Men playing female roles in stage performances can be dated back to Ancient Rome and were widely seen in Shakespeare’s plays. Well, that phenomenon is not exclusive to the west. In traditional Chinese operas, such as Peking Opera, many female characters are performed by male actors.
Li Yugang is one of the most popular actors currently singing and performing in drag on stage in China. He is one of the two Chinese singers to successfully hold their own concerts in the Sydney Opera House.
Li Yugang was born in a common farming family in northeast China. In his home village, he was the first person who passed the entrance exam for a university in a big city. But he chose to pursue his dream of performing. He left home when he was only 13. Back then, he even couldn’t afford a train ticket back home.