In 1985, Zhou Dongliang took his father's affectionate sustenance and childhood picturesque dreams, and his love and desire for Xi opera, and passed the Jiangsu Drama School with excellent results. After five years of hard training, he never lingered in the bustling city of Nanjing or shuttled through the city's feasting and feasting, because he always kept in mind his father's teachings: Only by enduring hardship can one become a master. Studying in drama school is already very difficult, but every time he goes home during the winter and summer vacations, his father will still check his pronunciation and urge him to practice blanket skills. In order to strengthen his body, Zhou Dongliang began to practice martial arts and qigong since he was seven or eight years old, and he is still good at "Bagua Zhang". These have laid a solid foundation for his future all-around civil and military skills.

If the sweet candies in childhood memories were the driving force for Zhou Dongliang to embark on the path of art, then his father’s words and deeds were the powerful driving force for him to embark on the tin opera stage. In his memory and in Zhou Dongliang's heart, his father's image was very tall. After becoming famous, Zhou Dongliang finally realized his dream of performing on the same stage as his father at a special Xi Opera concert held in Yixing. The father is happy because his son succeeded because of his painstaking efforts in nurturing him.

"I was born for Xi Opera"

In 1989, Zhou Dongliang was assigned to the Jiangsu Xi Opera Troupe and became a real Xi Opera actor. He was like a fish in water, seeking advice from his seniors and discussing skills with his colleagues. He was often seen scrambling around in the practice room. At first, he was just a walk-on in the troupe, with very few performances and a pitifully low salary. Many friends around him tried to persuade him to change careers. Forced to make a living, Zhou Dongliang returned to his hometown in Jiangyin and sang popular songs in the karaoke hall for three years. He was very famous in the local area and was known as "Zhou Huajian".

Stills of Zhou Dongliang and Yuan Jufen's "Jade Dragonfly"

He can earn a month's salary in one night, which is a great temptation. But this kind of irregular life made Zhou Dongliang very confused for a time: "I made a lot of money, but my heart is still empty." Somewhere in his mind, he felt that he could not leave the Xi Opera in this life, and should return to the Xi Opera stage, where it was. own roots, otherwise I will be sorry for my father’s many years of teachings. Looking back on that experience now, Zhou Dongliang feels that it was a "transformation" in life and a kind of training for himself. At the same time, he also gained a new understanding of the art of Xi opera. The melody of Xi Opera is beautiful, and the singing style is like flowing water, sweet, glutinous, pure and bright. He blends the fashionable elements of pop songs into the singing style of Xi Opera. The Xi Opera he sings has a traditional taste and a very pleasant melody.

Zhou Dongliang looks handsome and unrestrained, has both civil and military skills, a high-pitched and exciting voice, a sweet and broad tone, a free flow of words, and a delicate and accurate portrayal of characters. He is a rare niche actor. His representative works include "Pearl Tower", "Prequel to White Snake", "Linglong Girl", "Mid-Autumn Hate", "Jade Dragonfly", "July Rain", "The Romantic Number One Scholar", "Double Pearl Phoenix", "Double Jade Cicada" ", "Shajiabang", etc., are very pleasing to the eye. Opportunity always favors those who are prepared. In 1996, Jiangsu Province held the Youth Grand Prix, and Zhou Dongliang stood out in this competition. Zhou Dongliang was lucky. He encountered good times, but also passed through boring and difficult years. The most valuable thing is that he finally persisted. Zhou Dongliang often said: "I was born for tin opera."