Beyond his professional and international accolades, Li is known as a celebrity in his own hometown, Gongzhuling in Jilin, and is respected for his generous donations and help to local charity organisations, especially in education.

A very modest man who is aware that he has not had the rigorous training of traditional Peking opera, he is constantly studying and passionately committed to make China's rich cultural heritage accessible both to the young generation and to audiences around the world.

From 1998 to 2006, he began to be trained professionally and to develop his singing and acting in nan dan (male plays female role in Peking Opera).

[3] His performance in "Farewell My Concubine" (霸王别姬) and "The Drunken Beauty" (贵妃醉酒), both from the famous Peking Opera made him an overnight sensation.

[2] In that same year, Li Yugang was invited to perform at Sydney Opera House in Australia, the second Chinese artist to have done so, and was awarded Southern Cross Gold Prize for Culture by the Australian Government.

For stage performance, Li created "Flower in Mirror, Moon in Water" (镜花水月) in 2010 and "The Painting of Four Beauties" (四美图) in 2011.

On 26 April 2019, a brand-new musical adaptation of "Lady Zhaojun" premiered at Beijing Tianqiao Art Center, and then launched a global tour in June.

In 2014, the Rhymoi Music company released Li Yugang's "Once Upon a Time in Shanghai" (民国旧梦) CD album.

In November 2016, his first literary work "The beauty I met" (玉見之美) which recorded his pilgrimage to China's intangible cultural heritage with words and pictures was published.