Mei Baojiu in Peking Opera The Drunken Beauty Photo: IC

Mei Baojiu without makeup Photo: IC

Renowned Peking Opera performer Mei Baojiu passed away in Beijing at the age of 82 on Monday.

According to a report from the Beijing Youth Daily, Mei had remained hospitalized after suffering a respiratory attack while having lunch on March 31.

Born in 1934, Mei Baojiu is the ninth child of Mei Lanfang, one of China's most famous Peking Opera performers.

Seen as inheriting his father's legacy, Mei was a national first-class performer in his own right and, at the time of his death, the head of the Mei Lanfang Peking Opera troupe.

He was famous for his performances in Farewell My Concubine, The Drunken Beauty, Lady General Mu Takes Command and numerous others.

Mei began studying Peking Opera at the age of 10, first appeared on stage at 13 and first collaborated with his father at age 18. He devoted his entire life to the development of the Mei school of opera. Over the years, he has trained numerous performers who continue to carry on the art of Peking Opera.

"Peking Opera is the sound of China. It is the most valuable voice of our hometown," Mei once said on a radio program in 2015.

"I trained more than 40 apprentices to inherit my father's art. I didn't let him down."

Mei's last public appearance was on March 29, his 82nd birthday, when he performed for the last time at the Beijing International Studies University.