Wu Zhaonan
Wu Zhaonan | |||||||||
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Born | |||||||||
Died | 14 October 2018 Los Angeles, California, U.S. | (aged 92)||||||||
Education | University of China | ||||||||
Occupation | Xiangsheng comedian | ||||||||
Years active | 1951–2018 | ||||||||
Children | 1 | ||||||||
Awards | Lifetime Achievement Award from the Lincoln Center Golden Melody Award for Lifetime Contributions | ||||||||
Chinese name | |||||||||
Traditional Chinese | |||||||||
Simplified Chinese | 吴兆 | ||||||||
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Wu Zhaonan (Chinese:
Creation of Mongolian barbecue
[edit]Wu was born in Beijing, Republic of China, on 14 January 1926. He graduated from the University of China with a degree in economics.[1][2]
He fled to Taiwan when the Communist Party took over mainland China in 1949, and opened a street food stall in Yingqiao , Taipei in 1951, where he created the popular dish Mongolian barbecue.[3][4][5] He originally wanted to call the dish "Beijing barbecue", but because of political sensitivity with the city, which had just recently been designated as the capital of Communist China, he settled with "Mongolian barbecue" instead, even though it had no direct connection with Mongolia.[5]
Wu's food stall became very popular, and even attracted foreign diplomats and wealthy businesspeople as customers despite being a cheap eatery. However, it was later destroyed by flooding during a typhoon, in which Wu nearly drowned.[5] When he exited the restaurant business to develop his xiangsheng career, numerous imitators emerged to capitalize on the popularity of the dish he created, which was later also introduced to the West.[5]
Xiangsheng career
[edit]Wu began performing xiangsheng in 1951 and later exited the restaurant business as his popularity grew. Performing on radio and on stage, he became one of the most famous xiangsheng actors in Taiwan. He frequently partnered with Wei Lung-hao , and their radio show became an iconic memory in Taiwan.[1][3]
Wu moved to the United States in 1973, where he continued to perform xiangsheng as well as Peking opera. He also developed a brand of beef jerky.[1] In 1983, the xiangsheng master Hou Baolin took him as a disciple, inducting him into the formal lineage of the art.[1] Wu trained many students of his own, notably Hou Guanqun , Lang Tzu-yun, Liu Tseng-kai , Liu Erjin , and Fan Kuang-yao.[6] Lang Tzu-yun founded the performing arts troupe Spring Sun, for which Wu has written.[7][8]
Wu received many awards including the Lifetime Artistic Achievement Award from the Lincoln Center for the Performing Arts in New York City, the Xinchuan Award (
Personal life
[edit]He was married until his wife's death in 2009.[12][13] They had one son, Wu Manyu.[14]
On 14 October 2018, Wu Zhaonan died from multiple organ failure in Los Angeles, California, aged 92.[3] A memorial service was held at the Chiang Kai-shek Memorial Hall in Taipei on 2 November, which was attended by many dignitaries including Ma Ying-jeou, Hung Hsiu-chu and Jason Hu, as well as Wu's disciples including Lang Tzu-yun and Liu Erjin.[15]
References
[edit]- ^ a b c d e "Three Degrees of Togetherness". University of California, Los Angeles. 2010. Retrieved 6 November 2018.
- ^
相 聲 大師 吳 兆 南 93歲 辭世 鄭 麗 君 哀悼 :永遠 的 相 聲 國寶 . ETToday (in Chinese). 14 October 2018. Retrieved 10 November 2018. - ^ a b c Chang, Eddy (1 November 2018). "Ceremony to be held honoring late crosstalk master Wu Zhao-nan". Taipei Times. Retrieved 6 November 2018.
- ^ Chang, Eddy (24 July 2014). "Restaurant review: Genghis Khan Mongolian Bar-B-Q". Taipei Times. Retrieved 6 November 2018.
- ^ a b c d Liang Fengrong
梁 峰 榮 (13 December 2012).呷 台灣 /吳 兆南發明的蒙古烤肉蒙 古 吃 不 到 . Xin News. Archived from the original on 7 November 2018. Retrieved 6 November 2018. - ^ Li Jiaying
李 家 穎 (14 October 2018).享 壽 93歲 相 聲 大師 吳 兆南驚傳離世. China Times (in Chinese (Taiwan)). Retrieved 6 November 2018. - ^ Lee, Vico (26 September 2003). "Sex and the Taipei City connection". Taipei Times. Retrieved 6 November 2018.
- ^ Buchan, Noah (27 June 2008). "Not so apt pupils". Taipei Times. Retrieved 6 November 2018.
- ^ Ho Yi (30 June 2009). "Golden Melody presents awards for artistic and traditional music". Taipei Times. Retrieved 6 November 2018.
- ^ Mo, Yan-chih (11 April 2010). "City government honors traditional folk arts masters". Taipei Times. Retrieved 6 November 2018.
- ^ "Eight to receive awards". Taipei Times. 18 November 2011. Retrieved 6 November 2018.
- ^ a b "'Crosstalk' icon honored". Taipei Times. 1 September 2011. Retrieved 6 November 2018.
- ^
相 聲 大師 吳 兆 南 「洛 杉 磯 住 家 辭世 」享 壽 93歲 . ETToday (in Chinese). 13 October 2018. Retrieved 10 November 2018. - ^ "
相 聲 大師 吳 兆 南 10月 27日 玫瑰岡 墓 園 公 祭 ". World Journal (in Chinese). 25 October 2018. Retrieved 10 November 2018. - ^ Wang Yanjun (
王 彥鈞) (2 November 2018).影 /相 聲 大師 吳 兆南追思會馬 英 九 獻花 . United Daily News (in Chinese). Retrieved 6 November 2018.
- 1926 births
- 2018 deaths
- Taiwanese xiangsheng performers
- Taiwanese male comedians
- Taiwanese people from Beijing
- Male actors from Beijing
- 20th-century Taiwanese male actors
- Taiwanese emigrants to the United States
- Taiwanese restaurateurs
- Deaths from multiple organ failure
- Chinese xiangsheng performers
- Chinese male comedians
- 20th-century Chinese male actors