Process of transformation

Li Jiayi's passion led her to participate in a national Cantonese Opera singing competition in 1999, where she won first place. In Beijing, during the awards ceremony, she met a teacher from the Guangdong Cantonese Opera School, sparking her formal training.

Li Jiayi quickly learned that performing Cantonese Opera was no easy task.

"One minute onstage comes from more than 10 years of practice," she says. She trained to become a daomadan, a martial, heroic female role in Cantonese Opera known for its action and acrobatics.

"Traditional Chinese opera is a comprehensive art. You must master singing, acting, recitation and acrobatics," she adds.