Liu began his acting career as a student majoring in performing arts at the Central Academy of Drama in Beijing, and his talent in acting was apparent very early on. Liu was nominated for Best Supporting Actor for his role as a young postman in one of his first films, Postmen in the Mountains, at the 1999 Golden Rooster Awards. Shortly after his graduation, Liu won Best Actor at the 38th Golden Horse Awards for his performance as a young homosexual man in Lan Yu. Three years later, he clinched Best Actor with his role in The Foliage at the 24th Golden Rooster Awards. In addition, several of Liu's films have also featured in many international film festivals, for example Lan Yu, Balzac and the Little Chinese Seamstress, Purple Butterfly and The Floating Landscape.