Pu Cunxin remembered when he was 10 or so, he often came to the backstage of Beijing People's Art Theater, where his father worked, and watched actors and actresses rehearse; he was much impressed by the passion and power of Zhu Lin (1923-2015), one of the actresses, when she read lines and recited poems.

Decades later, Pu himself became a seasoned actor starring in dramas and TV series. He now chairs the China Theater Association.

Pu recalled how Zhu's performances inspired him as a child, at the launch ceremony of a book on Zhu's life and art recently in Beijing.

The book, titled Zhu Lin, the Queen of Drama, chronicles how she, a poor girl with a fighting spirit, strove to be a shining star under the spotlight of theater, and later hailed as "queen of Chinese drama". Pu wrote the book's preface.

The book is authored by Zhao Hongfan who intertwined the vicissitudes of Zhu's life course with the grand historical narratives, the ups and downs of Chinese history throughout the 20th century.