Yan was a versatile artist and he participated in creative work and screenwriting for a great number of TV galas. He also worked as a judge on several CCTV talent shows.[Photo/IC]

According to the official Sina Weibo account of the China Air Force, renowned Chinese artist and military lyricist Yan Su has died, aged 86.

The post reads: "At 3:07 am on Feb 12, 2016, famous artist, a creative member of the PLA Air Force Political Department Song and Dance Troupe, died of illness in Beijing. 12 Chinese characters could be used to commemorate him, who holds both talent and virtue: He is a man with a loyal heart, passion and righteousness.He has left the world with a legacy of over 1,000 pieces of artworks with ambition, virtue and warmth, which has encouraged and inspired generations of Chinese people".

Born in 1930 as Yan Zhiyang in Baoding city of Hebei province, Yan Su graduated from Chongqing University. He joined the Communist Party of China in 1953 and served as the vice president of the China Theater Association.

Yan made his name through the opera Sister Jiang, which was a sensation when it was publicly performed in 1964. The play gained such fame that Yan Su was personally received by Chairman Mao Zedong.

Yan's success in opera is substantial and he later created several other acclaimed operas, including Red Rock, The Red Detachment of Women and Armed Working Team Behind Enemy Lines.

Apart from success in opera, Yan also wrote a lot of popular songs, the most noteworthy one of which is the opening theme song, Dare to Ask Where is the Road, of the 1982 CCTV hit drama Journey to the West. Other important works that are popular among the public are Song Face Painting of Beijing Opera, Beijing Is the Hometown and Oriental Pearl Tower.

Yan was a versatile artist and he participated in creative work and screenwriting for a great number of TV galas. He also worked as a judge on several CCTV talent shows.