Hsiao Yen-Chiu

Hsiao Yen-Chiu (born Jian Xiu-Chou, August 19, 1933) is a well-known Taiwanese actress. Hsiao Yen-Chiu started her career at the Sun and Moon Garden New Theater Troupe (日月園新劇團). In 1956, she appeared in the film Lady Peach Blossom Crosses the River (桃花過渡), which began her film career and led her to be invited to Hong Kong to star in Amoy films. Her leading role in Mad Woman (瘋女十八年; 1957) brought her critical acclaim. She was the first Taiwanese actress to work in Hong Kong and also the first "dual-habitat" star to be popular in both new theater and film in Taiwanese cinema history.

Hsiao Yen-Chiu started her acting career on stage at the age of 17 at Sun and Moon Garden New Theater Troupe. She soon became extremely popular and had many enthusiastic fans, with some even following her as she toured. Her acting skills and popularity caught the attention of director Guo Bailin (郭柏霖), thus launching her acting career in the world of cinema. Her performance on screen earned her many accolades, including the top prize for the first Taiyu Pian Film Festival, featuring a "Top Ten Silver Star Award" (觀眾票選十大影星銀星獎) for her role in Mad Woman (瘋女十八年). Furthermore, her acting career in the film industry spanned only five years; she quit acting when she was married in 1959.

Early life
Hsiao Yen-Chiu was born on August 19, 1933, into a modest family in Taoyuan City as the second daughter. She was given to a neighbor for adoption three days after her birth, as her grandmother only wanted a boy. Her original name, Jian Xiu-Chou, was given to her by her adoptive parents. When she was 17 years old, Hsiao Yen-Chiu was sent to the Sun and Moon Garden New Theater Troupe by her foster parents to begin making money for the family. She was taught acting by Cheng Cheng-Xiong (鄭政雄), the director and father of actress Cheng Xiao-Fen (鄭小芬), for one week and quickly became the leading actress of the troupe.

The stage name Hsiao Yen-Chiu was given to her by a fan who was enthralled by her performance and wanted to pay homage to the famous Peking opera performer Cheng Yanqiu (程艷秋). In her autobiography, Hsiao Yen-Chiu said, "I use stage makeup as a shield to face life and hide that pitiful adopted daughter within various roles. Jian Xiu-Chou's fate was beyond her control, but now I am the leading actress at the Sun and Moon Garden New Theater Troupe, Hsiao Yen-Chiu!"

Career
In 1956, at the invitation of director Guo Bailin (郭柏霖), Hsiao Yen-Chiu starred in her first film, Lady Peach Blossom Crosses the River (桃花過渡), This movie marks the beginning of the first golden age of Taiwanese cinema. From then on, her fame skyrocketed, and she soon received many offers to act in films, even from Hong Kong film companies who wanted her to star in Amoy films.

Before she set out for Hong Kong, Hsiao Yen-Chiu received a tempting offer from film producer Du Yun-Zhi (杜雲之) to star in Bai Ke (白克)’s Mad Woman (瘋女十八年). The film is based on a tragic piece of news from China Times about a woman who was sent by her family to a Buddhist temple due to her mental illness and was inhumanly imprisoned in a cage for 18 years.

In 1957, Hsiao Yen-Chiu went to Hong Kong and signed a contract with Minsheng Film Company later that year. She co-starred with actress Jiang Fan (江帆) in Two Sisters in a Turbulent World (亂世姐妹花) and director Chen Huanwen's Xue Mei Si Jun (雪梅思君). Interestingly, before Ling Bo (凌波) became famous, she played Hsiao Yen-Chiu's son in the latter film. After coming back from Hong Kong, Hsiao Yen-Chiu starred in two popular Taiwanese films that year: Strange Story of Crematory (火葬場奇案), directed by Liang Zhe-Fu (梁哲夫), and Seaside Breeze (海邊風), directed by Tian Chen (田琛).

That year, the first Taiyu Pian Film Festival featured a "Top Ten Silver Star Awards" (觀眾票選十大影星銀星獎) for the audience to vote for their favorite actors. Hsiao Yen-Chiu received the top prize for her performance in Mad Woman (瘋女十八年). Later that year, Cinema Weekly (影劇周報) held a reader’s poll for the ten most beloved Taiwanese film stars, and Hsiao Yen-Chiu also won the first place.

In 1958, Alan (阿蘭), directed by Iwasawa Yotoku (岩澤庸德), was released, with Hsiao Yen-Chiu and Shih Chun (石軍) playing the leads. That same year, Hsiao Yen-Chiu made her first attempt at Mandarin-language films to star in the policy film He Huan Shan Shan (合歡山上), directed by Pan Lei (潘壘). She then returned to Hong Kong to collaborate with the Hong Kong Overseas Chinese Film Industry Company (僑聯影業公司) and made three Amoy films, including Love and Money, Love's Temptation, and The Love Between a Human and a Ghost. After returning to Taiwan, she starred in the first Taiwanese martial arts film, Luo Xiao-Hu and Yu Jia-Long (羅小虎與玉嬌龍), directed by Liang Zhe-Fu (梁哲夫).

Personal life
Hsiao Yen-Chiu was introduced to her husband Dr. Zhu Bao-Luo (朱保羅) while filming in Taichung in 1959. After they got married, she decided to retire from the entertainment business. Her autobiography Hsiao Yen-Chiu's Memoirs: The Top Female Lead of Taiwanese Cinema (台語片第一女主角：小艷秋回憶錄) was published in 2021, in which she states that her family and her Christian religion has become the central focus of her life.