Li Yugang facts for kids

Quick facts for kids Li Yugang
Yang Guifei in "Portrait of Four Beauties.(2011)
Background information
Native name	李玉刚
Birth name	Li Gang (李刚)
Also known as	Mr. Yu (玉先生)
Born	(1978-07-23) July 23, 1978 (age 47) Gongzhuling, Jilin, China
Genres	Beijing opera Mandopop
Occupation(s)	Singer, stage actor
Instruments	Vocals
Years active	2006–present
Labels	Jade (玉泽东方)
Chinese name
Traditional Chinese	李玉剛
Simplified Chinese	李玉刚
Transcriptions Standard Mandarin Hanyu Pinyin Lǐ Yùgāng

Li Yugang (Chinese: 李玉刚; pinyin: Lǐ Yùgāng) is a famous Chinese singer and artist. He was born on July 23, 1978. He is a main performer at the China National Opera & Dance Drama Theater. Li Yugang is known for his special talent in Peking opera. He plays "nándàn" roles, which means he is a male actor who plays female characters. He can also sing in both male and female voices. Li Yugang has released many music albums.

Li Yugang is a very important figure in Chinese culture. He is also known for helping his hometown, Gongzhuling, in Jilin. He gives money to local charities, especially for education. Even though he did not have traditional Peking opera training, he works hard to learn. He wants to share China's rich culture with young people and audiences around the world.

Li Yugang's Early Life and Start in Music

Li Yugang grew up in a farming family in Jilin province. His family was not rich enough to send him to college. He had been accepted into an art college. After high school, he worked at different jobs in Changchun.

Becoming a Singer

Li Yugang later moved to Xi'an and worked as a waiter. He was amazed by the singers he saw there. Soon, he started singing a few songs himself and became a club singer. His big chance came when a female singer could not perform. Li Yugang had to take her place and sing in a female voice. He said, "That's how I started with female roles." People were very impressed by his ability to sing in both male and female voices. The club owner hired him full-time. From 1998 to 2006, he trained to improve his singing and acting in "nándàn" roles.

Li Yugang's Amazing Career

Diao Chan in "Portrait of Four Beauties"

Rising to Fame

In 2006, Li Yugang became very famous. He came in third place on Star Boulevard (星光大道), a national talent show on CCTV. His performances of "Farewell My Concubine" (霸王别姬) and "The Drunken Beauty" (贵妃醉酒) made him a star overnight. These are both famous Peking opera pieces. After the show, everyone wanted him to perform.

In 2007, Li Yugang had his first solo show in Beijing called "Where Flowers are Unbounded" (凡花无界). It was a huge success. In April 2008, he performed at the United Nations Headquarters in New York. In 2009, he joined the China National Opera & Dance Drama Theater. He was also named a "National First-Class Actor," which is a very high honor. That same year, he performed at the Sydney Opera House in Australia. He was only the second Chinese artist to do so. The Australian Government gave him the Southern Cross Gold Prize for Culture.

Stage Performances

Li Yugang has created many stage shows. In 2010, he created "Flower in Mirror, Moon in Water" (镜花水月). In 2011, he created "The Painting of Four Beauties" (四美图). He performed these shows over 100 times in China and other countries.

In 2015, Li Yugang directed and starred in his own big show called "Lady Zhaojun" (昭君出塞). This show took him three years to prepare. "Lady Zhaojun" first opened in Beijing from April 16-19, 2015. A new version of "Lady Zhaojun" started touring globally in June 2019. By December 2019, it had been performed 46 times. "Lady Zhaojun" started touring again in 2023.

Music Albums and Songs

In 2010, Li Yugang released his first album, "The New Drunken Beauty" (新贵妃醉酒). He then released "Dream-chasing Chant" (逐梦令) and "Lotus" (莲花). In 2014, he released the album "Once Upon a Time in Shanghai" (民国旧梦).

On November 10, 2016, he released the song "Happened to meet you" (剛好遇見你). This song was for his 10th anniversary as a performer. The album with the same name came out in 2017. "Happened to meet you" stayed on the music charts for 10 weeks. Its music video was watched over 100 million times on YouTube. After that, he started his "Li Yugang's 10-year Classic Concert" (李玉剛十年經典演唱會) tour in December 2016.

By 2023, Li Yugang had released almost a hundred songs. Most of his songs are in a Chinese style. He also mixes in other music styles like R&B, rap, and electronic music.

Other Creative Works

Li Yugang is not just a singer and actor. He also writes, plans cultural events, and promotes ceramic art. He has even directed films.

In November 2016, his first book, "The beauty I met" (玉見之美), was published. This book shares his journey to explore China's traditional culture. At the end of 2016, his art space called "Jade Space" (玉空間) opened in Beijing. This space shows his love for traditional culture. In May 2021, another "Jade Space" opened in Suzhou. Then, his porcelain art space, "Jade Workshop" (玉工坊), opened in Jingdezhen.

In 2019, Li Yugang directed and starred in a short film called "A Date After Twilight." This film was chosen to open a special film festival. On March 30, 2023, Li Yugang started filming his first full-length movie as a director, "Nostalgia in the Cloud" (雲上的雲).

Li Yugang's Stage Shows

• 2010 "Flower in Mirror, Moon in Water" (镜花水月)
• 2011 "The Painting of Four Beauties" (四美图)
• 2012 "The new Flower in Mirror, Moon in Water" (新镜花水月)
• 2019 "Lady Zhaojun" (昭君出塞)

Li Yugang's Director Works

Li Yugang's Music

Singles

(English titles with "*" are from the official.)

Studio Albums

EPs (Extended Plays)

Live Albums from Musicals

See also

In Spanish: Li Yugang para niños