「愛國藝人」「電影巨星」「翻生黃飛鴻」關德興
THE PATRIOT ACTOR – MASTER KWAN TAK-HING (1905 – 1996)
曾當看牛仔。苦力。粵劇大老倌。國術宗師。
抗戰英雄。文化大使。中醫師。慈善大使。父親。
關德興傳奇一生
關德興一生，為人正義，目標明確，嫉惡如仇，俠骨柔情。人稱他演活了黃飛鴻，事實是關德興如實地演活了自己，他的一生就好比一齣電影，集冒險、驚憟、動作、勵志的所有戲劇元素，經歷了多個國度的不同文化，更見證了抗日戰爭和戰後復元的酸甜苦辣，都是有血有淚的經歷。
作為大時代的見證人，關德興於國難洪流之際，以一介平民之身，出身貧苦，克盡其一己之力，支援著前線的戰士。這份氣魄和高尚情操，驚天地泣鬼神。1937年抗戰時，在美國舊金山的粵劇籌款義演晚會中，因未能達到200元善款的目標，而不惜放棄個人尊嚴，長跪哭求更多善心人慷慨解囊，最終當晚共籌善款1,400元。1991年7月，為了華東水災的災民，身為MBE，甘願長跪中環，經無線電視直播，呼籲社會各界鼎力捐輸，以解救同胞水深火熱之中，感人肺腑。
關德興於1981年獲英女皇頒大英帝國勳章(MBE勳銜)。在戰後的和平歲月裡，他周遊列國地弘揚中國文化，行醫濟世，發展保健食品事業，從而再創高峰。
武俠小說中有豪邁的俠客，關德興一生鋤強扶弱，正義凜然，英雄鐵膽，俠骨柔情，說他是現代俠客實當之無愧。
SON OF THE YELLOW EMPEROR
Humble Roots – born in 1905, into an improvised family in Kaiping County, Guangdong Province, at the end of the Chin Dynasty. At the age 8, with only 6 months of formal education, he had no choice but to become another faceless nameless member of the child labor force. Like all other child laborers, he did whatever was needed; water buffalo herder, farm hand, general labor, wax candle maker, and coolie transporter ( beast of burden). At the age of 12, he was shipped to Singapore as an indentured” servant (glorified slave), but luck with have him, he was accepted as a Cantonese Opera apprentice. The rest is history.
HONG KONG FILM ICON
Master Kwan Tak-Hing was especially remembered by Chinese audience world over as the person who portrait Master Wong Fei-Hong, in 77 full feature films (first in 1949), and in 13 Television series. To this, he was loved and respected by the Chinese audiences everywhere. Therefore, it is generally assumed that the “Wong character” had made him famous. In contrary, prior to the Wong films, Kwan was already a “house-hold-name”, as a Cantonese opera star, and a patriot and war hero.
粤劇救國，抗戰英雄 （1937-45）
當時救國藝人數以千萬計，獨關德興一人被日軍懸紅四萬軍票追補，並派出特務殺手追殺他，萬險不辭，為當局授予「愛國藝人」的稱號。
THE PATRIOT ACTOR
When Japan launched its war of imperialism against China in July, 1937, Master Kwan was performing Cantonese Opera in the U.S. From that point on, he devoted his full time to the war effort, both through a public awareness campaign and through fund raising. He returned to Hong Kong from the U.S. with cash, tons of much needed medicines and clothings, 5 ambulances and one aircraft. Prior to the attack on Pearl Harbor, his determination led to the donation of 7 aircrafts to the Chinese Government. For his effort, the Imperial Army of Japan put a bounty on his head, “Wanted Dead or Alive”, with a reward of $20,000.
Back in Hong Kong, his effort was more relentless. Aside from activities in Hong Kong and Macau, he also organized a 90 days opera tour to unoccupied part of Guangdong and Guangxi Province. The mobilizations of Oversea Chinese – dovetailing on the U.S. success, he organized opera tours targeting oversea Chinese. His first oversea tour in Asia was in the Philippines, in which the troupe visited more than 40 islands over a 6 months’ period. This tour was also very successful. His plan for to perform in Singapore, and Malaysia was disrupted by the attack on Pearl Harbor by the Japanese Imperial Navy on 7 December, 1941.
關德興一生獲頒多項榮譽，詳列部份如下：
- 英女皇頒贈MBE 勳銜(1981)
- 美國三藩市阿姆斯特朗大學名譽人文博士(1996)
- 美國加州下議院頒發「終生人類服務獎」(1994)
- 美國加洛杉磯巿議員歡迎書(1985)
- 獲《壹週刊》選為香港最有影響力100人(1997)
- 香港十大愛心之星(1993)
- 抗戰時代獲封為中國陸軍上校「第七戰區粵劇宣傳團團長」(1941-45)
- 抗戰時代獲封為中國廣西省名譽陸軍小將
HONORS, AWARDS AND COMMENDATIONS – (partial Listing)
The Patriot Actor – a war time title bestowed upon him by the government, the media and the general public in Hong Kong, China, and the oversea Chinese communities everywhere, 1937 – 1945
- Member of the British Empire (MBE) Honorary appointment by Her Majesty Queen Elizabeth II, 1981
- Doctor of Humanities (Honorary) – Armstrong University, Berkeley, CA, USA 1996
- Special Public Commendations – California State Assembly, CA, USA 1994
- Certificate of Welcome – Los Angeles City Council, Los Angeles, CA, USA, 1986
- Colonel, Chinese Army – appointment commander of the Cantonese Opera Propaganda Troupe 7th War Zone (1942 – 1945)
Numerous Letters of Commendation, Honors, and Awards