Born in 1960, Liu Lan Xi was first spotted by talent scouts when she participated in a singing competition at the age of 16. This song, 小雨中的回憶 was written in 1976. Liu was later discovered by famous author of romances, Qiong Yao who found her suitable for playing some of the characters in her novels.
However, Liu was permanently cast as a supporting actress, playing second fiddle to Lin Qing Xia and Lin Feng Jiao. As a singer Liu could have been far more successful. With a sweet, soothing voice and demure looks, she recorded several popular albums with Taiwanese folk songs from the schools. But as the popularity of Qiong Yao movies declined, Liu Lan Xi moved to Hong Kong where she found some success but also as a supporting actress.
Below is an excerpt from the 1981 HK slapstick comedy 追女仔. Liu married doctor Liang Rong Ji in 1984 and she promised her fans that she would not give up on showbiz because of marriage. She finally got her lead role in the movie 亮不亮沒關係 1984 which turned out to be a big flop. Liu became very depressed after that.
The couple moved to the US. Her husband specialised in endocrinology. She earned her degree in mass communications. It was her husband who first introduced her to Buddhism. She became so absorbed in Buddhist studies that she decided to become a nun. After much discussion and persuasion, she finally had the blessings of her husband and her family members and was ordained as a Buddhist nun in 1991. She became known as Master Dao Rong.
As Master Dao Rong, she once again wowed audiences, reappearing on the TV screen when the Dalai Lama visited Taiwan in 1997. She was then the translator for the Dalai Lama’s team and when asked if she would mind being interviewed, she readily agreed. After that interview, she kept a low profile and virtually disappeared from public view.
The Venerable Dao Rong passed away in California USA on 10 January 2022, age 61. There is no further information on how she died.
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