1937年8月13日,日寇进攻上海,淞沪战事爆发。日寇占领上海不久,得知蜚声世界的京剧第一名旦梅兰芳住在上海,就派人请梅兰芳到电台讲话,让其表示愿为日本的“皇道乐土”服务。梅兰芳洞察到日本人的阴谋伎俩后,便决定尽快离沪赴港,摆脱日寇纠缠。于是他一边给日本人带口信说,最近要外出演戏,一边携家率团星夜乘船赴港。 August 13, 1937, the Japanese attack on Shanghai, Songhu outbreak of war. Shortly after the Japanese invaders occupied Shanghai, they learned that world-renowned Peking Opera director Mei Lanlan lived in Shanghai and sent Meilan Fang to the radio to express his willingness to serve Japan’s royal land. Mei Lanfang insight into the Japanese conspiracy trick, they decided to leave Shanghai as soon as possible to Hong Kong, get rid of entangled Japanese invaders. So while he wrote a letter to the Japanese, he said he wanted to go out for a show recently and take a boat trip to Hong Kong with his family members.