Xiqu and theatre artist, director and educator
Born in 1965, Zhou began studying Peking opera and Kunqu at the age of seven. He is now a stage performer, director, and artist, and a representative inheritor of the intangible cultural heritage of Peking opera. He has received China's highest award for drama performance art, the Plum Blossom Award, the Best Performance Award at the National TV Competition for Young Peking Opera Performers, and the Best Performance Award at the National Invitation Competition for Peking Opera Performers, among others.
Zhou Long has also served as the vice-president, professor, and postgraduate advisor of the National Academy of Chinese Theatre Arts. He currently holds many key positions as the deputy director of Teaching Guidance Committee of the Drama and Film Studies for Higher Education under the Ministry of Education, and as appraisal member on evaluation committees including a senior title appraisal committee member in the Art Profession of the Ministry of Culture, an appraisal committee member for the National Stage Fine Works Project, a member of the judging committee for Performance Award of the Chinese Government Award for Arts and Culture, and a board member of the Chinese Theatre Association, etc.