Conservatism forces transgender performers to fight for spotlight.

Li rose to fame in 2006 in a talent show with his cross-gender act (fanchuan art), a fresh form of stage art that combines make-up and performances. Since then, there has been an increase in the number of both performers and audiences for fanchuan. "Li launched a new era for this art, and it came at the right time," said Tang Yigang, a performing art commentator. Read more.