Actor Li mourned by theater peers

"If I were a bird, I should sing with my husky throat ... after that I died, the feathers corrupted in the earth," performing artist Li Moran recited Ai Qing's poem with passion in his last TV appearance in April 2011.

Now the legendary bird of art has fallen.

A celebrated drama and film actor, honorary chairman of Chinese Dramatists Association and honorary president of Liaoning People's Art Theater, Li died of a heart attack at the age of 85 on Thursday afternoon in Beijing.

His son, Li Longyin, confirmed the news on Sina Weibo later in the evening. More than 10,000 friends and fans expressed condolences as the news spread, including screen celebrities like Cao Kefan and Sun Haiying.

Born in 1927, Li officially started his acting career at the age of 20 when he joined the Northeast Art Troupe in Harbin, Heilongjiang province. In 1954, he transferred to the People's Art Theater of Liaoning province, working first as an actor and then, the director of the theater.

The Naval Battle of 1894, released by Changchun Film Studio in 1962, was among Li's most acclaimed works. In the film, he acted as the naval hero Deng Shichang in the late Qing Dynasty (1644-1911). His giant stature and passionate acting techniques combined to make the character a screen legend.