Liu Huan

Liu Huan was born into a teacher's family in Tianjin. His exact birth date is not specified, but he attended Tianjin Stadium Primary School in his early years. At the age of eight, he collaborated with classmate Dai Zhicheng to become members of a cross talk performance group at Tianjin Stadium Primary School, with Liu Huan serving as the comedic role. His mother initially did not want him to pursue a career in performance, so he declined an opportunity to be recruited by renowned performer Chang Baohua during his childhood. In addition to cross talk, Liu Huan is skilled in Peking opera, especially excelling in singing segments from "Stealing the Tiger Mountain," and participated in the sports hall primary school's propaganda team, gaining opportunities to perform and showcase his talents. He also knows Shandong Kuaishu (fast-paced storytelling).

In 1979, Liu Huan was admitted to Yaohua Middle School with excellent grades, but he did not continue his collaboration with Dai Zhicheng. From 1981 to 1985, he studied at the International Relations College, majoring in French, and developed a strong interest in music. Initially, his main exposure was to classical music, which helped build a solid musical foundation. Starting in 1983, Liu Huan began exploring popular music and started composing songs on his own, gradually showing interest in various vocal performance styles.

In 1985, he participated with Li Guowei in a French chanson competition organized by the French Embassy, winning awards and earning a one-week trip to France. Later that year, he entered a university English song contest at Peking University, singing three self-composed English songs. Between 1985 and 1986, at the invitation of the Central Lecturers' Group, Liu Huan went to Shizuishan, Ningxia, to teach for a year as a music instructor.

His entertainment career began in 1986 when he performed English and French songs for the first time on CCTV's "Movie World" evening show, including "Country Rock" and movie theme songs. Subsequently, he gained public recognition through the theme song "The Sun in My Heart" from the 1987 series "Snow City." In 1988, he released his first cassette album, "Dare to Love and Pursue," and composed the theme song for the political documentary "Century Trip." In 1989, his song "The Curved Moon" became widely popular, establishing him as an influential figure in China's pop music scene.

In the 1990s, Liu Huan received numerous music awards, including "Top Ten Young Composers Nationwide." He collaborated with Wei Wei to perform the theme song "Pride of Asia" for the Beijing Asian Games and the theme of the East Asian Games. His work on soundtracks for TV series such as "Beijing in New York" also achieved great success, breaking a three-year ban imposed by CCTV. His representative works include "Invite the Five Rings," "Rise of East Asia," and "Let Us Walk Together," among others. In 1997, he officially joined Sony Records, releasing several solo albums, becoming the first artist signed by an international record company in mainland China. In the new century, he continued to be active in music creation, performances, and public service, earning numerous honors and awards.

In 2004, Liu Huan became the first popular singer from mainland China to appear on a stamp. In 2008, he performed the theme song "You and Me" for the Beijing Olympics. That same year, he actively engaged in charitable causes, including wildlife protection, drug prevention campaigns, and youth education. Starting in 2012, he served as a mentor on "The Voice of China" and "Chinese Song," and frequently appeared on major occasions such as the Spring Festival Gala. He has also been a music educator, teaching at several renowned universities. He has received many significant awards in the Chinese music industry, such as winning "Singer 2019" and multiple lifetime achievement honors.

In his personal life, Liu Huan has been married to Lu Lu for many years and they have a daughter. After marriage, he maintained a stable family life and celebrated his 25th wedding anniversary in 2013. Regarding health, he was diagnosed in 2009 with avascular necrosis of the femoral head; after surgery and recovery, he gradually regained his health. Reports indicate that he withdrew from some performances and public activities in 2012 due to health reasons, but he remains active in music creation and charitable work.