Little Henan opera star Li Wanqing

Li Wanqing is a six-year-old girl from a rural family in the town of Fudian in Yanshi, Henan Province. She can perform many famous pieces of Henan opera skillfully and has become a well-known star in her hometown.

Li started Grade One at the No.1 Experimental Primary School in Yanshi in September this year, but she has already studied Henan opera for over four years. Li started to learn Henan opera under the influence of her grandmother, who is a Henan opera fan. When Li was two years old, her grandmother often took her to perform Henan opera with other opera fans. Gradually, Li was able to copy the adults to perform several pieces of Henan opera herself and she is unanimously praised by opera fans.

On November 17, Li performs Henan opera "Mu Guiying takes command" at the Yanshi Henan Opera Troupe.

Li's parents sent her to Heluo Xiyuan Art Kindergarten in Luoyang at the beginning of 2007. They also invited opera teacher Liu Shumin to teach Li to perform Henan opera. Learning Henan Opera is hard. From Monday to Friday, Li has to practice performing every morning and evening as well as go to school. On weekends, she goes to Liu's home with her mother to learn Henan opera.

Li is too young to remember opera lines and aria. Her mother helps her to learn them by recording the teacher's performances on her mobile phone and playing them for Li many times when they return home. Now Li's mother can also perform several pieces of Henan opera as she has accompanied Li to study for a long time. Finally, Li and her mother's efforts paid off. In June 2007, Li made her debut in a national competition on Liyuanchun TV program in Xuchang and her performance of "Switch the newborn prince with a leopard cat" was praised both by judges and the audience. Li won the gold award for the children's group.

In December 2007, Li participated in a circular competition on Liyuanchun and won first place in her first round of competition. Later she got the opportunity to compete in the final of the Liyuanchun competition. As the youngest among six competitors in the children's group in the final, Li was not at all nervous on stage and she finally became the champion of the children's group.