Being awarded with the title and medal of Reform Pioneer, the honor of People's Artist with Professional Excellence and Moral Integrity to promote the core values of socialism, Li Xuejian is deserved a leading figure of Chinese film and television performing artists. Looking back to his career, we can see that all his artistic achievements are accompanied by the pace of China's reform and opening up.

He has performed about 90 films and televisions in the past 40 years and created endless classic characters which are greatly favored by the audiences.

His first film, Tianshan Mountain Trek, can be traced back to 1981 which was shot by August First Film Studio and he played Yu Haizhou, a company instructor. 

In following years, he cooperated with famous Chinese directors many times. He once cooperated with director Tian Zhuangzhuang to play an old artist Fang Baoqing living in Peking.

He also played Cao Depei, a photojournalist in Family Portrait directed by Li Shaohong, the Sixth Uncle carrying a flattering smile in Shanghai Triad directed by Zhang Yimou, the arrogant Ying Zheng in The Emperor and The Assassin directed by Chen Kaige, and the General Feng Shi, the base commander in Roaring Across the Horizon directed by Chen Guoxing. 

What’s worth mentioning is that he has also played Jiao Yulu and Yang Shanzhou, whose images have deeply impressed the audience to become the representative and classic figures of the film industry in new China. 

The film Jiao Yulu was premiered in 1990 which touched countless audience at that time. The boxing office was as high as 130 million yuan although the ticket price was only 0.3 yuan. It hit the record for the first-round copies of a new Chinese film since the founding of the People's Republic of China. Li Xuejian also won the 11th Golden Rooster Awards for Best Actor and the 14th Hundred Flowers Awards for Best Actor with his vivid performance in the film Jiao Yulu. 

At the awarding ceremony of the 11th Golden Rooster Awards, Li Xuejian once said such moving words, “all the hardships and pains are suffered by Jiao Yulu while all the fame and fortune are harvested by a silly guy named Li Xuejian.” He always upholds a dedicated, sincere and down-to-earth attitude, a spirit of love, awe and dedication as well as the ideals and beliefs in his heart. “An actor should have works with sentiment and create the characters with vitality." That’s his eternal pursuit.

Li Xuejian has involved in the BJIFF for long. When he attended the closing & award ceremony at the 8th BJIFF as an awarding guest in 2018, the audience spontaneously stood up to applause for a long time to pay tribute to him. That's the love and admiration for him from the heart of all the audience and actors, as well as the best proof for his superb acting skills and noble morality.

During his career of more than 40 years, Li Xuejian has never changed his determination to stand with the audience. He has always strictly followed the discipline of "trying to become a qualified actor favored by the audience” to communicate with the audience and realize the self-values with the artistic works. As the famous writer Shi Tiesheng has said, "Li Xuejian surmounts inferiority with sincerity and efforts and all the rewards he want are nothing but spiritual happiness. Any behaviors or careers for spiritual enjoyment will never suffer from failure. Li Xuejian is very likely to become the one with the most happiness."

As Li Xuejian said in his message to the BJIFF, “I’d like to write a centennial love letter for the BJIFF, make friends with the audience through film characters.” The BJIFF and the “Tiantan Award” Jury with Li Xuejian as the President are also willing to write a centennial love letter for the films!