Mini Profile of Vanda Margraf, emerging star actress

Mar 4, 2025 12:47 am

MINI PROFILE OF VANDA MARGRAF - LI WANDA

Pictures (my snapshots and my Gif) and highlighted texts link to more information

Li Wanda 李宛妲 (Vanda Margraf) was born on June 18, 2003 in Jinghong, Xishuangbanna Dai Autonomous Prefecture, China.

Nicknames : Vanda, Wan Da (宛妲), Da Da (妲妲), Rainforest Elf (雨林精灵 / 雨林精靈) the latter from a performance on stage.

Zodiac Signs Gemini / Goat (yessss: "greatest of all times" lol ! She is not too sheepish.) "People born in the year of the Goat are often considered artistic, compassionate, and nurturing."

She presently lives in Shanghai.

She is the daughter of the late doctor and German biologist Josef Margraf/Ma You (April 2, 1953-January 26, 2010, passed away from a heart attack) and Li Mingou (a Han native of Yunnan). Her parents were “ecological volunteers” living and working on the restoration and reconstruction of the Xishuangbanna rainforest.

Linda and Vanda at the tomb of their father in Xishuangbanna in 2012.

Dr. Josef Margraf "Ma You" : "Green Hero in China", recorded in 2007 (click on for full program on vimeo, 6'33)

Her father named her "Vanda", after the Vanda orchid, a garden goddess. The flower has a color between blue and purple, which was the color she was born!

"Vanda sanderiana, or more popularly known as Waling-Waling, is an orchid endemic to Mindanao in the Philippines. The Bagobo, one of the indigenous peoples in southern Mindanao, are said to worship this orchid as a diwata. Their name for it, “waring-waring”, means “beautiful goddess”. The Diangans call it “Diwatang Madayaw”, which means “beautiful lady from heaven”. - Due to deforestation and over-collecting, the waling-waling is critically endangered."

She has two sisters : elder Linda Margraf born in 2001 and younger "godsister" Wang Yijie who was a “Super Girl” contestant (she performed on stage an Ave Maria song, alongside Linda, left on the picture, which links to an excerpt of the show where they appeared with their mother and godmother, in 2011). Vanda also appeared briefly on stage.

Vanda wanted to study dancing and was sent to school at The Affiliated Secondary School of Beijing Dance Academy where she learned latin dance and jazz dance.

Vanda Margraf first appeared on screen in 2011 and started her acting career at the age of fifteen.

She was first discovered by Director Wong Kar-Wai, who signed her for the first time. After that, she competed in various talent series in China and got immense popularity through it.

She appeared as Wan Yonah in her debut movie Ip Man 4: The Finale, 叶问4: 完结篇 / 葉問4: 完結篇 when she was only 16 years old. She was nominated for Hong Kong Film Award for Best New performer.

IpMan4 can be streamed on Filmo (paywall)

She appeared in the 2020 film Cry of the Birds 鸟鸣嘤嘤 a movie directed by Tian ZhuangZhuang, alongside Wu Yuheng , Qi Zhou and Zhang Yu (still to be released?) The film tells the story of educated youth planting rubber trees in Yunnan in the 1960s.

She got her first main role as Feng Baobao, in 2024 fantasy action movie Under One Person- 异人之下 (also known as "The Traveller") and sang the interlude Boxwood Shoulder Pole 黄杨扁担 (a version of this traditional song is linked to its title. The snippet from Vanda can be listened to after timestamp 2:04:46 on this bootleg version of the movie -unavailable elsewhere)

Vanda Margraf/Li Wanda won 2024 Best Newcomer in a Motion Picture award from iQiyi TV and movie awards

Short synopsis : "Zhang Chulan, who has been hiding his identity as an Inhuman, is caught up in the vortex of fighting between different Inhuman sects." (imDB)
Related Content drama: 2023 I Am Nobody

She also appeared in the January 2025 movie Detective Chinatown 1900 唐探1900 as Princess DaDa, still in movie theaters.

as Feng Baobao

Northward 北上 is her first TV drama, shot in Kunshan, Suzhou, Jiangsu province, from May 31, to October 16, 2023.

UPCOMING, STILL FILMING or PROJECTS

Our Destiny 我们的命中注定 a youth romance, adaptation of the Korean movie “The Classic”, starring Lin Yi, Wang Tian Fan, Guan Yue. Vanda Margraf plays as Shen Zhuxi. Booting ceremony was on Nov.16, 2024. Still filming?

Blades of the Guardians 镖人: 风起大漠 a wuxia movie adapted from the manhua "Blades of the Guardians" (镖人) by Xu Xian Zhe (许先哲). The projected cast includes Wu Jing, Ci Sha, Yu Shi, Nicholas Tse, Jet Li and Vanda Margraf.

But there is a trailer out since Feb2025 for that title with following description: "During the chaotic period towards the end of the Tang Dynasty, the Prince of Liang usurped power and secretly eliminated the heir to the throne. Tian Anye, a humble charcoal seller, unintentionally gets entangled in this conspiracy. In a series of intense battles where allies and enemies become blurred, the secrets hidden within Tian Anye and the truth behind the sacrifice of the people in Liang City are unveiled. In the end, Tian Anye fights against the imperial soldiers, saving a mother and child and escaping from the city of Chang'an." With following cast and crew : Director Wei Li ; Writer Meng Li ; cast: Max Zhang Jin ; Geng Le ; Xia Meng ; Jiang Luxia ; Liu Hua ; Liu Fengchao; Ren Hao ; Feng Lei

	Besides acting, she also does modeling shoots. In September 2017, Vanda Margraf was featured on the cover of InStyle magazine; to the left, a preparation for an InStyle magazine shoot in 2020. Lounging in a Salvatore Ferragamo flowered silk dress, etc.
Brand ambassador for Guerlain in 2024: And for L'Oreal in 2025 (Valentines Day video in February) :