Xian Xinghai was a very famous musician in China. He wrote one of the greatest pieces of music of the 20th century. In his short life, he wrote1300 songs and an opera.
Xian was born in Panyu, Guangzhou, China in 1905. Because his father died before he was born, Xian moved from place to place with2mother. He began learning to play the violin when he was 20 years old. In the beginning, his violin was3cheap and badly made that he4not play it well. His friends laughed at him. Xian did not stop5and soon showed his talents. In 1934, he was one of the first Chinese students who studied in a special music school in Paris. Before he left, Xian became the school's best student6won several prizes for his talents.
In 1935, he returned to China and helped to fight against the Japanese army. Later, he came to Yan'an7music at a college.8there were no pianos in Yan'an at that time, Xian still wrote some of his most important music there, including The Yellow River, his most famous work.
In May 1940, Xian was sent to the Soviet Union by the Chinese Communist Party to write music for movies. In the Soviet Union, life was very9.Xian got sick and later died of a lung illness1030th October, 1945, aged only 40. Xian's music, however, lives on in people's hearts.
