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Zhang Linlin | |
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 Linlin in the 1950s | |
| Born | (1933-06-12)June 12, 1933 (age 92) Xiangxiang, Hunan Province, China (prior to 1949) |
| Other names | Chung Ching |
| Years active | 1953–1967 |
Zhang Linlin (張玲麟, bornXiangxiang, June 12, 1933), better known by the Hong Kong stage nameChung Ching (鍾情;Zhōng Qíng), is a popular leading lady of Hong Kong films in the 1950s. After completing 54 films from 1953 to 1967, starring as the leading role in many of them, she retired from film at the height of her career to become well known as a painter using bothshui-mo and Westernwatercolor techniques.[1]
Zhang Linlin was born on June 12, 1933 inXiangxiang,Hunan Province, China. She was born into a family bearing the surname, Zhōng (鍾) on her mother's side, which inspired her stage name, Chung Ching. After the founding of thePeople's Republic of China in 1949, her family moved toBritish Hong Kong, where she grew up and later entered the film industry.[2]
Chung Ching became one of Hong Kong's leading ladies of the 1950s, starring in dozens of films in a variety of genres frommelodramas tomusical-romances.[3] Her film debut was in 1953, with the film,Seven Sisters, after which she quickly rose to prominence. In 1956, she landed the title role of the musical,Songs of the Peach Blossom River, which was a breakthrough hit that made her a star.[4] The film's success inTaiwan andSoutheast Asia helped establish her nickname and image.
Throughout the late 1950s, Chung Ching appeared in many popular films, such asThe Storm-Tossed Village (1957),Madame Butterfly (1956), andGive Me a Kiss (1958). She often played roles as country girls or village women, a contrast to her glamorous off-screen image, and became known for her charming "Little Wild Cat" persona. Chung Ching herself wasn't a trained singer; in many of her musical films, her songs were dubbed by the popular playback singer,Yao Lee.[5]
Chung Ching worked prolifically, completing about 54 films between 1953 and 1967. She was reportedly in great demand; by the late 1950s, She was commanding record salaries[6] and even started her own production company (Qilin Film Company) to make her own color films in 1958. However, a string ofbox-office disappointments and health problems around that time slowed her career. After a brief comeback in the mid-1960s, she retired from film in 1967 at age 34.
After retiring from film in 1967, Zhang Linlin embarked on a new artistic path. She studiedChinese brush painting under the master, Ding Yanyong[7], and later practiced Westernwatercolor techniques. By the 1980s, she was exhibiting her paintings in Hong Kong and Taiwan; for example, a Hong Kong charity exhibition in 1986 featured her ink and watercolor works. Christie's and Sotheby's have since sold her paintings, noting her unique background:
Zhang Linglin is a student of Ding Yanyong. She was better known by the Hong Kong stage name Chung Ching and was a popular leading lady of Hong Kong films in the 1950s. Later she become well known as a painter using both Chinese ink and Western watercolor techniques.[8]
Chung Ching's public image was describes as that of an "energetic, innocent country girl" – a typecast in which she often portrayed. She earned affectionate nicknames like "Little Wildcat" (小野貓) due to her roles[9]. Off-screen, she was known to be private from others. After retiring from film, she opened a restaurant in Hong Kong and pursued painting andphotography, rarely appearing in the media as an actress.
Details of her family and personal relationships are not well documented in public sources. What is clear is that she withdrew fully from the film scene by her mid-30s. According to a Hong Kong auction house catalogue, she left the film industry to study painting, later become a photographer, and held multiple solo art exhibitions.[2]
Even after she left cinema, Linlin's influence persists in Hong Kong film history. She helped popularize the 1950s "singing film" genre and remains cited in scholarly accounts for Chinese film. For instance, film historians note thatSongs of the Peach Blossom River and Chung Ching's performance helped reinvigorateMandarin musicals in Hong Kong. Today,cinephiles and film collectors regard her as a classic-era film icon. As one retrospective notes, her on-screen image – often overlaid withYao Lee's voice – "became the hottest musical combination of the mid-1950s."[10]
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