A Dream Of Red Mansions actor Ouyang Fenqiang posts rare photo with his daughter

There are various television adaptations of A Dream Of Red Mansions, but the one that remains the most popular is the 1987 drama serial by China Central Television (CCTV).

Chinese actor Ouyang Fenqiang's portrayal of Jia Baoyu, the male protagonist of the classic Qing Dynasty novel, in the CCTV show is still seen as the gold standard that has yet to be surpassed.

Decades later, Ouyang, now 57 and an actor-director, is fondly remembered for the role, while actress Chen Xiaoxu, who acted as Jia's cousin and sweetheart Lin Daiyu opposite him in the serial, died in 2007 at the age of 41.

On Sunday (March 15), Ouyang, who has named his Weibo account Ouyang Baoyu 1987 in a reference to the character which made him a household name in China, posted a rare photo of himself with his daughter.

He posted two photos on Weibo to celebrate his daughter Wenxin's 24th birthday and wrote: "March 15. Happy birthday, daughter."

In one photo, he was seen in a wefie together with her, looking visibly aged from the delicately handsome character he played 33 years ago.

In the second photo, he posted the food they ate for her birthday - a bowl of longevity noodles with an egg, two egg tarts and one chicken drumstick.

Wenxin is Ouyang's daughter with his wife, actress Kang Li.

While several of Ouyang's fellow actors in A Dream Of Red Mansions remained in Beijing to pursue their acting careers, he went to Shenzhen University to study filming.

He later returned to his Sichuan home town to become a director.