she not only portrayed various screen characters but also published a novel, wrote plays and film scripts, and even founded China’s first private drama group, the “Huhuliji Drama Society,” producing the first independent small theater play “Emotional Practice.”
Later on, Zheng Zheng appeared in numerous films and TV dramas, including “Dwelling Narrowness” and “You Are My Lover.” In 2018, her role as “Liu Shufen” in the film “Ash Is Purest White” played the teacher of the female protagonist Wang Minjia (portrayed by Zhang Ziyi). She once shared filming experiences in Taiwan with the male lead Huang Xiaoming from that film and was nominated for the Best Supporting Actress at the 34th Hundred Flowers Awards for her performance.
According to incomplete statistics, so far, 13 actors from the 1987 version of “Dream of the Red Chamber” have passed away, including Chen Xiaoxu who played Lin Daiyu, Li Ting who played Jia Mother, Yang Junyong as Jia Rong, Li Jie as Jia She, Ma Jiaqi as Jia Zheng, Ma Guangru as Jia Rui, Zheng Qianlong as Lin Ruhai, Kong Rui as Jiao Da, Ma Zengtao as Ni Er, Chen Zuruong as Feng Shi, Jin Yaqin as Zhao Mam, and Li Yue as Xiao Ban’er who followed Liu Laolao into the Grand View Garden.