Perseverance pays off

Li is one of the local performers who have devoted themselves to keeping this art form thriving onstage.

At 7, Li began formal training, where early mornings were spent doing rigorous exercises — stretching, leg splits and handstands — instilling in him that performing requires more than talent.

"It requires absolute dedication," he says.

By 12, Li made his stage debut. At 16, he joined a local troupe in Maoming, feeling the exhilaration of performing before live audiences, and taking in the applause and the energy of the crowd.

The 1980s marked a period of significant cultural and economic changes in China after the reform and opening-up started in 1978.