Li tells good stories with actions not words. Photo: Courtesy of Li Qinghua

On a corner of a Beijing street, a lifeless silver statue stands firmly without moving. When you go in to give it a closer look, it makes an unexpected turn before it becomes still again.

These so-called living statues are quite commonplace in the West, particularly in tourist areas, and are now becoming a fixture of modern day Beijing as well. Go to Wangfujing or Qianmen Dajie and you will come across these actors, some dressed like something from the future, while others don more traditional Chinese attire.

Of them is a 31-year-old man called Li Qinghua, who entered this field at the age of 20. With a decade of perfecting the art under his belt, he is now the leader of the Hei Xiang Zi performing group, the first of its kind in China to train people within this profession. Behind his stoic appearance, he tells us of an early career mired by sweat and tears.

Small steps

Before he started his job in the 1990s, he was a nameless actor struggling to maintain motivation. Then he was introduced to the Hei Xiang Zi performing group. At this stage it was just to pay the bills, earning a meager 800 yuan ($126) per month.

The first three months of training were unforgettable. "I was told to stand in an open space for the entire day every day," he later recalled. "Apart from going to the toilet or grabbing a quick lunch, the rest of the eight hours I had to stand."

When he did break for lunch, this was a strain too. Since it takes around an hour to get dressed and painted, he had to get used to taking small bites of food at a time to avoid ruining the make-up.

Similar to the old Chinese saying that one minute on stage takes 10 years of practice, when movement was required as part of an act, it took a while to perfect. Even a simple hand gesture had to be practiced for hours and there was always room for improvement. "A living statue is not just a statue. You have to add movements to the character you play," Li said. From sedan chair carrier to royal banner man, Li put his heart and efforts into exploring the characters. 

His first show was at an anniversary event at the Xin Dongan market in 1999. It lasted for two days and he attracted a lot of attention. Later in 2000, he got the chance to play a living statue in Laoshe teahouse, for a whole year, which really boosted his reputation in the field.

Play acting

Li soon realized that a simple performance of lifeless standing with a few moves was not enough to really draw in a crowd. He and his team therefore came up with a series of roles and movements that were interconnected. "It functions like a performance on a theater stage," he said. Various living statues would congregate in the same area to attract more passers-by, who would in turn sit down and enjoy the show. 

Apart from the show itself, the clothes and paintings are designed by his team. "What we use are customized clothes that may be repainted with different colors for different shows," Li explained. The body paint is apparently harmless and even edible, although it's difficult to wash off.

Tortured artist

Li might have originally taken this job just to earn money, but soon developed a passion for it. And he now feels responsible for keeping the art form alive. Li struggles to find skillful performers who stick it out, a problem he can relate to. "Youngsters want to have varied experiences in their career, which I cannot disagree with."

Added to this is the problem of pay. While Li's salary has significantly increased over the years, it is still not great. "There was one time when we could not pay the rent of our rehearsal venue for half a year," Li recalled.

For Li and his counterparts, they might not have to move much, but there is still a long way to go.