Leanne Li

Li Yanan, born in 1981 in Vancouver, Canada (ancestral hometown not specified), began her public career in pageants. In 2004 she entered and won the Miss Chinese Vancouver pageant, and the following year (2005) she competed in and won the Miss Chinese International title. After that she signed with Hong Kong broadcaster TVB as a contracted artist.

In 2005 she played the role of Wendy Mok in the TV drama 女人唔易做 and began hosting several entertainment programs, including TVB8’s 火爆音乐空间 and 超级乐坛全接触. In 2006 she appeared in the TVB–CCTV co-produced anniversary drama 岁月风云, portraying the ex-wife of the character Wang Minde, and gradually established herself in the entertainment industry.

In June 2007 Li became a spokesperson for Louvre Bridal together with actor Raymond Lam (林峰) and they shot wedding photographs together. In August that year she signed on as the face of a slimming company for a six-figure fee. In 2008 she acted in 野蛮奶奶大战戈师奶 (starring Liza Wang/汪明荃), playing the character 嘉嘉, and later appeared as the murderer Hu Jiarong in 古灵精探.

From 2010 to 2013 Li Yanan played notable roles in several TV dramas, including portraying Bowie, the girlfriend of Raymond Lam’s character, in 谈情说案; Ivy, the girlfriend of 黎诺懿’s character, in 真相; and a character who quietly admires Jiang Zhiguang in 仁心解码2. In 2013 she appeared in the drama 巨轮 as the wealthy young lady Emily 卓宁. She has also frequently starred as the female lead in music videos, including Raymond Lam’s 赤地转机 and Andy Lau’s 继续谈情.

Throughout her career Li has participated in many variety shows and performances, including Hunan TV’s 百变大咖秀, recordings for Shenzhen TV, and multiple gala performances for China Central Television (CCTV). In 2018 and 2019 she performed on CCTV’s Lantern Festival and Mid-Autumn Festival galas, singing “花好月圆夜” and “想把我唱给你听” in duet with Wong Cho-lam (王祖蓝).

Li has been active in philanthropy: she attended charity concerts to raise funds for victims of the Japan earthquake, served as an ambassador for the “Jingxin Maternal & Child Care Room” public welfare project, and in 2021 she and her husband Wong Cho-lam donated RMB 500,000 to support flood relief in Henan. In 2023 she organized a charity art exhibition titled “Echoes of Love” (爱的回响), showcasing works that focus on rural elderly people and children.

Li Yanan has had influence in pageantry, entertainment, and charity work. Her honors include the 2005 Miss Chinese International championship and a nomination for Best Supporting Actress at TVB’s 2014 Star Awards (万千星辉颁奖典礼). She is described as tall and well-proportioned, with a healthy image, an optimistic personality, and an elegant bearing.