Mark Rowswell, whose stage name is Dashan, has been called the most famous foreigner in China. He has become a regular fixture on Chinese television and a cultural icon across the nation.
Born and raised in Canada, Mr. Rowswell began studying Chinese in the mid 1980s, first at the University of Toronto and later at Beijing University. While in Beijing, Mr. Rowswell became interested in traditional Chinese performing arts, particularly xiangsheng, a popular form of comic dialogue. A chance opportunity to perform on television soon followed. What Mr. Rowswell did not realize was that this program would be broadcast nationally to an audience of 800 million television viewers, and that Dashan would become a household name literally overnight.
Almost 20 years later, Dashan is still a popular icon in China. Having diversified and developed into a multi-faceted performer, language educator, and television host, Mr. Rowswell is already considered a cultural ambassador between China and the West, having found a common ground between the two cultures. To many Chinese, Mr. Rowswell is an international role model and a prominent symbol of “East meets West.”
Today, Mr. Rowswell is involved in a wide variety of activities, from hosting television programs and live events, to dramatic acting, public speaking, publishing, education, and celebrity endorsement. When he is not working in China, Mr. Rowswell lives relatively anonymously with his wife and two children in a rural setting north of Toronto.
In December 2006, Mr. Rowswell became a Member of the Order of Canada for his work in uniting the Canadian and Chinese peoples through laughter, understanding and goodwill. He has represented Canada in a number of capacities including serving as Team Attaché for the Canadian Olympic Committee at the 2008 Summer Olympics in Beijing, and being appointed as Canada's Commissioner General for Expo 2010 in Shanghai.
