Huang Qiuyan

Huang Qiuyan, born in 1969, comes from an artistic family. Her father, Huang Boshou, was a director/choreographer with the Comrades Art Troupe of the Political Department of the Beijing Military Region, and her mother, Chen Lianghuan, was a dance teacher at a song-and-dance theatre. Outgoing from a young age, Huang Qiuyan was sent by her parents during elementary school to the Shichahai Sports School in Beijing for training, where she received martial arts instruction. She began studying martial arts at age 11, joined the Beijing professional wushu team at 13, and specialized in spear and sword practice. She won awards in Beijing wushu competitions for snake fist and double-sword events.

She started working for the Beijing Sports Service Company in 1985, beginning her professional career. Huang’s performing career began in 1982 when she started participating in film productions. In 1984 she played the female lead “Sanfeng” in Zhang Xinyan’s film Shaolin Kid (少林小子), acting alongside Li Lianjie (Jet Li). In 1986 she portrayed Sima Yan, a secular disciple of Southern Shaolin, in Liu Chia-liang’s (Liu Jialiang) film North and South Shaolin (南北少林). In 1992 Huang traveled to Hong Kong to shoot several low-budget films, and in 1993 she appeared as the character Long’er in the film The Jade Maiden of Tianshan (天山玉女剑), which was released on January 1, 1993.

Huang met Li Lianjie when they were teenagers; they were teammates in the wushu troupe and were a couple. They married officially in June 1987. After marriage, Huang became pregnant and in 1988 accompanied Li to Los Angeles, USA, where he developed his career. Li carried out martial arts training and exchanges there while Huang mainly took care of the household. As Li’s film career improved back in Hong Kong—working with director Tsui Hark on Once Upon a Time in China (the Wong Fei-hung films)—they had two daughters: Li Si and Li Taimi. Due to personal relationship breakdowns, the couple divorced in 1991.

After the divorce, Huang faced financial difficulty in the United States and began working in the beauty industry. A Hong Kong friend, Zheng Mingming, provided her an opportunity to learn beauty techniques and helped her take a management position at a beauty salon in San Francisco. Later, having accumulated experience in the beauty business, Huang started her own venture, renting space to open a hair salon and becoming a beautician. Although not wealthy, she maintained self-sufficiency in the U.S.

In 2005 Huang remarried in San Francisco to a friend from Shandong. Her second marriage was based on a renewed emotional relationship; the two married after dating for two years. Huang Qiuyan’s life has encompassed martial arts, performing, family life, and a professional transition, reflecting a diverse personal trajectory.