Ally Li, founder of both SD Media and the cultural brand HOSHIJIE (meaning good times in Chinese), is vice-chairperson of Guangdong-Hong Kong-Macao Greater Bay Area Youth Association. She also became the first person from Macao to perform Kunqu opera on CCTV (China Central Television)'s Lantern Festival Opera Gala. She has described the changes in her life during the past 10 the years as "earth-shaking and thorough." Says Li: "As a native of Macao, I feel lucky that I have obtained many valuable development opportunities in the big family of our motherland."

This year marks the 20th anniversary of Macao's return to China. For Li, the second decade — 2009 to 2019 — after Macao's return to China has been filled with golden years, during which she has undergone remarkable changes and compiled achievements in her life.

Brave, Diligent, Responsible

When asked to describe herself with a few key words, Li answers: "Brave, diligent, serious and sense of responsibility … I am always optimistic, and I have never been beaten in the heart."

In 2009, the company that employed Li collapsed. Li's father, an entrepreneur, encouraged her to start her own business, while her mother hoped she would find a job with a government department. Li took her father's advice. "Maybe I inherited the gene of bravery from my dad," she jokes.

Li decided to establish a magazine. "At that time, Macao didn't have its own magazine that focused on local fashion trends and information. It was inconceivable. We should have our own magazine of that type," Li explains. So, she started SD Magazine.

Li initially depended on advertising revenues to distribute her magazines — for free. During the past 10 years, some 137 editions of the magazine have been published. SD Media has developed into a cultural group, which owns a newspaper, two magazines, a public relations company, an advertising company and a new-media company.

Li meanwhile has grown into a real entrepreneur. During the first few years of her business, she studied MBA (Master of Business Administration) courses at Zhongshan University, in Guangzhou, capital of South China's Guangdong Province, to expand her knowledge.

"I still remember what my teacher said during a class. He stressed that we were not just businessmen, that we should be entrepreneurs who contribute to social progress, and who achieve sustainable development. His remarks had a great influence on me, and helped guide my following development," Li says.

She believes having a sense of responsibility is more important than making money. She has always tried her best to spread positive energy, and she has encouraged her employees to make good use of their talents.

"Think like a boss, act like a lady" is Li's favorite quote. "A woman entrepreneur may have a good appearance, affinity and sense of care. She should also have the vision of the overall situation, so, when she makes a decision, she is able to take extensive factors into consideration and pave the way for the optimal development of her company. People face both opportunities and challenges amid fierce market competition. It is your ability and quality that win you opportunities in the market, not the gender," Li says.

"If you lose your fighting spirit, your colleagues will feel it. If you are confident and passionate, your team will have a strong sense of cohesion and solidarity. That is the charm and responsibility of an entrepreneur," Li adds.

Bond with Kunqu

"I never imagined how far I would reach when I started my own business. But, I believe, as long as you do your best with your current work, opportunities will come naturally," Li says.

Li's bond with Kunqu opera began in 2005, when the Cultural Affairs Bureau of the Macao SAR (Special Administrative Region) Government hosted an art festival. Pai Hsien -yung, a renowned writer and Kunqu opera producer, was invited to promote the Kunqu opera, The Peony Pavilion (Young Lovers' Edition), during the festival. A great fan of Kunqu opera, he has committed himself to preserving and promoting the traditional art form worldwide.

"I was fascinated by Kunqu opera, a combination of literature, opera and dances. It is such a great art form that embodies classic beauty," Li says. She was not content with being just a fan of Kunqu opera, she decided to learn the opera. "I wanted to have a deep bond with it," she adds.

As she lived in Macao, it was difficult for her to find a professional Kunqu opera teacher. But Li never gave up on her dream of learning the opera. At her friends' recommendations, she began learning the opera through online courses, given by famous Kunqu opera artist Qiu Caiping, in Nanjing, capital of East China's Jiangsu Province.

"The online courses were a great help to me. I could finally have easy access to real Kunqu opera. But for Cantonese speakers, learning Kunqu opera is like learning a foreign language, as the opera involves singing in the dialect of East China's Jiangsu and Zhejiang provinces. I must overcome the difficulty of speaking the dialect," Li recalls. She visited Qiu several times to learn vocalization methods.

In 2014, Li participated in a national Kunqu opera contest, and she won the bronze medal. She became the first person from Macao to win a national prize related to Kunqu opera.

To promote Kunqu opera in Macao, Li and some of her friends established Chinese Kunqu Culture Association of Macao in 2018. The association only had two members in the beginning. Now, it has more than 60 members.

This year, Li became the first person from Macao to perform on CCTV's Lantern Festival Opera Gala, which was broadcast on February 19. "It is the dream of many artists to perform on CCTV's stage. I am just a fan of Kunqu opera, not a professional actress. I feel really lucky and happy to have been able to perform on such a stage," Li says.

When she researched Kunqu opera and Macao's history, Li discovered Tang Xianzu (1550-1616), a great playwright during China's Ming Dynasty (1368-1644), and who wrote The Peony Pavilion, once visited Macao and formed a friendship with Italian missionary Matteo Ricci (1552-1610). Tang had written several poems to describe what he saw in Macao.

Inspired by that history, Li decided to create a stage drama that combined Kunqu opera to present how Macao is related to Kunqu opera, and to promote Macao and traditional Chinese cultures. Li, the playwright and an actress in the drama, plans to finish writing and stage the drama in Shanghai and Guangzhou next year. "I hope that more people will understand the history of Macao through this drama," she says.

Li's idea to create the cultural brand, HOSHIJIE, was also derived from her experience while learning Kunqu opera. Her store, HOSHIJIE, is situated in Rua dos Ervanarios, in Macao. She sells original Chinese clothes and cultural and creative products that feature Macao's characteristics. The store is also a good place for people to enjoy tea.

Li won third prize during an entrepreneurship and innovation contest, in Guangdong Province, for her cultural brand, HOSHIJIE.

More Opportunities

Twenty years ago, when CCTV filmed a documentary in Macao, Li, then a middle school student, was interviewed. "As a Chinese, it is very meaningful to know the landscapes, culture and customs of the motherland. Chinese should have a better understanding of their own country," she said. At that time, she was a member of her school's history and geography association, and she often visited scenic spots and historical sites in Chinese mainland.

Li has witnessed the opportunities presented to Macao SAR, and the development of the motherland, during the past two decades. "Each of us is the beneficiary of national development and the progress of the times. My peers and I live happy lives, and we work hard. We are grateful to our motherland for the care and support," Li says.

Earlier this year, Li became vice-chairperson of Guangdong-Hong Kong-Macao Greater Bay Area Youth Association, and chairperson of Macao District.

"The multiple policies in the greater bay area has brought opportunities for us to expand our market in the Chinese mainland. I will keep promoting Macao's culture, and traditional Chinese culture, and I will expand my career in the Chinese mainland and promote exchanges between young people from the Chinese mainland and Macao SAR. Let us embrace a more vibrant future," she says.

(Women of China English Monthly December 2019 issue)