Tea House Celebrity Interview in Jinghua: Fang Jing

After appearing on the World Weekly on August 1, CCTV host Fang Jing disappeared from the screen. On October 16, at the closing ceremony of the 9th Beijing International Music Festival held at the Beijing Poly Theatre, the long-unseen famous CCTV host Fang Jing appeared as a guest and made her first public appearance after the "spy scandal." Yesterday, regarding the previous "spy scandal," Fang Jing frankly admitted during an interview with Jinghua Teahouse that it was an unforeseen disaster, and until now, she does not know who started the entire incident or where it came from. To relieve the harm caused by the "spy scandal," Fang Jing herself wrote the lyrics for a song called "The Heart's Refuge." Talking about her childhood, she was once a household name as a folk song child star. In 1979, the famous violinist Isaac Stern visited China, and the accompanying Hollywood film crew documented his trip, which later became the Oscar-winning documentary "From Mao to Mozart." The film not only featured Stern personally guiding Chinese violin prodigies but also showcased unique Chinese musical arts such as Peking Opera, folk music, and folk songs. Notably, in the documentary, a little girl dressed in red with one braid was today's CCTV host Fang Jing. According to Fang Jing, she was discovered to have a talent for singing folk songs at a very young age. Because of her mother's influence, she could sing many popular songs like "The White-Haired Girl," "Embroidering the Red Flag," and "Nanniwan" at that time. Fang Jing said that due to her excellent singing, she performed in various venues in Beijing from kindergarten onwards and became a well-known child folk singer in the city. Later, former President Li Xiannian personally recommended during a CPPCC meeting that Guo Lanying take Fang Jing as her apprentice because folk songs needed successors. Under Guo Lanying's meticulous guidance, Fang Jing's singing and performance were full of charm, earning her the title of "Little Guo Lanying." At that time, her vocal condition was exceptional, with a wide range that could easily reach high notes. Talking about her mentor Guo Lanying, whose character and artistry still influence her today, Fang Jing said that she started studying voice with Teacher Guo Lanying when she was around five or six years old. She learned more about performing from her because Teacher Guo had acted in many operas and sometimes taught her both the performance and singing of some opera segments. For example, Teacher Guo taught her how to perform classic excerpts from "The White-Haired Girl," which Fang Jing still remembers to this day. More importantly, she learned Teacher Guo's feelings and expressions towards music and her methods of handling singing styles. Any song in Teacher Guo's mouth was not just a string of rigid notes; she gave music its soul. Fang Jing said that looking back on the three years of studying with Teacher Guo Lanying, it was unforgettable. They would get up at five or six in the morning every day to practice. Teacher Guo would demonstrate actions, and Fang Jing would imitate her. This mainly focused on physical training, and Teacher Guo meticulously taught her every movement, expression, and singing style. Later, neighbors joked that Teacher Lan Ying was too concerned about Fang Jing, as she had never taught her own daughter, who was also studying music, in such a hands-on way. Fang Jing said that looking back now, apart from learning performance from Teacher Guo Lanying, the more important thing was the subtle influence of Teacher Guo's character and artistry, which benefited her greatly. Talking about the "spy scandal," she said personal harm can be disregarded. Later, when Fang Jing reached school age, she was recruited into the mathematics experimental class of Beijing Experimental No.2 Primary School and needed to focus more on cultural studies, so she temporarily stopped studying singing. In 1984, Fang Jing was recommended to enter the English Department of Beijing Foreign Studies University, but she gave up this opportunity and instead applied to Beijing Broadcasting Institute, where she was successfully admitted. After graduation, she smoothly entered CCTV. After entering CCTV, Fang Jing's fresh and elegant hosting style quickly gained the audience's affection. Some commented that her beautiful appearance did not make her a "flower vase" but formed her own broadcasting style. After the news spread that she was arrested for involvement in a spy case, many people regretted it. Looking back four months ago to the "spy scandal," Fang Jing referred to it as a nightmare-like experience. This should be the first major setback in my life journey. I tentatively call it an unforeseen calamity. The entire event, you don't know where it all started, who initiated it, or how it developed into a city-wide storm that became uncontrollable. The pain, confusion, and委屈experienced by those involved are hard for outsiders to understand. It was a very difficult process. Fang Jing said that when asked if she had forgiven A Yi, the party involved in the "spy scandal," Fang Jing said that regarding the personal harm inflicted by A Yi, she could forgive and not hold it against him. However, she believed that such behavior irresponsibly trampled on someone's reputation, dignity, and honor, and such conduct and quality itself would never be forgiven. Talking about her current status, she uses music to alleviate inner sorrow. Since her last appearance on the World Weekly on August 1, Fang Jing has disappeared from the screen. Recently, with many CCTV programs undergoing significant adjustments, many viewers look forward to seeing Fang Jing return to the screen. To alleviate the harm caused by the "spy scandal," Fang Jing has picked up her beloved music again, not only writing her own songs but also re-recording seven or eight old songs. The song I wrote the lyrics for is called "The Heart's Refuge." It's a love song, but it actually expresses my real feelings during that period and is also a way for me to express gratitude to friends and family. One line of the lyrics reads: "Your soft hum drowned out the city's turmoil, and your handful of flowers shielded me from the world's coldness." These truly reflect my state of mind at the time. Although I've written new songs, Fang Jing admitted that she currently doesn't plan to release these songs. She might post the lyrics on her blog or make them into gifts for friends, but she won't release an album for now. This is just a way for me to relieve my emotions. Fang Jing said that she remains passionate about her career as a host. I think I will always love the hosting profession, and I am very dedicated to this work. I also enjoy singing, and I think I will always like singing. But these two things mean different things to me. Singing is a way for me to express my joy and sorrow through music, but hosting is different—it is my career. Over the years, I have devoted all my heart and energy to the hosting profession. I haven't suffered mentally or emotionally for singing, but in the past dozen years of being a host, I have often lost sleep over hosting and work, and even shed tears. Therefore, the significance of these two things in my heart cannot be compared. I am willing to dedicate my whole life to the hosting profession. Throwing away the tissue, starting anew. When Fang Jing recalled the "spy scandal," she said that the most intense period coincided with her birthday. That day, she hid in a quiet place with a few close friends, and their sincere trust moved her deeply. At this moment, Fang Jing's eyes became moist. Wiping away her tears and throwing away the tissue, she said, "Sorry, can we cut this part and start over?"