Li was born 1 October 1931 in
Harbin,
Heilongjiang province in Japanese-occupied
Northeast China. He joined the
Chinese Communist Party in March 1961. Together with Jiang Zuhui () and Wang Xixian (), Li choreographed the ballet
Red Detachment of Women, based on the popular
1961 film of the same name. It became one of the most influential ballets of China, now considered a "red classic". He also choreographed the ballet Mermaid. He created or co-created the ballets
Ode to Yimeng,
Lin Daiyu,
Yang Guifei,
The Silk Road,
Goddess of Luo,
The Cowherd and the Weaver Girl, among others. He also performed in many ballets including
Swan Lake,
Giselle,
Notre Dame de Paris, as well as
Red Detachment of Women. He served as Director of the
National Ballet of China and trained many dancers. He received the Lifetime Achievement Award by the China Dancers Association. He was a delegate to the
4th National People's Congress. Li died on 14 December 2018 at the Beijing Friendship Hospital, aged 87. == References ==