--- name: "He Saifei" canonical: "https://film.one/person/he-saifei" fi1m_id: "he-saifei" imdb_id: "nm0372078" tmdb_id: 64987 wikidata_id: "Q3649831" roles: ["Actor"] born: "11 April 1963" reviewed_on_fi1m: 2 average_fi1m_score: 84 average_as: "actor" average_over: 2 updated: "2026-10-01T19:43:09.646192+00:00" licence: "© Fi1m Ltd. Written by AI under a human editor; checked against sources before publication. Quote with attribution and a link to the canonical URL." --- # He Saifei ## Identity He Saifei - **Canonical:** https://film.one/person/he-saifei - **Type:** Person - **Fi1m ID:** he-saifei - **IMDb ID:** nm0372078 - **TMDB ID:** 64987 - **Wikidata ID:** Q3649831 - **Same entity:** https://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/He_Saifei, https://www.wikidata.org/wiki/Q3649831, https://www.imdb.com/name/nm0372078/, https://www.themoviedb.org/person/64987 Actor. Born 11 April 1963 in Zhoushan, Zhejiang, China. ## Details - **Work:** Actor - **Born:** 11 April 1963, Zhoushan, Zhejiang, China - **Active:** 1991–2007 - **Also known as:** 何赛飞, He Sai-Fai, He saifei, Saifei He, 何賽飛, Caifei He - **Average Fi1m score:** 84, as actor, over 2 titles - **Fi1m score by decade:** 1990s 91 (1), 2000s 76 (1) - **Elsewhere:** https://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/He_Saifei, https://www.wikidata.org/wiki/Q3649831, https://www.imdb.com/name/nm0372078/, https://www.themoviedb.org/person/64987 ## Fi1m on He Saifei > He Saifei brings the physical poise and vocal care of an opera performer to period drama. We rate her highly for the force she gives a supporting character's grievances, particularly as Meishan in *Raise the Red Lantern*. In *Raise the Red Lantern* (1991), He Saifei makes Meishan's resentment personal, even when the household seems to have reduced every disagreement to a matter of rules. She plays the third wife among four women competing for favour, a part that could easily become a convenient source of trouble for the central character. Instead, her grievances are worth following in their own right. Alongside Gong Li and Cao Cuifen, she gives Zhang Yimou's drama people we can understand without approving of everything they do. Her physical grace and considered vocal delivery come from Yue opera, where she trained in female roles. She gained national attention through the opera film *Five Daughters Offering Felicitations* (1984), before *Raise the Red Lantern* introduced her to international audiences. That background helps explain the recurring parts as opera artists and concubines, and the ease with which her work fits a period setting. Elegance alone would do little for Meishan; the rivalry needs the force He gives it. We found *Raise the Red Lantern* deeply upsetting because He and her fellow performers make the women's resentment so understandable. The household rituals keep forcing them into competition, and the performances give us reasons to care about each grievance. Zhang occasionally presses the repetition harder than necessary, until a dispute can seem less important than the rules governing it. The women have already made the cost clear, and we do not always need the film to make the point again. Supporting roles followed in Chen Kaige's *Temptress Moon* (1996), again alongside Gong Li, and Ang Lee's *Lust, Caution* (2007). In *Off the Stage* (2022), she takes the lead as Ms Qi, a former Yueju star, putting her experience of performance at the centre of the film. It is a welcome opportunity for an actress whose screen work has so often been supporting somebody else's story. Begin with *Raise the Red Lantern*, but give the rival wives as much attention as the household rituals. ## Biography He Saifei is a Chinese actress and Yue opera performer specialising in dan roles. Born on 11 April 1963 in Daishan County, Zhoushan, Zhejiang, she joined a local Yue opera troupe in 1982 and later the Zhejiang Xiaobaihua Yue Opera Troupe, where she became one of the 'Five Golden Flowers' of the form. She is known for supporting roles in period films including *Raise the Red Lantern* (1991) as Meishan, *Temptress Moon* (1996) and *Lust, Caution* (2007) as Mrs Hsiao. She has also appeared in numerous television dramas and received awards including the Hundred Flowers Award for Best Supporting Actress and the Golden Rooster Award for Best Actress. *Sources: en.wikipedia.org, imdb.com.