Li Yugang

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Li Yugang, born Li Gang on July 23, 1978, in Gongzhuling, Jilin, is a Chinese singer and stage actor. He is a leading performer at the China National Opera & Dance Drama Theater and is recognized as a national first-class actor. Li is famous for nan dan—men playing female roles in Beijing opera—and for singing in both male and female voices. He has released many CDs and became a cultural icon in China, known for his dedication to making China’s rich cultural heritage accessible to young people.

Li’s early life was tough; his family were farmers and they couldn’t afford college. He worked in Changchun and later moved to Xi’an, where he worked as a waiter in an entertainment club and soon became a club singer. His breakthrough came when he had to cover for a missing female singer and impressed the audience with his female voice. The club owner hired him, and from 1998 to 2006 he trained in nan dan and developed his stage craft.

In 2006, Li gained national fame after finishing third in the CCTV talent show Star Boulevard. His Peking opera performances, such as Farewell My Concubine and The Drunken Beauty, made him a star. He gave his first solo Beijing show in 2007, and in 2008 he performed at the United Nations Spring Cultural Festival in New York. In 2009 he joined the China National Opera & Dance Drama Theater and was named National First-Class Actor. He also performed at the Sydney Opera House and won a cultural prize from Australia.

Li created notable stage works including Flower in Mirror, Moon in Water (2010) and The Painting of Four Beauties (2011). He has performed over 100 shows at home and abroad. In 2015 he directed and starred in Lady Zhaojun, which premiered in Beijing. A musical adaptation of Lady Zhaojun opened in 2019 at Tianqiao Art Center and started a global tour; by the end of 2019 it had toured many times, with plans to continue in 2023.

Music has been a major part of his career. His debut album, The New Drunken Beauty, released in 2010, was followed by Dream-chasing Chant and Lotus. In 2014 he released Once Upon a Time in Shanghai. A 2016 single, Happened to Meet You, marked the 10th anniversary of his debut and its video gained over 100 million views on YouTube. He also began Li Yugang’s 10-year Classic Concert tour in 2016. By 2023, he had released nearly 100 singles, blending traditional Chinese styles with R&B, rap, and electronic elements.

Beyond performing, Li writes, plans cultural events, promotes porcelain culture, and works as a film director. He published a book in 2016, The beauty I met, and opened Jade Space in Beijing. He later opened Jade Workshop in Jingdezhen in 2021. In 2019 he directed and starred in the short film A Date After Twilight, and in 2023 he began filming his feature directorial debut Nostalgia in the Cloud. He is also known for charitable work in his hometown, supporting education and other causes.