The daughter of Li Jinhui, she featured in his musicals from a young age, despite tradition expecting female roles to be played by men.

By the age of eighteen she had appeared in numerous films, stage dramas, and phonograph records, taking a hiatus in 1928 to tour Southeast Asia with her father's Bright Moon Song and Dance Troupe.

Around this time, she began to feature in musicals staged by her father, which included Sparrows and Children, Moonlit Night,[2] and Ms. Orchid.

She gained acclaim for her fairy maiden dances, appeared in stage dramas, and released numerous gramophone records,[4] including several meant for children.

[7] In her stage performances, she presented herself as a confident modern woman fluent in Mandarin and able to set her own course; however, she continued to face accusations that she promoted "licentious singing and lurid dancing.

The company had acquired the rights to Zhang Henshui's Two Stars in the Milky Way, and despite the role being based on Li's experiences, Violet Wong was cast in the lead.