How a rebellious low voice made Bai Guang the queen of Chinese cinema

Music · Published 3 October 2026 Swipe more like this →

In short: Born Shi Yongfen, the actress and singer known as Bai Guang defied the cultural preference for high-pitched vocals. By embracing a deep, sultry tone and a flirtatious screen persona, she became one of the Seven Great Singing Stars, leaving an indelible mark on 1940s Chinese entertainment and beyond.

Born in 1921 in Zhuozhou, Hebei, Shi Yongfen adopted the stage name Bai Guang—meaning 'White Light'—to reflect her ambition to be the radiant beam projected onto the silver screen. Her early training included time at the Beiping Salon Theatrical Troupe and the University of Tokyo, where she studied music until the outbreak of World War II in 1942. This formal education provided the foundation for a career that would eventually span acting and singing across multiple regions.

Bai Guang’s rise to fame was unconventional. In an era that favored high, delicate voices, she cultivated a distinctively deep, resonant style that earned her the title 'Queen of the Low Voice.' This signature sound defined hits such as 'Autumn Evening' and 'Revisiting Old Dreams.' On screen, she was equally bold, often cast in seductive or villainous roles that challenged the traditional expectations of female performers. Her film career, which began in 1943, solidified her status as a cultural icon, even as she navigated the complex political landscape of the time, including a brief stint in a Japanese-language propaganda group.

Following the war, Bai Guang moved to Hong Kong, where she joined Great Wall Pictures and starred in the 1949 film 'A Forgotten Woman.' The film was so well-regarded that it caught the attention of the then-governor, Alexander Grantham. Despite her success, she left acting in 1950 to open a nightclub in Tokyo’s Ginza district. She eventually returned to Hong Kong to continue recording music until her official retirement in 1959. Her later years were marked by a move to Kuala Lumpur in 1969, where she married her fan, Yan Lianglong. She remained a beloved figure, performing in Taiwan in 1979 and making her final public appearance on Hong Kong television in 1995 before passing away from colon cancer in 1999.

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