| Dashan | |
|---|---|
Dashan (Mark Rowswell) hosting a live broadcast for China Central Television in November 2006 |
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| Born | Mark Henry Rowswell May 23, 1965 Ottawa, Ontario, Canada |
| Nationality | Canadian |
| Occupation | Presenter |
Dashan (Chinese: 大山; pinyin: Dàshān; literally "Big Mountain") is the Chinese stage name adopted by Canadian Mark Henry Rowswell, CM (born May 23, 1965 in Ottawa, Ontario)[1] who works as a freelance performer in People's Republic of China. Relatively unknown in the West, Dashan is the most famous Western personality in China's media industry. He occupies a unique position as a foreign national who has become a bona fide domestic celebrity. Dashan can speak English and Mandarin fluently. He also spoke Cantonese in a Ford Commercial targeted at North American Chinese consumers.
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Rowswell attended high school at Nepean High School in Ottawa, Ontario. Rowswell began studying Chinese while attending the University of Toronto in 1984. His original Chinese name, as given by his Canadian Chinese-language teacher, was Lu Shiwei (路士伟). Upon graduation from the University of Toronto with a Bachelor of Arts in Chinese Studies in 1988,[2] Rowswell was awarded a full scholarship to continue Chinese language studies at Peking University.
Rowswell first appeared on Chinese television to host an international singing competition in November 1988. The following month he was invited to perform a comedic skit on national television during the CCTV New Year's Gala, a variety program broadcast to an estimated audience of 550 million people.[3] The name "Dashan" ("big mountain" in Chinese) comes from the character Xu Dashan (Chinese: 许大山) that Rowswell played in the skit, which was entitled Ye gui (夜归). The skit propelled him to national stardom overnight because of his fluent Chinese and delivery.
Due to the abrupt nature of Dashan's rise to fame, he has been called an "accidental celebrity". However, his subsequent longevity and continuing prominence in the Chinese media almost two decades later suggest something more substantive than mere accident. Many foreign nationals appear regularly on Chinese television, and foreigners fluent in the Chinese language are no longer a rarity. Yet no other foreign national has come close to the level of recognition and popularity in China enjoyed by Dashan.
Following Rowswell's first appearance as "Dashan", he began formal study of xiangsheng (a traditional form of "crosstalk" comedy) with his mentor, Chinese comedian Jiang Kun. In December 1989, Dashan became the first foreigner to be formally accepted into the strict xiangsheng hierarchy as a member of the "9th generation," a move that caused considerable controversy in Chinese performing arts circles at the time. Xiangsheng is often called "the art of comedic language", and as such is regarded in China as a highly skilled form of performing art beyond the reach of most native speakers, much less a foreigner.
Through the 1990s, Dashan appeared frequently on national and regional television programs across China to perform xiangsheng, including several appearances on CCTV's annual television program celebrating the Chinese New Year, CCTV New Year's Gala (春节联欢晚会), in 1998 and 1999. This program is China's most watched annual television event in China, with an estimated audience of 900 million to 1 billion viewers.[3] Appearances on this and other programs gained Dashan wide recognition throughout China.
In early 2009 Dashan made a return to the CCTV New Year's Gala to perform xiangsheng. This skit, in which Dashan appeared together with Ma Dong, son of the famous Xiangsheng master Ma Ji, received 2nd Prize in the audience choice awards announced at the end of the Chinese New Year holiday. With this performance, Dashan became (at the time) the only foreign national to have appeared on the CCTV New Year's Gala a total of three times.[4]
Dashan made a fourth appearance on the CCTV New Year's Gala in 2011, in a skit with several foreign students studying Chinese at Confucius Institutes in various countries. This skit was also awarded 2nd prize in the audience choice awards.[5]
Dashan's initial fame came from performing xiangsheng, but he gradually expanded into a variety of performing styles and public activities. Although he has been less involved in comedy in recent years, Dashan continues to be a popular performer and on-air personality on Chinese television. In many instances, Dashan has transcended the role of celebrity performer to become a cultural ambassador between China and the West, both in an informal as well as official capacity. On May 13, 2009, Dashan was appointed to be Canada's Commissioner General for Expo 2010 in Shanghai.[6] Previously, Dashan served as Team Attaché to the Canadian Olympic Committee for the 2008 Summer Olympics in Beijing.[7]
Much of Dashan's television work now is as a freelance host of many varied television programs and live events, especially those with an international focus and requiring a bilingual (English/Chinese) MC. He has also co-produced and hosted numerous language education programs, to teach both English and Chinese. The most current of these is "Sports Chinese", a 15 minute Chinese lesson that broadcasts on CCTV International. This program is a continuation of a series of language programs hosted by Dashan for CCTV International, including "Travel In Chinese".
In recent years, Dashan has also expanded into dramatic acting, often to portray other famous foreigners in Chinese history. In 2005, he played the lead role in a 24-part television series "Palace Artist" broadcast by China Central Television, as the 18th century Italian Jesuit painter Giuseppe Castiglione. In 2006-07, Dashan performed the lead role in "Red Star Over China", a stage play based on the life and work of the American reporter Edgar Snow. In 2007-08 he starred in a Chinese stage adaptation of the French comedy "Le Dîner de Cons" ("The Dinner Game" in English), which toured across China and for which he was awarded the prestigious White Magnolia Award for best supporting actor.
Dashan's name and image can often be seen in commercial endorsements for various Chinese and international companies, including Ford automobiles. Dashan is also active as a spokesman for several charity organizations, primarily involved with cancer prevention as well as environmental protection.
Dashan served as Commissioner General for Canada at the Shanghai 2010 World Expo.[8]
On June 29, 2011, the National Gallery of Canada launched an audio tour that was recorded by Dashan. The tour features Dashan speaking in Mandarin about the gallery's Canadian art collection.[9]