Mei Lanfang the Opera Singer

Mei Lanfang 梅兰芳, the opera singer of China who liveg from 1894 to 1961, was the most famous Peking Opera singer of modern history. In all his stage career, he demonstrated skillful portrayal of female characters with his smooth, poised style known in the circle as the 'Mei School'.

He spreaded the Peking Opera to many foreign countries and participated in cultural exchanges in Japan, the US, Europe and other regions of the world. He often performed to appreciative audience and recieved his techniques won him international acclaim.

I was fortunate enough to have collected this set of stamps depicting the many roles Mei Lanfang played in Peking Opera when I was a school boy at the age of 12 (at a cost of 5 dollars). Although 5 dollars was a small sum nowadays, but during those days it was my lunch and transport money. Luckily I bumped into a relative (my elder sister's father-in-law) who came to my rescue. He sponsored my meal and bus fare home. I was lucky.

When I visited the Mei Lanfang Museum in China a few years ago, I was told that this set of stamps was very valuable. They could not believe it when I told them the price I paid for the stamps. But again that was in 1966, the year England won the World Cup. Who would have known then the stamps would become so rare and costly. Again this must be due to 'suppy and demand', a unchanged rule that stands the test of time.

Mei Lanfang Museum in Jiangsu