Liu Huan facts for kids

Quick facts for kids Liu Huan
Born	(1963-08-26) August 26, 1963 (age 62) Tianjin, China
Occupation	Singer, songwriter
Years active	1987 - present
Chinese name
Traditional Chinese	劉歡
Simplified Chinese	刘欢
Transcriptions Standard Mandarin Hanyu Pinyin Liú Huān
Musical career
Genres	C-pop
Instruments	Vocals, piano
Labels	China Media Ventures Mengxiang Qiangyin Universal Music

Liu Huan, born on August 26, 1963, is a famous Chinese singer and songwriter. He is known as one of the first big stars in Chinese pop music. Besides singing, he also teaches about the history of Western music at a university in Beijing.

Liu Huan's Early Life and Education

Liu Huan was born in Tianjin, China, on August 26, 1963. His parents were both teachers. He finished high school in Tianjin in 1981. Four years later, he graduated from the University of International Relations in Beijing. He studied French literature there.

How Liu Huan Started in Music

While at university, Liu Huan entered a French songwriting contest. He won first prize! This win even led to a trip to Paris, sponsored by the French government. After university, Liu Huan spent a year teaching music in the Ningxia Hui Autonomous Region. This experience greatly influenced his music.

Liu Huan never had formal music lessons. He taught himself everything he knows about music. His friends remember him playing guitar and singing late into the night. When he was in France, he spent his time visiting bars to find new music ideas.

Liu Huan's Singing Career

Liu Huan has sung many popular theme songs for TV shows. In 1987, he sang his first song, Sun in Heart, for the show Snowing City. He is also famous for singing theme songs for historical TV dramas. These include The One Who Wins the Hearts of the People Gains the Empire for Yongzheng Dynasty (1996). He also sang Heroes' Song for The Water Margin (1998). His song, Asking Myself a Thousand Times, was number one on Chinese radio for ten weeks.

Big Performances and Concerts

In 1990, Liu Huan sang the official theme song, Asian Mighty Winds. He performed it with Wei Wei at the 1990 Asian Games in Beijing.

Liu Huan held his first concert in Beijing in 2004. It was called "Huange 2004". Other famous singers like Na Ying and Sun Nan joined him. In 2006, he had another concert in Shanghai.

A very special moment was on August 8, 2008. Liu Huan sang the official theme song You and Me at the 2008 Summer Olympics Opening Ceremony in Beijing. He sang it with British singer Sarah Brightman. He also sang in the 2008 Beijing Olympics song, Beijing Welcomes You.

Liu Huan on TV Singing Shows

In 2012, Liu Huan became a judge on The Voice of China. This was a popular singing talent show on Zhejiang TV. He was one of four judges, including Na Ying. He returned as a coach in 2017 for Sing! China. His finalist, Tashi Phuntsok, won that season.

In 2019, Liu Huan took part in Singer, another big TV singing competition. On April 12, he won the competition! For the final round, he sang a medley of three songs. He dedicated this performance to Yao Beina, a contestant from The Voice of China who had passed away. His performance received a standing ovation and he won with the highest score ever in the show's history.

Liu Huan's Teaching Career

Besides being a singer, Liu Huan is also a teacher. He used to teach at the University of International Relations. Now, he teaches the history of Western music at the Beijing University of International Business and Economics. He believes it's important to share music with more students in China.

Liu Huan loves teaching and sees it as a steady job. He has taught students for many years. He is proud to be one of the most popular teachers at his university. He feels that being a singer and a teacher can work together. He focuses on making music interesting for his students. Then, he has time to write songs. His classes are often full, with extra students standing to listen to his lectures.

Liu Huan says that today's students are very curious about music. They are interested in both famous musicians and new types of music.

Liu Huan's Personal Life

Liu Huan married Lu Lu, a TV host, in 1988. Their daughter was born in September 1991. In April 2010, Liu Huan had hip replacement surgery. The surgery was very successful.

Liu Huan is known for his unique look: a round face, a round body, and long braids. He often wears black clothes for his performances. He wore a simple black T-shirt when he sang at the 2008 Olympic opening ceremony. He has kept his long hair tied back since an early concert overseas, finding it convenient.

On December 26, 2018, Liu Huan started "The Liu Huan's Foundation of Original Music". He created this foundation with Mango TV to support new Chinese singers. Every year, the foundation gives money to help a promising singer. Liu Huan also helped promote the Mango TV app to encourage people to watch the Singer show.

In April 2020, it was confirmed that Liu Huan was diagnosed with avascular necrosis. This is a condition where bone tissue dies due to a lack of blood supply.

Liu Huan's Language Skills

In his lectures, Liu Huan sometimes uses words from other languages. These include English, French, German, and even Italian. He explains that French was his main subject in university, and he can speak English well. For German and Italian, he knows some terms but cannot speak the languages fluently.

Additional Links

See also

In Spanish: Liu Huan para niños