The Dragon Li is believed to be a direct descendant of the Chinese Mountain cat (Felis bieti), a wild feline species native to China with a long history. Despite its ancient roots, the breed was only recently standardized. It made its debut as an experimental-class standardized breed in Beijing, China, in January 2004. One notable male Dragon Li named Needy, owned by Da Han, made waves by winning first place as a CAA champion in 2005. Following this victory, Needy was ceremoniously 'married' to a breeding partner in a traditional Chinese wedding ceremony, which garnered significant press coverage.
In February 2010, the Dragon Li/Li Hua was officially accepted for showing in the miscellaneous class by the international Cat Fanciers' Association (CFA) based in the US. Since achieving international recognition, and owing to its limited availability, the Dragon Li/Chinese Li Hua has captured the interest of cat enthusiasts worldwide. In China, the breed is commonly known as Li hua mau. More recently, the names Chinese Li Hua and Dragon Li have been adopted internationally for the standardized breed, with the symbol of the 'dragon' representing power and good luck in Chinese folklore.
