Pak Suet-sin, born Chan Shuk-leung in Guangzhou in 1928 to a Shunde family, is one of the most revered figures in Cantonese opera. The ninth of her parents' children, she is affectionately called 'Kau Ku Leung' by those in the trade, and her father was the celebrated xiaosheng Pak Ke-rong, known as the 'King of Young Male Roles'. She attended Ling Ying Middle School and St Paul's English School in Hong Kong, and at twelve became a pupil of Sit Kok-sin and took the stage name Pak Suet-sin, appearing with the Kok Sin Sing troupe and later studying singing under the musician Sin Kon-chi. During the Japanese occupation she sang in cabarets to make a living, and at sixteen she was principal dan of the Kam Tim Fa troupe. Joining the Sun Sing troupe, she began her long partnership with Yam Kim-fai, appearing in hits such as Begonia's Tears, Better Not to Return and Dream of the Red Chamber. In 1956 she and Yam formed the Sin Fung Ming troupe, working with the playwright Tong Tik-sang on The Peony Pavilion, The Princess Cheung Ping, The Purple Hairpin, The Reincarnation of Lady Plum Blossom and Legend of the White Snake; the company also raised staging and lighting standards. In 1961 she founded Sin Fung Ming Film Company, whose The Last Emperor (1968) ended her screen career; she had appeared in over 120 films between 1947 and 1968. In 1963 she and Yam set up the Chun Fung Ming troupe — its name meaning 'the young phoenix sings better than the old' — to train a new generation, including Lung Kim-sang and Mui Suet-si. After Yam's death in 1989 she established the Yam Pak Charitable Foundation and re-released The Last Emperor in 1990. Her honours include an honorary fellowship of the Hong Kong Academy for Performing Arts (1996), the Hong Kong Film Awards' Lifetime Achievement Award (2001), an honorary doctorate from the University of Hong Kong (2004), the 2007 Hong Kong Arts Development Council Lifetime Achievement Award, and the Gold Bauhinia Star (2013).
The Sin Fung Ming troupe that Pak Suet-sin formed with Yam Kim-fai raised works such as The Princess Cheung Ping and The Purple Hairpin to the artistic peak of Cantonese opera, making them the canonical versions of the repertoire. Through the Chun Fung Ming troupe she trained successors including Lung Kim-sang and Mui Suet-si, ensuring the art form was passed on. She also founded the Yam Pak Charitable Foundation, which has supported Cantonese opera's continuity and audiences over the long term, and she remained active in the field well into her later years.
Achievements
- 1956 · Formed the Sin Fung Ming troupe with Yam Kim-fai and worked with the playwright Tong Tik-sang on classics such as Princess Cheung Ping and The Purple Hairpin.
- 2001 · Received the Lifetime Achievement Award at the 20th Hong Kong Film Awards.
- 2013 · Was awarded the Gold Bauhinia Star by the Hong Kong Special Administrative Region Government.