Distinguished is level 3 of 4 in the China Hall of Fame: sustained excellence over a career, widely honoured at home. See how the levels work.
Why they are here
The leading actress of Chinese silent cinema, whose performances in films such as The Goddess made her the greatest star of 1930s Shanghai.
Ruan Lingyu starred in some thirty films, often playing women crushed by society. Her role as a mother forced into prostitution in The Goddess, made in 1934, is considered one of the finest performances of the silent era anywhere.
Hounded by the tabloid press over her private life, she took her own life in 1935 at the age of twenty-four.
Hounded by the tabloid press over her private life, she took her own life in 1935 at the age of twenty-four.
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