Feng Li - Little Prince Lifetime Achievement Award

22nd September 2025, at 4 PM

Hotel Patria

Feng Li, born in 1966, is a prominent Chinese writer and playwright who graduated from the Department of Dramatic Literature of the Central Academy of Drama in 1991.

Currently, Feng Li serves as President of China National Opera and Dance Drama Theater and a Member of the National Committee of the Chinese People’s Political Consultative Conference (CPPCC). Her leadership extends to various national arts organizations, including her roles as President of the China Children’s Drama Society, Chairman of ASSITEJ China (the China Center of the International Association of Theatre for Children and Young People), Council member of China Theatre Association and China National Arts Fund, and Vice Chairman of the China Drama Association. A recognized expert in her field, Feng Li is an Outstanding Expert of the Ministry of Culture and Tourism of the People’s Republic of China and holds the position of Visiting Professor and Doctoral Supervisor at the Department of Dramatic Literature of the Central Academy of Drama. Previously, she served as President of China National Theatre for Children.

From 1983 to 1986, while working in a factory, she published novels and other literary works in China’s most influential literary journals, winning literary awards twice. In 1986, she enrolled in the Central Academy of Drama to study theatre. During her five years there, she continued to publish novels and served as a columnist for Girlfriend, a magazine with a circulation of 1 million. In 1990, her first theatrical work was staged and won an award. In 1996, her first large-scale stage play premiered and received an award, and her first independently written 20-episode TV series was broadcast nationwide.

Since graduating university in 1991, she has created over 20 TV series totaling nearly 300 episodes and won numerous national top awards. Beyond her series work, she has penned over 30 diverse short plays for television, each reaching hundreds of millions of viewers. Many of these plays have become household names across China. She has created over 20 works spanning stage dramas, musicals, ballets, radio dramas, and children’s theatre. Her dramatic literature has earned her China’s top award in the field, as well as over 30 national honors across various categories. In addition to her plays, she has published novels, essay collections, criticism anthologies, and play selections.

Since becoming an administrator of the national art troupes in 2002, Feng Li has consistently maintained her creative practice. Over the past four decades, she has explored writing across diverse platforms, including literature, film, television, radio, and theatre. Her works span realistic, historical, and fantasy themes, encompassing genres such as serious drama, comedies, and tragedies. Widely recognized as a successful cross-genre writer, she excels in multiple fields.

Since joining China National Theatre for Children in 2014, Feng Li has dedicated herself to children’s theatre. As a playwright, she has seen 9 out of her 11 plays for children and youth staged, with each play garnering at least two national awards. Notably, her musical, A Cat's Legend in the Forbidden City, achieved an impressive 50-performance initial residency run. Beyond her playwriting, Feng Li is also a scholar, having published numerous papers on children's and youth drama. As a leader within China National Theatre for Children, she has planned and organized the creation of over 50 children’s plays, the most representative of which, Three Monks, participated in the 25th International Festival of Children's Theatre Subotica in 2018 and received the Special Award.

Feng Li is a driving force in the development of theatre for young audiences, evidenced by her pioneering work: establishing the “Seed Program” to support theatre initiatives nationwide; creating and staging performances specifically for rural children; and launching a national children’s theatre incubation program that, over four years, has fostered the development of over 40 theatre works from nearly 600 submitted concepts. As an educator, she has nurtured a vast pool of creative talent, reaching over 400,000 participants through her online courses. Since 2022, her theatre activities have consistently garnered over 300 million online views, significantly expanding the reach and impact of children’s and youth theatre.