Huang Yu-chun (born 16 November 1939 in Shantou, Republic of China), professionally known by her stage name Ivy Ling Po, is a retired Hong Kong actress and Chinese opera singer. She gained widespread fame during the 1960s for her roles in several popular Huangmei opera films, most notably The Love Eterne (1963), which propelled her to stardom across Asia. Her role in the film is considered a defining performance in the genre, solidifying her status as a cultural icon. Ling Po initially acted in Amoy Hokkien films under the stage name Xiaojuan, and then appeared in Cantonese films under the stage name Shen Yan , before joining the Shaw Brothers Studio to act in Mandarin films as (Ivy) Ling Po.

Early life

Huang Yu-Chun was born on November 16, 1939 in Shantou, Guangdong. As a young child, she was sold to a family in Xiamen (Amoy), where she took on the name Jun Haitang and worked as a domestic maid. She would continue to go by many names throughout her life. After reaching preadolescence, her adoptive mother forced her to enter the Hong Kong movie industry to exploit her. Ling Po claimed that she did not have a childhood and was often scolded and physically punished by her adoptive mother. When Ling Po was under 18, her adoptive mother sold her to the Filipino-Chinese businessman Shi Weixiong. Ling Po had a son, Shi Yonghui, with him. In 1957, Shi Weixiong funded the establishment of the Huasha Film Company, which specialized in producing Mandarin-language films. Wu Baoxi served as the producer, along with Ling Po, who was listed as Xiao Juan and starred in most of Huasha's productions. It was not until the filming of The Love Eterne that Ling Po, who was unwilling to follow her adoptive mother's arrangement to attend Shi Weixiong's dinner, moved into the Shaw dormitory with the protection and support of director Li Hanxiang, allowing her to break away from the control of her adoptive parents.

Career

1950s – 1960s

Ivy Ling Po resided in Xiamen before moving to Hong Kong. Her first screen appearance was in the Ha-Yuen movie Love of Young People (1951) at the age of twelve, under the name of Xiao Juan. In addition to appearing in more than 50 Hokkien movies, she was dubbed for other movie companies, particularly Huangmei Operas for Shaw Brothers. While Ling Po was dubbing the Shaw Brothers' opera Dream of the Red Chamber, she caught the attention of Li Han-hsiang, who cast her as Liang Shanbo in The Love Eterne (Liang Shanbo yu Zhu Yingtai, also known as Liang Zhu or The Butterfly Lovers) in 1962 with Betty Loh Ti. The judges at the second Golden Horse Awards were so impressed by her performance that they created a special award for her, citing her Outstanding Performance. In 1963, a publicity appearance brought traffic in Taipei to a halt, as thousands of women came to see Ivy Ling Po. One year later, Ling Po received the coveted title of Asian Movie Queen, when she won the Best Actress award at the 11th Asian Film Festival for her performance in Lady General Hua Mulan. The following year, she would win the Most Versatile Talent award at the 12th Asian Film Festival, for her role as a young prince in The Grand Substitution and a scholar in The Mermaid. She became the leading figure in the Huangmei Opera genre and was usually cast in male roles. Every year, without fail, Ling Po would make lists of the top ten stars in Hong Kong, based on polls conducted by magazines and newspapers. To avoid being typecast, she auditioned for various roles in wuxia and contemporary genres. For playing the ill-fated wife of Kwan Shan in Too Late for Love, one of her contemporary outings, she won the Golden Horse Best Actress award.

1970s – 1980s

In 1975, Ivy Ling Po won the Golden Horse Best Supporting Actress award for her role as a neglected empress in Li Han-hsiang's The Empress Dowager, despite limited screen time in the sprawling epic. After her contract with Shaw Brothers Studio ended in 1975, she went on to appear in other films and television series with her husband. She won another Golden Horse for Best Actress, for My Father, My Husband, My Son, in which she aged from a teenager to an old woman. Her last screen appearance was in the movie Golden Swallow (1987), playing an evil witch. She retired after that and emigrated with her husband, Chin Han, and her three sons to Toronto, Ontario, Canada in 1989.

2000s

Ivy Ling Po had a career revival in 2002, when she teamed up with another veteran Shaw actress, Hu Chin, to stage Butterfly Lovers. Two original cast members, Li Kun and Jen Chieh, recreated their respective roles. She toured extensively with this stage version of her signature movie, bringing it to Malaysia, Singapore, Taiwan, and the United States. This stage version was successful, and Ivy Po restaged it two years later in Taiwan. A double DVD set was released in 2003 by Rock Records. Ivy Ling Po has staged numerous concerts in Taiwan, the United States, and Malaysia. Her two concerts at Genting Malaysia in 2005 included Hu Chin, Chin Hsiang Lin, and Yueh Hua. In 2006, Ivy Ling Po returned to the Hong Kong Coliseum as part of a large group of singers for the Everlasting Golden Hits concert. She sang her signature songs from The Love Eterne, even duetting with Lisa Wang, who sang the part of Zhu Yingtai. She also performed her version of "Jiao Dao" from The Crimson Palm. A three-CD set was released in Hong Kong by Kinston Entertainment, and a DVD/VCD release followed a few months later. In April 2004, Ivy Ling Po was among the first Hong Kong celebrities invited to open the Avenue of Stars in Tsim Sha Tsui. Her handprints and signature are now prominently displayed there. In January 2006, Ivy Ling Po was awarded the WIFTI-HK Professional Achievement Award, with the re-release and screening of the remastered The 14 Amazons at the Hong Kong Visual Arts Centre. In October 2006, Ivy Ling Po, Hu Chin, and Xie Lei performed at Star City in Sydney, Australia. Ivy Ling Po was also the special guest star at the Frances Yip S.U.C.C.E.S.S. concert, held at the Queen Elizabeth Theatre in Vancouver on October 30, 2006.

Awards

Filmography

Titles & dates of release courtesy of Hong Kong Film Archive.

Amoy (Hokkien) films

Cantonese films

Shaw Brothers Studio

Huangmei Opera Dubbings

Huangmei opera films

Wuxia/martial arts films

Contemporary films

Historical drama films

Post-Shaw Brothers

Huangmei opera films & TV productions

Notes:

Wuxia/martial arts films

Notes:

Drama films

Notes:

Television

Personal life

Ivy Ling Po is married to Chin Han. Their children include film director Kenneth Bi.