Ma Lijuan

Ma Lijiang was born on October 28, 1965, in Hongshan District, Chifeng City, Inner Mongolia Autonomous Region. Coming from an artistic family, her father was a Jinghu (Beijing horn) performer, and her mother worked as a tailor. She has loved singing since childhood and was a backbone member of her school's arts troupe during elementary school, especially fond of performing snippets such as Li Tiemei in "Red Lantern" and "Everyone Has a Resonant Heart."

In 1980, Ma Lijiang entered Liaoning Provincial Drama School, beginning six years of professional training. After graduation, due to her excellent academic performance, she was retained to teach at the school. Subsequently, she taught at Liaoning Opera School and collaborated with Zhao Benshan in the Tieling folk art troupe, beginning to showcase her talent in performing arts. In her youth, she was a performer of Northeast Er Ren Zhuan (a traditional comedic art form). After marriage, she gradually stepped back from the stage and shifted to behind-the-scenes work.

In addition to stage performances, Ma Lijiang has also done voice acting, such as participating in the dubbing of "Joy of Comedians." She has also portrayed Peking Opera roles, such as Ah Qing Sao and Ke Xiang. In September 2020, she appeared in a live broadcast to warm up for her son's livestream, demonstrating her versatility.

In her personal life, Ma Lijiang is married to Zhao Benshan. Born in 1957 in Tieling, Liaoning Province, Zhao Benshan is a renowned comedy actor, inheritor of the national intangible cultural heritage Northeast Er Ren Zhuan, and founder of Benshan Media Group. They held their wedding in October 1993. The couple has a pair of twins—a boy named Niu Niu and a girl named Niu Niu. On January 29, 2025, Ma Lijiang's daughter posted a family photo on social media showing the entire family of four.

In 2010, Ma Lijiang moved with her children to Singapore. During this period, she was involved in a legal case related to a car dealership, which she ultimately won. In 2014, Singapore media reported that she and her daughter had acquired Singaporean citizenship, but Zhao Benshan denied this, clarifying that Ma Lijiang was only accompanying her children to study in Singapore and had not immigrated.

In October 2020, Ma Lijiang discussed her future daughter-in-law’s standards during a live broadcast, emphasizing the importance of family unity and health, which drew public attention. She also attended the funeral of her cousin, Yu Yuexian, expressing condolences. In August 2021, she appeared at Yu Yuexian’s farewell ceremony, demonstrating deep family affection.

In recent years, Ma Lijiang revealed in a live broadcast in July 2025 that her daughter had suffered from severe depression, showcasing family warmth and sacrifice. She is widely recognized and praised for her cultural literacy, virtuous and gentle personality, and has played an important role in her husband's family and career under Zhao Benshan’s influence.