In 2018, Pan brought his cameramen to visit Xie to film his documentary Yan Yuan (Once Upon a Time), which highlighted the artistic journeys and cinematic impact of the top 22 movie stars, including Xie, since the establishment of the People's Republic of China. The list of stars was made by four major studios following a suggestion from then-Premier Zhou Enlai in the early 1960s.

"While cinematographers were adjusting equipment, Xie suddenly repeated 'twenty-two' multiple times. Intrigued, I inquired about the meaning behind the figure and she replied, 'It has been 22 years since our first encounter.' I was taken aback and moved, realizing that her recollection was accurate," shared Pan, adding his respect for Xie's good memory.

Many netizens expressed their condolences on Sina Weibo, with posts related to the obituary garnering over 65 million views on the social media platform as of Thursday afternoon.

Yuan Yun'er, a Beijing-based critic, said that Xie's passing signifies the end of an era, noting that Xie's classical works have left a lasting impact on generations of Chinese audiences.

xufan@chinadaily.com.cn