 Li made his acting debut in the 1997 television series, "Seventeen Year-Olds Don't Cry", and was remembered for his role as a young, energetic and pure boy.Li's career went quiet for several years, in which time he embarked on several unsuccessful business ventures and flirted with the idea of becoming a racing car driver.In 2002, under the recommendation of his mentor Lü Liping, Li got the role of Qi Beile in the palace romance drama "13th Princess" and started to re-gain attention.