[4] His apprentices include Ma Ji, Ding Guangquan, Shi Shengjie, and Wu Zhaonan.

Hou Baolin was born in Tianjin, China on November 29, 1917.

He joined the Peking Opera Troupe at the age of 12, before switching his profession to being a xiangsheng performer, in which he studied under Zhu Kuoquan.

[5] After the founding of new China, the social status of folk performers rose considerably.

Hou joined the Quyi Art Troupe of the Chinese Broadcasting Recitation and Ballad Troupe and made major contributions to China's xiangsheng art.