Li Yong

Li Yong was born on May 3, 1968, in Urumqi, Xinjiang, China. His father had studied in Japan, and his mother was from Suzhou. He moved to Nanjing with his family when he was young. He joined China Central Television in 1959, and became one of the first news anchors on the national news program Xinwen Lianbo. He was known for his clear and authoritative voice, and his professional and charismatic style. He also hosted many other programs, such as Lucky 52, Super 6+1, and various editions of the CCTV New Year's Gala. He was interested in environmental issues, such as the protection of endangered animals and the reduction of noise pollution. He also wrote books, articles, poems and songs, and used various pseudonyms. He was widely regarded as the "Godfather of Chinese media" and a cultural icon of China. He was also a member of the Communist Party of China. He married Ha Wen, a producer and publicist, in 1992. They had a daughter, Fatima Li, born in 2002. He died of cancer in New York City on October 25, 2018, at the age of 50.