Mrs. M.X. Li MBE is the co-founder of Pagoda Arts and one of the most respected cultural mentors within the UK’s Chinese community. A lifelong practitioner of Chinese classical music, performance, and heritage arts, she has dedicated more than 40 years to teaching and promoting Chinese culture across generations and communities in Britain.
She received her formal education at the Guangdong Provincial Institute of Literature and History, where she studied Chinese classical music, literature, and philosophy. Her foundational training was deeply shaped by her studies under Master Yang Xinlun, the founding President of the Guangdong Guqin Association and Honorary President of the Guangdong Chin Woo Athletic Association. As an inner disciple, Mrs. Li trained intensively in Guqin, Tai Chi, and Chinese philosophy, gaining not only technical skill but also spiritual cultivation. She was one of the founding members of the Guqin Research Society established by Master Yang.
In the 1960s, Mrs. Li performed with the Guangzhou Radio and Television Song and Dance Troupe, where she trained under renowned vocal and stage artists including Li Shaofang, Tan Peiyi, Huang Jinyun, and Chen Liying of the Guangdong Folk Art Troupe. She toured throughout China, performing traditional Chinese music and arts to diverse audiences.
From the 1970s, she shifted her focus to cultural programming, working as a cultural officer in Guangzhou’s public arts sector. There, she contributed to stage direction, community festivals, and grassroots cultural development, helping to preserve and promote traditional performance arts.
In 1983, Mrs. Li and her husband Mr. K.H. Li moved to Liverpool, where she began a new chapter in cultural service overseas. Over the last four decades, she has taught thousands of students in Tai Chi, Chinese folk dance, Cantonese opera, calligraphy, and traditional paper cutting. She has led workshops in schools, cultural centres, and public events throughout the UK and abroad.
Mrs. Li is the creator of the “Longquan Sword” Tai Chi routine, an elegant sequence that fuses the internal strength of Tai Chi with the visual grace of traditional Chinese sword dance. She also choreographed “Mu Guiying,” a martial arts-inspired stage piece blending Chinese opera with kung fu and dramatic storytelling — praised for its cultural richness and originality.
In 2008, she was named “Woman of the Year in Sports and Culture” by the Liverpool Daily Post, recognising her work in promoting both wellbeing and cultural education. In 2013, she was awarded an MBE (Member of the Order of the British Empire) for her outstanding contribution to community life and cultural heritage in the UK.
Now aged 82, Mrs. Li still teaches weekly and remains an active volunteer at Pagoda Arts. She continues to pass on her knowledge and inspire others through her teaching, mentorship, and creative work. She also plays a hands-on role in Pagoda’s HAF (Holiday Activities and Food) cultural clubs, cooking for young participants and supporting the team that delivers cultural education to the next generation. Her presence remains a guiding force — continuing the legacy she and her husband began in Liverpool’s Chinese community, through youth work, cultural sharing, and care.
Her lifelong dedication makes her a vital cultural bridge between generations and communities, preserving and sharing the richness of Chinese heritage in Britain.
