Li Ning's wife, Chen Yongyan, is from Wuzhou City in Guangxi and was a member of the Guangxi Gymnastics Team. She later entered the national team. In 1982 at the Asian Games in New Delhi, Chen Yongyan won the championship and was hailed as the "Queen of Asian Gymnastics." In 1983, Li Ning, a native of Liuzhou, and Chen Yongyan, a native of Wuzhou, met and began their romance.