INTERVIEW-No kung fu fighting for China's Jet Li this year
By Benjamin Kang Lim
BEIJING, Jan 14 (Reuters) - Chinese action star Jet Li, who had a close brush with death in tsunami-ravaged Maldives in 2004, will take a break from fighting villains on screen this year as he turns his attention to charity work.
Private philanthropy is a new trend in the world's most populous nation, where the wealth gap widened after the government abandoned a cradle-to-grave welfare system and embraced capitalist reforms in the late 1970s.
Li told Reuters that he had turned down two offers from U.S. filmmakers, forfeiting an income of about 200 million yuan ($27.6 million). He declined to elaborate.
Instead, he will focus on the Jet Li One Foundation Project, which he launched jointly with the Red Cross Society of China last year to raise funds to help victims of natural disasters worldwide and Chinese youth coping with mental health issues.
"About 30 million Chinese aged between 15 and 35 suffer from mental illness ... A lot commit suicide," said Li, dressed in black with a matching baseball cap emblazoned with a red star.
Depression will be the world's second-leading cause of disability by 2020, according to the World Health Organisation.
Li's project raised a modest 10 million yuan in China last year, an amount he could have single-handedly donated.
Asked why he did not just make the movies and fork out part of his income, the 44-year-old Chinese-born actor said: "The amount raised is not the most important ... The objective is to bring out the good and compassion in people.
"There's a saying in Chinese: Do one good deed a day," the devout Buddhist said in a weekend interview at a Beijing hotel.
At a weekend gala dinner to launch the Chinese edition of Bazaar magazine, Li took the stage, took a deep bow and appealed to about 200 business leaders to chip in.
"I hope business leaders will take the lead and their employees will follow," said Li, who broke into English-language films featuring in action movies such as "Lethal Weapon 4" and "Romeo Must Die".
BRUSH WITH DEATH
Li's perspective on life changed after he and his family narrowly escaped death while on holiday in the Maldives in 2004.
"Water was up to here," Li said, gesturing at his chin. "My daughter was washed away by floods ... A hotel employee jumped into the water and saved her."
Li has enlisted Taiwan director Ang Lee, Hong Kong action star Jackie Chan and heartthrob Andy Lau among others to help with his project.
Chinese volunteers include Liu Xiang, the 110 metre Olympic champion, and Deng Yaping, who won four Olympic gold medals and 18 world titles before her retirement from table tennis in 1997.
Li also hopes to help victims of natural disasters in the Philippines and North Korea as well as New Orleans, which was devastated by Hurricane Katrina in 2005.
In China, natural disasters destroy about 4,000 hectares (9,884 acres) of farmland each year and affect about up to 200 million Chinese, who require relocation, aid and shelter.
Philippine food and drinks giant San Miguel donated 1.5 million yuan to Li's foundation after he shot a television commercial for the beer maker last year.
"I want to help the Philippines in return," he said.
Li is taking charity work seriously.
"I'm not doing charity work due to a sudden impulse," he said, wearing amber prayer beads on his wrist and a necklace with the logo of his foundation as pendant.
"I have a lot to learn. I need to learn about laws of different countries and how to make good use of donations." (Additional reporting by Guo Shipeng; Editing by Nick Macfie and Sanjeev Miglani)
BEIJING, Jan 14 (Reuters) - Chinese action star Jet Li, who had a close brush with death in tsunami-ravaged Maldives in 2004, will take a break from fighting villains on screen this year as he turns his attention to charity work.
Private philanthropy is a new trend in the world's most populous nation, where the wealth gap widened after the government abandoned a cradle-to-grave welfare system and embraced capitalist reforms in the late 1970s.
Li told Reuters that he had turned down two offers from U.S. filmmakers, forfeiting an income of about 200 million yuan ($27.6 million). He declined to elaborate.
Instead, he will focus on the Jet Li One Foundation Project, which he launched jointly with the Red Cross Society of China last year to raise funds to help victims of natural disasters worldwide and Chinese youth coping with mental health issues.
"About 30 million Chinese aged between 15 and 35 suffer from mental illness ... A lot commit suicide," said Li, dressed in black with a matching baseball cap emblazoned with a red star.
Depression will be the world's second-leading cause of disability by 2020, according to the World Health Organisation.
Li's project raised a modest 10 million yuan in China last year, an amount he could have single-handedly donated.
Asked why he did not just make the movies and fork out part of his income, the 44-year-old Chinese-born actor said: "The amount raised is not the most important ... The objective is to bring out the good and compassion in people.
"There's a saying in Chinese: Do one good deed a day," the devout Buddhist said in a weekend interview at a Beijing hotel.
At a weekend gala dinner to launch the Chinese edition of Bazaar magazine, Li took the stage, took a deep bow and appealed to about 200 business leaders to chip in.
"I hope business leaders will take the lead and their employees will follow," said Li, who broke into English-language films featuring in action movies such as "Lethal Weapon 4" and "Romeo Must Die".
BRUSH WITH DEATH
Li's perspective on life changed after he and his family narrowly escaped death while on holiday in the Maldives in 2004.
"Water was up to here," Li said, gesturing at his chin. "My daughter was washed away by floods ... A hotel employee jumped into the water and saved her."
Li has enlisted Taiwan director Ang Lee, Hong Kong action star Jackie Chan and heartthrob Andy Lau among others to help with his project.
Chinese volunteers include Liu Xiang, the 110 metre Olympic champion, and Deng Yaping, who won four Olympic gold medals and 18 world titles before her retirement from table tennis in 1997.
Li also hopes to help victims of natural disasters in the Philippines and North Korea as well as New Orleans, which was devastated by Hurricane Katrina in 2005.
In China, natural disasters destroy about 4,000 hectares (9,884 acres) of farmland each year and affect about up to 200 million Chinese, who require relocation, aid and shelter.
Philippine food and drinks giant San Miguel donated 1.5 million yuan to Li's foundation after he shot a television commercial for the beer maker last year.
"I want to help the Philippines in return," he said.
Li is taking charity work seriously.
"I'm not doing charity work due to a sudden impulse," he said, wearing amber prayer beads on his wrist and a necklace with the logo of his foundation as pendant.
"I have a lot to learn. I need to learn about laws of different countries and how to make good use of donations." (Additional reporting by Guo Shipeng; Editing by Nick Macfie and Sanjeev Miglani)
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