Guo Youyuan

Guo Degang, born in 1929, is a retired police officer. His family members include his wife Guo Yuzhen, his son Guo Degang, his grandson Guo Qilin, and his daughter-in-law Wang Hui. Guo Degang's upbringing is closely related to his family background. His relatives number over two thousand people, but no one in his family engaged in artistic work. The family's main expectation was for him to become an ordinary worker and lead a normal life with regular working hours.

From a young age, Guo Degang showed a strong interest in folk art, especially crosstalk (comxdialogue). According to reports, during his childhood, he frequently visited the Hongqiao Club managed by his father, Gu Youyuan, where opera and folk art performances were often held. Watching these performances regularly benefited him and gradually cultivated his interest in crosstalk. Guo Youyuan, Guo Degang’s father, was a policeman who knew many members of society. On an incidental occasion, a friend discovered Guo Degang’s fondness for crosstalk and introduced him to Chang Bao Ting, a well-known crosstalk artist with the Tianjin Quyi Association.

Subsequently, Chang Bao Ting introduced Guo Degang to his master, Chang Baofeng, laying the foundation for his crosstalk learning. As the eldest son in his family, Guo's early main aspiration was to become an ordinary worker, but he persisted in pursuing the art of crosstalk. Over time, Guo Degang gradually made a name for himself in the crosstalk scene and gained some recognition.

After Guo Degang entered the entertainment industry, his family maintained a neutral attitude toward his fame. Media reports have noted that during Guo Degang’s rise to prominence, his parents, Gu Youyuan and Guo Yuzhen, displayed a relatively calm mindset, emphasizing modest publicity and maintaining a low profile. Both Guo Youyuan and Guo Yuzhen are ordinary people who have never been involved in the entertainment industry. They preferred Guo Degang to develop steadily without excessive media attention disrupting his life.