Fifty years ago today, on March 8, 1975 (January 26, 1975, the outstanding Peking Opera performing artist Zhou Xinfang passed away. Zhou Xinfang's statue On March 8, 1975, Comrade Zhou Xinfang, an outstanding Peking Opera artist in my country, was brutally persecuted and died by the Gang of Four. He was 80 years old. Comrade Zhou Xinfang, a native of Cixi County, Zhejiang Province, was born into a poor artist family. After Chiang Kai-shek defected to the revolution in 1927, he began to have contact with the party's underground organizations and his thoughts became progressive. After that, he actively participated in the anti-Japanese and national salvation activities led by the Communist Party of China and the patriotic and democratic political activities against the reactionary rule of the United States and Chiang Kai-shek. It is well known that he was politically firm and loyal throughout his life, pursuing progress and light. Comrade Zhou Xinfang was born in an era of sharp conflict between ethnic contradictions and class contradictions in the late Qing Dynasty. The harsh and great times and the heroic and passionate revolutionary struggle cultivated and brought up the great artist Comrade Zhou Xinfang. His personal destiny and his artistic practice have always been inseparable from the anti-imperialist and patriotic revolutionary struggle. He used drama as a combat weapon and clearly realized that only "using the will of the play to inspire the audience is my true value." Therefore, the plays he performed, whether they were "Song Jiaoren","The Great Traitor","Learning to Punch King Kong", which cooperated with the anti-imperialist revolutionary struggle in the early stage, as well as "The Two Emperors of Huiqin" and "Wen Tianxiang", which used ancient metaphors to present, or the excellent traditional plays he was good at performing "Four Scholars","Xu Ce Ran into the City","Xiao He Chases Han Xin under the Wind","Pavilion", etc., either pointed at the declining ruling class, or lashed evil and praised the justice and kindness of the people, they were full of passion. It strongly inspires the patriotic enthusiasm of the people and inspires the people to awaken their sense of struggle. His artistic practice is a reflection of his own view of drama. I am his loyal audience. In April 1959, Zhou Yang met him in Shanghai. Based on his artistic style, he suggested that he compose and perform a Peking Opera script with Hai Rui regardless of personal safety and speaking out. He readily accepted it. On the National Day of the same year, he performed "Hai Rui Shang Shu" as a tribute play. The performance of the play was very successful, and an image of a Qing official Hai Rui who expressed a unique style in Qi School appeared on the stage. Unexpectedly, this play became a pretext for the Gang of Four to brutally persecute him. Although Comrade Zhou Xinfang passed away unjustly, his indomitable and resolute demeanor and his fighting spirit will be passed down to future generations together with the stage image he created! The Qi School art founded by Comrade Zhou Xinfang was formed through constant battles. Based on tradition, he learned from others 'strengths in the struggle against formalism and gimmicturism Peking Opera, integrated it, eliminated the rough and refined it, and was determined to innovate. He injected fresh and lively factors into the increasingly solidified Peking Opera, thus creating a vigorous, unrestrained and unique Lin school art. Lin School is not only an important school of Peking Opera veterans, but also has a profound impact on other professions and operas. Zhou Xinfang's performing art has made great contributions to the improvement and development of Peking Opera and should occupy an important position in the history of China opera. Chairman Mao Zedong watched Comrade Zhou Xinfang's performances many times. In commemoration of Comrade Zhou Xinfang's 50 years of acting, the beloved Premier Zhou made an important inscription "Celebrating Mr. Zhou Xinfang's 50-year achievements in acting." In 1974, the "Gang of Four" and his remaining party members in Shanghai made the final conclusion of "labeling Zhou Xinfang as a counter-revolutionary, revoking all positions inside and outside the party, permanently removing him from the party, handing him over to the masses for supervision and reform, continuing criticism and fighting, and eliminating his pernicious influence." Comrade Zhou Xinfang suffered a heavy spiritual blow and became bedridden. Later, his condition worsened and he died unjustly. Zhou Xinfang (Wang Zhong in the Peking Opera "Yi Shi Wang Kui")