Li Nanxing, Chen Yixin And More Celebs Born In The Year Of The Dragon

We’re welcoming the Lunar New Year very soon and one of the questions that we’re always curious to know is what’s in store for our Chinese zodiac sign for the year ahead. 

This year is the Year of the Dragon, which is widely believed to be extra auspicious because of how the creature represents power, luck and wealth. It's also why some parents wouldn't mind having 'dragon babies', including these celebs who are set to welcome their own in 2024 (congrats!).

Within the celebrity circuit, several stars were born in the Year of the Dragon. South Korean singer-rapper G-Dragon is an example. It is said that he picked his stage name based on his original name Kwon Ji Yong, in which Ji sounds like the letter g and yong translates to dragon in Korean language.

Ahead, we put together local and international stars who were born in the Year of the Dragon.

Li Nanxing

Birth date: 7 November 1964

Li Nanxing is arguably one of the most recognised faces and household names in Singapore. The Ah Ge made his first debut in 1986 with Crossroads. He subsequently rose to fame and became widely recognised with his role in the iconic drama, The Unbeatables which co-starred Zoe Tay. Nanxing had been a regular winner of the Top 10 Most Popular Male Artiste at Star Awards. After winning 10 of the said awards, he was presented the All-Time Favourite Artiste award in 2004. Today, Nanxing has his own talent management agency named LNX Global.

Zheng Geping

Birth date: 27 May 1964

Zheng Geping is no stranger to the local showbiz. The veteran actor and hubby to fellow actor Hong Hui Fang, Geping has starred in countless local dramas including Tofu Street and Like Father Like Daughter which earned him the Best Actor award at Star Awards 2007. After 36 years of being in front of the cameras, he made the decision to leave MediaCorp. Since then, the All-Time Favourite Artiste has taken on behind-the-scenes roles including an executive producer for a few dramas as well as being the director, producer, and actor of local film titled Deleted.

Vivian Lai

Birth date: 18 December 1976

Vivian broke into the local showbiz scene in 1999 when she emerged winner for talent show Star Search. Over the years, the Taiwan-born actress had appeared in local dramas such as Holland V (2003) and Double Happiness (2004). In 2015, she won Star Awards’ All-Time Favourite Artiste Awa

Lawrence Wong

Birth date: 5 August 1988

Malaysian-born Singaporean actor Lawrence has come a long way in his entertainment career. When he first started as an actor, Lawrence was playing supporting roles in television series such as Living with Lydia and Three Wishes. In 2018, he took on the role of Hai Lancha in the famous period drama Story of Yanxi Palace, and rose to fame in China. Besides acting, Lawrence is also a skincare lover. He founded his own beauty brand Grail in 2021. Its range of skincare products includes sunscreen, masks, cleanser,s and more.

Chen Yixin

Birth date: 26 April 2000

Model-actress Yixin is most famously known as the daughter of former actor Edmund Chen and actress Xiang Yun. She made her first debut in 2017, appearing in a Channel 8 drama titled While We Are Young. In between her acting gigs, Yixin also fronts social media campaigns for beauty and fashion brands including Kiehl’s and Valentino. Most recently, Yixin took to her Instagram account and broke the news of breaking up with her singer-boyfriend of five years, Gavin Teo. 

Jeffrey Xu

Birth date: 3 October 1988

Singapore-based MediaCorp actor Jeffrey Xu first rose to fame in 2010 when he was crowned winner of Star Search. After debuting in Devotion, Jeffrey got a nomination for Best Newcomer at the Star Awards 2012. The next year, he won Best Actor in a Supporting Role at the 18th Asian Television Awards for his role in Marry Me. In October 2022, he wedded former actress Felicia Chin and held an intimate church ceremony that was attended by fellow artistes including Elvin Ng, Romeo Tan and Chantalle Ng.

