It has been reported that Jiang Qing saw Xue perform and exclaimed that she reminded her of herself at that age, advising the troupe to give the dancer a role.
[3] Alternatively, it has also been suggested that Zhou Enlai saw her perform as the company commander and recommended Xue be cast as the lead.
As one of the Eight model plays, the film was shown across the country in every cinema, every factory, and every village in the following several years until 1976 when the Cultural Revolution officially ended.
[1] The role was quite demanding, as over half the film (42.25 minutes) featured Xue onstage, either performing solos, duets or ensemble pieces.
[3] When Richard Nixon, the 37th President of the United States, visited China in 1972, he was entertained with a stage production of Red Detachment of Women, and Xue Jinghua performed as Wu Qinghua in the ballet.