In a video posted on his social media earlier last month, the 63-year-old actor recounted his first terrifying brush with death. It occurred in 2004 while vacationing in the Maldives with his daughter when the tsunami struck. "The tsunami came so fast, we had no time to react. At first, the water was only up to our calves, but moments later it reached our chests, our necks, and we were swept away," Li said.
Li and his daughter were fortunate to survive. He remembers feeling panicked and disoriented as the waves carried them away. The fear didn't truly hit him until they were brought to safety. The 2004 Indian Ocean tsunami devastated the Maldives, claiming 82 lives and leaving 40 people missing.
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Actor Li Lianjie. Photo: Red Note |
Actor Li Lianjie. Photo: Red Note
Li's second near-death experience happened while filming Fearless in 2006. He lost his balance and fell from a high platform. Everything happened so quickly that his mind went blank. A stunt double managed to break his fall, preventing his head from hitting the ground. Instead, he rolled onto the floor. Li believes that if it weren't for the stunt double's intervention, he would have been crippled.
The third incident occurred while Li was meditating at an altitude of over 4,000 m above sea level. On the 5th day, he experienced difficulty breathing and lost control of his bodily functions. He was immediately brought down the mountain and hospitalized in Chengdu, Sichuan Province.
Having faced death multiple times, Li now views it with equanimity. In his 2023 autobiography, Beyond Life and Death: Li Lianjie's Search for Himself, he shared his funeral arrangements with his wife, Nina Li Chi. He desires a simple ceremony with no funeral or tombstone. His family can choose between burial or cremation.
Born in Beijing in 1963, Li began practicing martial arts at a young age. From 1975 to 1979, he won the All-China Wushu Championships five consecutive times. In 1980, at the age of 17, he rose to fame with the film Shaolin Temple, followed by a string of successful martial arts films like Once Upon a Time in China, Swordsman II, Hero, Fearless, and Fist of Legend.
Li Lianjie and Donnie Yen in "Once Upon a Time in China II". Video: Bilibili
According to QQ, since completing Mulan in 2018, Li has reduced his acting work, dedicating his time to traveling the world, often visiting Buddhist sites in Bhutan and Nepal for spiritual practice. He views eating and sleeping as sustaining life, while spiritual practice sustains his spirit, bringing him joy and serenity. He expresses gratitude for the wise teachers he has encountered on his spiritual journey. Unlike his younger self, Li now feels at peace and ease.
Li has been married to Nina Li Chi, Miss Asia 1986, for 23 years and they have two daughters. Since their marriage, Li Chi has retired from the entertainment industry to focus on family.
Nhu Anh (according to Ifeng, QQ)
