Shen Li, China's first TV anchor, died in Beijing on July 28, after battling illness for several years. She was 87.

Shen appeared on screen in 1958 as a newsreader for Beijing Television, the predecessor of China Central Television (CCTV). Subsequently, she hosted many social, art and sports programs.

In 1978, CCTV was officially launched and became the national media outlet. Shen started to host CCTV's At Your Service program, which focused on people's daily life and became hugely popular, in 1983.

She retired in 1988 but was rehired by CCTV for a program called Sunset Glow targeting elderly viewers.

Seen as a vanguard of China's TV industry, Shen was loved both by Chinese industry insiders and viewers.