Tong Liya

Biography

Tong Liya is a Chinese actress and dancer of Xibe ethnicity, born in 1983 in Ili, Xinjiang. She comes from a musical family; her father held prominent positions in music associations, and her mother was a vocal professor. She began learning dance at age five at the Ili youth palace and participated in ethnic dance performances from an early age. After graduating from the arts institute, she was assigned to the Xinjiang Song and Dance Troupe and won second place in the first "Miss Xinjiang" competition in 2002. She moved to Beijing in 2003 to work with the China Song and Dance Ensemble, then decided to change careers and enrolled at the Central Academy of Drama in 2004. She began her acting career in 2006 when director Er Dongsheng cast her in the TV series "New Endless Love," which led to her official debut in 2008 when the series aired on CCTV. She gained fame through roles in series such as "World of Empresses," "Palace," and "Beijing Love Story," becoming one of China's rising actresses. She currently serves as a council member of the China Television Artists Association.