Follow Hong Kong Immigration and Life in Hong Kong: The famous Cantonese opera venue in Hong Kong, the "Sunshine Theatre", held a memorial service for the Cantonese opera master Hong Xian Nv (Sister Nv) from the 16th to the 17th, allowing the citizens of Hong Kong to pay their respects to a generation of artists.
"Expressing sorrow through music, sighing for the homeland, alas, a sad song to convey the voice of the Han people..." The famous song "Zhao Jun Goes Beyond the Frontier" by Hong Xian Nv was played repeatedly in the lobby of the Sunshine Theatre, with the singing being high-pitched and clear, resonating in the air.
A condolence book was set up in the main auditorium for citizens to sign. Colorful photos of Sister Nv during her performances were hung in the center of the stage. On either side of the photos were floral tributes from notable figures including the Chief Executive of the Hong Kong Special Administrative Region, Leung Chun-ying, the Secretary for Home Affairs, Lau Kong-wah, the Chairman of the Hong Kong Film Development Council, Ma Fung-kwok, the Chairman of the Shengshi Tian Theatre Company, Li Ju-ming, and National Committee of the Chinese People's Political Consultative Conference member, Ho Ching-tung.
On that day at noon, Leung Chun-ying attended the memorial and presented a floral tribute, leaving a message in the condolence book with the words—"Deeply Mourning" to express his remembrance.
Retired artist Huang Xia-hui also attended the memorial, expressing her surprise and sadness at Sister Nv's passing. "Sister Nv was a very nice person, and she was very serious about her work. Everyone respected and admired her."
On that day, it rained lightly in Hong Kong, and the temperature dropped suddenly, yet opera fans still braved the weather to bid farewell to Hong Xian Nv. A citizen in her sixties, Liang Ruizhen, specially traveled from Tuen Mun in the New Territories. She was seen holding a bouquet of lilies, gazing at Sister Nv's portrait, with tears in her eyes.
Liang Ruizhen believed that Sister Nv was an extraordinary artist, and her spirit was worth emulating. "I loved Sister Nv's early works the most, such as 'Tears of a Loving Mother' and so on. Her life was full of hardships, yet she remained strong and optimistic, rarely wallowing in self-pity."
A citizen in her seventies, Zhang Lizhen, could not hide her regret over Sister Nv's departure. She said: "When I was a teenager, I often listened to Sister Nv's works. Tickets used to cost only forty cents each, and Sister Nv's performances of 'The West Chamber' and 'The Trial of the Dead' were excellent."
Citizen Liang Shun-zhen and her husband also brought white roses to pay tribute to Sister Nv. She praised Sister Nv for being "talented in voice and performance" and "unparalleled in grace." She stated that Sister Nv had always dedicated herself to the Cantonese opera industry and nurtured so many talents, which is worthy of respect.
Last May, when the Sunshine Theatre reopened, Hong Xian Nv specially came to congratulate. The general manager of the Sunshine Theatre, Li Jianfeng, stated: "At that time, Sister Nv took the stage to sing her famous song 'Lychee Ode' as a celebration, and that was also Sister Nv's last appearance in Hong Kong."
