Yuan Quan (Chinese: 袁泉; pinyin: Yuán Quán, born 16 October 1977), also known as Yolanda Yuan, is a Chinese actress and singer. She graduated from the Central Academy of Drama where she majored in drama.^[1]

Yuan starred in her first film Rhapsody of Spring (1998), which won her the Golden Rooster Award for Best Supporting Actress.^[1] Her subsequent films also earned her awards; Once Upon a Time in Shanghai (1998) earned her a nomination for Best Actress at the Golden Rooster Award and A Love of Blueness (2000) brought her the Best Actress trophy at the Beijing College Student Film Festival.^[2] In 2002, Yuan won her second Golden Rooster Award for her performance in Pretty Big Feet by Mo Yan, the first film that depicts contemporary western China.^[3]

Though Yuan achieved success in films, it is on stage that Yuan has earned most fame and applause.^[4] She chose to become a professional drama actress at the National Theater of China after graduation and first attracted the audience and media in the 2001 production of Hurricane.^{[citation needed]} Yuan rose to prominence in 2005 when she starred in Meng Jinghui's musical drama Amber, which was a hit; touring seven cities in Asia and attracting more than 100,000 audiences.^[5] In 2006, she starred in Secret Love in Peach Blossom Land by Stan Lai, which won critical acclaim and was voted "Best Stage Drama of 2006".^[6] The success of the play led to Yuan's introduction to famous Taiwan musician Yao Qian, who in turn inspired Yuan Quan to start a musical career. In 2007, Yuan released her first album, The Lonely Flower.^[7]

Yuan also took on the role of the titular protagonist for the 2009 and 2013 drama production Jane Eyre by the National Center for the Performing Arts.^{[citation needed]} Her performance received acclaim; in an audience poll conducted by the Beijing News, 90% believed that Yuan's Jane did justice to the novel, conveying the character's ‘calm, introverted and persistent personality’.^[8] Yuan won the China Golden Lion Award for Drama in 2010 and the Plum Blossom Award in 2012; both are considered high honors in theater.^[9][10]

2014 was a successful year for Yuan,^[11][12] who starred in two top-grossing films Breakup Buddies and The Continent.^[13][14]

In 2017, Yuan co-starred in The First Half of My Life, a drama that tells the inspirational story of a housewife-turned-career woman. The drama was a huge hit in China.^[15]

Yuan Quan was born in a Hui-Han family. She married actor Xia Yu in 2009, a decade after their first got together as students in Central Academy of Drama.^{[citation needed]} They have appeared in 4 films together: The Law of Romance (2003), Waiting Alone (2004), Shanghai Rumba (2006) and Breakup Buddies (2014). Yuan Quan also portrayed a character named Xia Yu in Pretty Big Feet (2002). Their daughter was born on 31 March 2010.^[16]