* ## On Fi1m (2) - *Lust, Caution* (2007), Fi1m 76, as Mrs. Hsiao — [page](https://film.one/film/lust-caution.md) - *Raise the Red Lantern* (1991), Fi1m 91, as Meishan — [page](https://film.one/film/raise-the-red-lantern.md) ## Complete filmography (82) Every credit, newest first. Titles without a page can be requested for review on the HTML page. - *Hilarious Family 2* (2025), series, as Luo Zhusi - *You are the Best* (2025), as Ou Ya - *Happiness* (2025), series, as Huang Li - *Melody of Golden Age* (2024), series, as Empress Dowager Zhou Xu - *Love in Ordinary* (2024), series, as Niu Yiru - *Best Choice Ever* (2024), series, as Liu Wanyu - *Off the Stage* (2024), as Teacher Qi - *Lost in the Kunlun Mountains* (2022), series, as Old Bei Feng - *A Summer Trip* (2021), Actor - *山海蓝图* (2020), series, Actor - *Dear Designer* (2020), series, Actor - *二毛驴传奇* (2020), series, as 孟夫人 - *最亲最爱的人* (2020), series, Actor - *Goddesses In The Flames Of War* (2018), as Shui Qin Niang - *玄武* (2017), series, Actor - *Lord of Shanghai* (2017), as Sister Jin - *Super Express* (2016), as Nana's mother - *Mother's Romance* (2016), series, as 丁香香 - *再见老婆大人* (2016), series, as Zhen's Mother - *He Ping's Golden Age* (2014), series, as Ding Yulan - *Woman in a Family of Daoke* (2014), series, as Madam Yu - *保卫孙子* (2013), series, Actor - *Women of the Tang Dynasty* (2013), series, as Empress Wei - *断箭* (2012), series, as 花老六 - *娘家的故事3* (2011), series, Actor - *The Emperor's Harem* (2011), series, as 周太后 - *Happy Memories of the Ma's* (2010), series, as Hu Gen Di - *Spell of the Fragrance* (2010), series, Actor - *枪声背后* (2010), series, Actor - *Remembrance Of Dreams Past* (2009), series, as 瑾太妃 - *侬本多情* (2009), series, Actor - *纸醉金迷* (2008), series, Actor - *江湖兄弟* (2008), series, as 王美菊 - *The Best Time* (2007), series, Actor - *Lust, Caution* (2007), as Mrs. Hsiao — Fi1m 76, [page](https://film.one/film/lust-caution.md) - *Lost in the Dream* (2007), series, Actor - *明德绣庄* (2007), series, as 明姑 - *母爱十三宗* (2006), series, Actor - *Bloody Sunset* (2005), series, Actor - *The Grand Mansion Gate* (2005), series, as 杨九红 - *紫玉金砂* (2005), series, Actor - *Silver Age* (2005), series, as jing jv lao shi - *天下奇谋* (2004), series, as 闻如锦 - *七武士* (2004), series, Actor - *Shao Nian Tian Zi* (2004), series, as 太妃 - *Zhi Gao Li Yi* (2003), series, Actor - *Detective Gu Liang* (2003), series, as Meng Nan - *南宋传奇之蟋蟀宰相* (2003), series, as Xie Daoqing - *Xiao Zhuang Epic* (2002), series, as Harjol, Concubine Yuan - *魂断秦淮* (2002), series, Actor - *Life and Death, Undercover* (2002), series, as 江曼云 - *分流* (2002), series, Actor - *蓝色马蹄莲* (2001), series, as 赵永红 - *The Grand Mansion Gate* (2001), series, as 杨九红 - *太阳不落山* (2001), series, as Cuilian - *婆媳过招* (2001), series, Actor - *情迷海上花* (2000), series, Actor - *完全婚姻手册* (2000), series, as 许茗雨 - *一生倾情* (2000), series, Actor - *Something About Secret* (1999), Actor - *寇老西儿* (1997), series, as 潘月蓉 - *走出凯旋门* (1997), series, as 张梦蕙 - *Blush* (1996), as Xiao E - *Temptress Moon* (1996), as Yu Xiuyi - *闯上海* (1996), series, Actor - *This Life, This Generation* (1995), series, as Aunt Ye - *Soldiers behind enemy lines* (1995), as Xiao Hongyun - *Consuming Sun* (1993), Actor - *The Masked Man with Two Guns* (1993), Actor - *Raise the Red Lantern* (1991), as Meishan — Fi1m 91, [page](https://film.one/film/raise-the-red-lantern.md) - *A Dream of Red Mansions* (1989), as Miao Yu - *红楼梦第一部：宝黛相会* (1989), as 妙玉 - *红楼梦第三部：凤姐泼醋* (1989), as 妙玉 - *红楼梦第四部：二尤惨死* (1989), as 妙玉 - *红楼梦第五部：晴雯夭亡* (1989), as 妙玉 - *红楼梦第六部：宝玉化石* (1989), as 妙玉 - *红楼梦第一部：宝黛相会（上）* (1989), as 妙玉 - *红楼梦第二部：黛玉葬花* (1989), as 妙玉 - *Two Dowagers* (1987), as 紫鹃 - *Five Daughters Offering Felicitation* (1984), Actor - *Ghost at NO.29*, Actor - *Girl with Wings*, Actor ## Gallery - ![He Saifei](https://film.one/media/person/78871/gallery-0632ae8fd5ca.jpg) He Saifei — 中国新闻社, CC BY 4.0, via Wikimedia Commons (https://upload.wikimedia.org/wikipedia/commons/a/ab/He_Saifei_2023.jpg?utm_source=commons.wikimedia.org&utm_campaign=imageinfo&utm_content=thumbnail_unscaled) - ![He Saifei](https://film.one/media/person/78871/gallery-086056ac3a32.jpg) He Saifei — Image via TMDB - ![He Saifei](https://film.one/media/person/78871/gallery-fc8b323c37eb.jpg) He Saifei — Image via TMDB - ![He Saifei](https://film.one/media/person/78871/gallery-ad8c608b9332.jpg) He Saifei — Image via TMDB - ![He Saifei](https://film.one/media/person/78871/gallery-6858b69c3253.jpg) He Saifei — Image via TMDB - ![He Saifei](https://film.one/media/person/78871/gallery-599a4a61f503.jpg) He Saifei — Image via TMDB - ![He Saifei](https://film.one/media/person/78871/gallery-82dd5ae381ca.jpg) He Saifei — Image via TMDB --- © Fi1m Ltd. Written by AI under a human editor; checked against sources before publication. Quote with attribution and a link to the canonical URL. Canonical: https://film.one/person/he-saifei