[2] After graduation Li joined the Beijing Film Studio, working as a director and cinematographer.
It was widely praised and launched its main actors, Chen Kun, Dong Jie, and Liu Yifei into stardom.
[2] In 2009, Li directed the film A Tale of Two Donkeys (走着瞧), a fantasy romantic comedy starring Wen Zhang.
It received wide acclaim and Li was recognized with the Golden Rooster Award for Best Directorial Debut.
[2] On 10 April 2018, Li died from intrahepatic cholangiocarcinoma at Tsinghua Changgeng Hospital in Beijing, at the age of 47.