Full of youthful exhuberance and charm, Xianglan was just nineteen when she recorded this delightful folk song. It contrasts beautifully with her later, more sophisticated operatic style. As with Zhou Xuan, and others, it is an absolute joy to hear one of China's most loved singers in her formative years. In Xianglan's case we must include Japan too, for she was born Yoshiko ÅŒtaka, a Japanese national born in Manchuria on February 12, 1920. She starred in the controversial 1940 movie China Nights (also known as Shanghai Nights) where she portrayed a Chinese who appeared to be subservient to her Japanese lover. It affronted the sensibility of many Chinese during this period of the Sino-Japanese war. After the war, Li Xianglan was tried for treason. She was absolved after she was able to prove her Japanese citizenship. She was subsequently repatriated to Japan where she continued to have a successful career as Yoshiko Yamaguchi and later as Shirley Yamaguchi in Hollywood and ! Broadway. Many songs recorded by Li Xianglan during her Shanghai period became evergreen classics in Chinese popular music history. She was one of China's "Seven great singing stars". Taihu Lake is located across Jiangsu and Zhejiang provinces,and is the third largest freshwater lake in China. It is surrounded by 72 peaks, and has 48 islets. The soul of the Taihu Lake lies in the Wuxi Taihu Lake Scenic Zone. It's most attractive spot is the Turtle Head Islet. Lyrics: A vast wave mapping on the lake. The
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