Liu Yuanyuan, a soprano with the China Ethnic Song and Dance Ensemble, is a member of the 14th National Committee of the Chinese People's Political Consultative Conference (CPPCC), and a member of the 13th Executive Committee of the All-China Women's Federation. Liu is known for her unique singing style, which combines folk-style singing with both the bel canto and popular Chinese singing styles. 

Her songs, including Five-Star Red Flag, The Nation, and Singing for the New Era, have been widely received by the public. For more than two decades, Liu has tied her artistic career closely to China's development. She has participated in various poverty-alleviation and public-interest initiatives, promoted international cultural exchanges, and devoted herself to promoting the spirit of the new era, through singing.

Liu Yuanyuan performs with a teenager, who escaped poverty and dreamed of being a singer, during a concert in Hamburg, Germany.

Growing Up

Liu was born in Dali Bai Autonomous Prefecture, in Southwest China's Yunnan Province, in 1976. She moved to Northwest China's Xinjiang Uygur Autonomous Region, with her parents, when she was 6. As a result of growing up in the two vastly different regions, Liu developed a unique character, which combines gentle romance and strong resilience.

During her early years in Dali, Liu was impressed by the locals, who were skilled in dancing and singing. Therefore, it was natural that she would develop an interest in performing. 

When she was in Xinjiang, she was surrounded by the vibrant cultures of various ethnic groups. Liu, an ethnic Miao woman, found it fascinating to live with people from other ethnic groups, to listen to the songs of different ethnic groups, and to taste the different types of food. 

Years later, Liu enrolled in Minzu University of China, in Beijing. While studying in the capital, Liu visited the Tian'anmen Square, the Palace Museum, and the Great Wall. Such experiences helped Liu understand the vastness and beauty of her homeland, and also influenced her singing career, as she infused her emotions into every melody and note. 

Throughout her career, Liu has performed numerous songs that have eulogized the country, the people, and the people's beautiful lives. In 1997, on the eve of Hong Kong's return to the motherland, the song, Shine, Hong Kong, left an indelible mark on history, as it marked the beginning of the handover ceremony. 

During the gala celebrating the 50th anniversary of the founding of the People's Republic of China (PRC), on October 1, 1999, Liu was first on stage, and she performed Five-Star Red Flag, which became popular across the country. 

Ten years later, during the gala celebrating the 60th anniversary of PRC's founding, Liu performed with international superstar Jackie Chan in singing The Nation, at the Great Hall of the People. 

During the opening ceremony of the World Expo in Shanghai, on April 30, 2010, Liu performed Meet in Shanghai with other singers. The song extended China's warm welcome to international friends. 

Liu Yuanyuan gives a public-interest music class to students from various ethnic groups in Xinjiang.

Public-Interest Initiatives 

Many of Liu's songs have been well received, and become popular, throughout the country. "These songs reflect the spirit of the times, and I am happy to see they often become as popular as pop songs. I think my songs are down to earth, and people love them from the bottom of their hearts," Liu says. 

In 1996, Liu joined the China Ethnic Song and Dance Ensemble, with which she has since participated in cultural performances in rural areas. She has always been deeply moved by the enthusiasm of the rural audiences, the members of which have generally sat attentively on benches or stones, immersed in the performances. During the performances, Liu feels a sense of purpose, as she knows her performances are providing spiritual nourishment to the spectators. 

During some of the performances, especially in impoverished areas, Liu noticed many of the children in attendance were in need of assistance. She wanted to create a platform that artists could use to help less-fortunate people. 

In 2012, Liu established "Liu Yuanyuan Public-Interest Music Class," through which she has offered music education in many regions of China, including Xinjiang, Yunnan, Northwest China's Gansu Province, Ningxia Hui Autonomous Region, and East China's Jiangxi Province. Through the classes, she has strived to offer hope and new experiences to children in rural China. 

In 2016, Liu was appointed "China Poverty Alleviation Promotion Ambassador" by the State Council's Leading Group Office of Poverty Alleviation and Development. During the next three years, she visited more than 70 impoverished counties, to visit farmers' homes, and to explain the country's poverty-alleviation policies. Her visits helped boost the confidence of locals, especially as they worked to lift themselves out of poverty. 

"As an artist, I feel lucky and honored to participate in the activities, through which I have witnessed the country's great achievements in poverty alleviation. I am happy to know people in rural areas are leading better lives now," says Liu.

Liu Yuanyuan with ethnic Bai people in Yunnan

Promoting Ethnic Unity 

Liu, an ethnic Miao artist, uses music to convey the beauty of ethnic unity. Liu is a member of the CPPCC National Committee, as a representative of ethnic minorities. She has been fulfilling her duties as a CPPCC member, and she has been paying special attention to the cultural development of regions with large ethnic minority populations in China. 

Based on field research conducted in rural areas, Liu has proposed a plan — to promote rural cultural revitalization in ethnic regions through multiple measures. She has also suggested efforts should be made to inherit and develop the traditional culture of ethnic groups, through digital means, so the unique charm of Chinese culture can be more easily presented to the world. 

During one symposium organized by the Committee on Ethnic and Religious Affairs of the CPPCC National Committee, Liu said, "I grew up witnessing the integration of multiethnic cultures, and I was nurtured by the rich and diverse ethnic cultures." She added her surveys and field research have helped her realize the tremendous changes that have occurred in China's ethnic regions. 

It is because of her experiences that her songs focus on ethnic unity, and promote the spirit of the times. "Many people, at the grassroots level, such as vegetable growers and express-delivery workers, and people from ethnic minorities, love to sing my songs. My songs convey the common aspiration of people from all ethnic groups," Liu says. 

"The Party (Communist Party of China) and the country have cultivated me into an artist in the new era. In the future, I will continue playing my role in delivering the Party and the country's policies to the people at the grassroots level. I will do my part to promote ethnic unity, and to advance cultural development in ethnic regions," Liu adds.

Photos from Interviewee 

(Women of China English Monthly March 2025)

Editor: Wang Shasha