Like father, like children

Editor''s Note:

June 18 marks Father''s  Day in 2017. As a saying goes, ''like father, like son (daughter)'', people can always find something we and our fathers share in common. Sometimes it is outlook or character; sometimes it is our career.

Here are eight groups of fathers and their children from ancient China and modern times, who are all noted for their talents.

Emperors

Father: Li Jing

Son: Li Yu

Li Jing and his son Li Yu, two emperors during the Five Dynasties and Ten Kingdoms (907-960), were noted for their talents in literature, painting and music. As both had a soft character, the weak father and son were not impressive emperors. Yet their poems, which beautifully describe their royal lives, their heartaches and regrets, have been passed down for generations.

The poem that Li Yu wrote before he was poisoned to death was adapted into a song Yu Mei Ren. Teresa Teng once performed the song.

Poets

Father: Su Xun

Sons: Su Shi, Su Zhe

Su Shi from the Song Dynasty (960-1279) is one of the greatest poets in Chinese history. His father Su Xun and younger brother Su Zhe were also noted litterateurs who were good at writing prose and poets. They were called ''Three Su'' and are listed in ''Eight Great Talents in Tang and Song Dynasties''.

Peking Opera performers

Father: Mei Lanfang

Son: Mei Baojiu

In 2016, Peking Opera performer Mei Baojiu died. He and his father, Peking Opera master Mei Lanfang, were two of the most noted artists in China. The father started to learn Peking Opera at 8 and made his debut at 10. His son, Mei Baojiu, was the youngest among his nine children. Mei Baojiu is also the only one who followed his father''s footsteps and became a Peking Opera performer. The son officially began to perform with his father at age 18.

Writers

Father: Lao She (Shu Qingchun)

Son: Shu Yi

Writer Lao She, or Shu Qingchun, who died during the ''cultural revolution'' (1966-76), left behind many impressive works that have been adapted into films, TV series and dramas several times. His witty humor and deep thought always sparkle in the words, which can bring readers both laughter and tears. Lao She, was also a well-respected friend in his circle, who was very nice and warm-hearted. His son Shu Yi is also a writer and an engineer. The son published a series of works about his father from 1985 to 1991, including My Father’s Last Two Days and Lao She and His Friends.

Actors

Father: Chen Qiang

Son: Chen Peisi

Actor Chen Peisi is not a stranger to the post-1980 generation. Many people still remember his performances in short acts at China Central Television''s Spring Gala from 1984 to 1998. He created China''s first comedy film series Er Zi, or Idiot, in 1982. His father, Chen Qiang, impressed people by his acting in the 1960 film Red Detachment of Women. The father won the first Hundred Flowers Award in 1962. Although Chen Qiang always played villains on screens, he is a respectable nice man in many people''s eyes. He died in 2012, at age 94.

Directors

Father: Zhang Yimou

Daughter: Zhang Mo

As an iconic film director, Zhang Yimou brought audiences many classic films, including Red Sorghum (1987) and Raise the Red Lantern (1991). His films also shot several actors to overnight stardom , such as actresses Gong Li and Zhang Ziyi. His daughter, Zhang Mo, chose the same career as her father. From 2009, Zhang Mo has started to work with her father. And in 2016,  she saw her first directorial debut Suddenly Seventeen play on the big screen. However, Zhang Mo seems has a long way to go before becoming a director as outstanding as her father. The film only got 5.7 points out of 10 on Douban, one of the leading film and reading portals in China.

Painters

Father: Peng Xiancheng

Daughter: Peng Wei

In her paintings, artist Peng Wei always portrayed herself as a little boy, walking with her father in mountains or sitting on a boat. As the daughter of a painter, Peng Wei started to paint when she was a little girl. Lucky for her, her father Peng Xiancheng gave her lots of freedom to create and paint the things she likes. People in ancient China are always the subjects of their works, yet each of them has their own unique style. The daughter''s paintings are finer and more feminine, with a delicate beauty in lines and colors.

Writer and director

Father: Liu Zhenyun

Daughter: Liu Yulin

The father and daughter may have chosen different careers, yet they are all both story-tellers; one through words,  the other films.  Director Liu Yulin took her father''s work to the big screen. In 2016, the daughter released a film adaptation Someone to Talk To, which was based on her father''s novel A Word is Worth Ten Thousand Words. As one of China''s most financially successful writers, the father has seen a series of his works adapted to movies and TV series, ranging from the dark humor drama Cell Phone (2003) to Back to 1942 (2012).