Henry Thia

Birth date: 25 February 1952

Veteran actor and comedian Henry has been in showbiz for many years. Besides being a regular cast member at Channel 8’s Comedy Nite, Henry has also appeared in homegrown films including Money No Enough, Money No Enough 2 and more. In 2009, he won Best Supporting Actor at Asia Pacific Film Festival for his role in Money No Enough 2. This year, he appears in Money No Enough 3 which stars Jack Neo, Mark Lee and Xiang Yun.

Barbie Hsu

Birth date: 6 October 1976

One-half of former Taiwanese girl pop group ASOS, Barbie successfully transitioned from being a singer and television host to actress for the small and big screens. Some of her most iconic works include Meteor Garden (her role as Dong Shancai skyrocketed her to fame) and A Chinese Ghost Story. She divorced her former husband of 10 years, Wang Xiaofei in 2021, with whom she shares a son and daughter. Now, she’s married to South Korean singer DJ Koo.

Janice Man

 Birth date: 29 December 1988 

Over the years, Hong Kong model-turned-actress Janice has starred in numerous films and dramas. Her most successful film yet is none other than Lost in the Stars which was released in 2022. The following year, Janice won the Best Supporting Actress award at the 15th Macau International Movie Festival for her role in Lost in the Stars. 

In her thank you post on Instagram, Janice wrote, “Seven years ago, it was my first time being nominated for this award. I didn’t get it. A year later, I was nominated again and I didn’t win. Now, I’ve finally received my first Best Supporting Actress award. Thank you to those who’ve given me opportunities along my journey. No matter how difficult it was, I never thought of giving up. 

G-Dragon

Birth date: 18 August 1988

Multi-award-winning rapper and fashion muse G-Dragon, whose real name is Kwon Ji Yong, has released many songs since his debut in 2006. He’s also the leader of South Korean boy band BigBang. Some of his hits include Crooked and One of a Kind. According to his new agency Galaxy, the singer is slated to make a comeback this year. 

G-Dragon will also be establishing an anti-drug foundation to “eradicate drugs for the defenceless youth and others who go down the scary and wrong path,” he wrote in a letter that was shared by Galaxy during a press conference in December 2023.

Rihanna

Birth date: 20 February 1988

Not just a music megastar, Rihanna has also taken over the fashion and beauty world. The stylish singer, with 152 million Instagram followers to boot, and has been a regular guest at the famous MET gala. In 2017, Rihanna launched her own beauty brand named Fenty Beauty by Rihanna, and later expanded the Fenty brand to include lingerie and loungewear label Savage X Fenty.

She shared: “Fenty Beauty by Rihanna was created for everyone: for women of all shades, personalities, attitudes, cultures, and races. I wanted everyone to feel included. That’s the real reason I made this line.”

Ni Ni

Birth date: 8 August 1988

Most famously known for playing Yu Mo in the 2011 Zhang Yimou-directed film The Flowers of War, Ni Ni has won numerous awards including Best Actress at the Changchun Film Festival and Macau International Movie Festival.

Outside of her acting career, Ni Ni is also a fashion darling. Earlier this year, Ni Ni, who’s the Global Brand Ambassador for luxury fashion house Gucci, was spotted in the new Gucci Valigeria travel selection ads alongside actor Chang Chen.

Adele

Birth date: 5 May 1988

She needs no introduction. Adele has four albums under her belt and several chart-topping — not to mention deeply touching — hits including Easy On Me, When We Were Young, and Someone Like You. Her songs are widely recognised as highly relatable, especially for those healing from heartaches. 

Aside from her winning voice, her straightforward and no-holds-barred personality has also won over the hearts of her fans around the world.

Kwon Sang-woo

Birth date: 5 August 1976

K-drama fans from the early 2000s will remember — and probably swoon over — Kwon for one of his most popular and iconic dramas, Stairway to Heaven. The heartthrob starred in the romance drama alongside other heavyweights including Choi Ji Woo, Kim Tae Hee and Park Shin Hye. 47-year-old Kwon wedded former Miss Korea Son Tae Young in 2008 and currently, the couple live in New Jersey with their two children.