A slew of Chinese celebrities gathered on Saturday and raised
record proceeds at a charity banquet for the Smile Angel
Foundation, which was founded by former pop diva Faye Wong and her
actor husband Li Yapeng.
Faye Wong (R) and her husband Li Yapeng attend a charity banquet
for their Smile Angel Foundation in Shanghai on Saturday, December
8, 2007.
Stars from every corner of the entertainment industry joined
entrepreneurs and socialites at the Hyatt on the Bund hotel in
Shanghai, where more than 20 million yuan (US$2.7 million) was
collected through auctions and donations.
Last year's event only raised 8.45 million yuan, with all
proceeds going to surgery for poor children with harelips.
There was particularly fierce bidding at Saturday's auction of
17 pieces of art donated by their acclaimed creators.
Stars were invited to present the artwork to the winners.
Faye Wong and her husband also made a rare appearance together
to present special awards to the highest contributors.
At the end of the night, Hong Kong actress Carina Lau, an
ambassador for the charity banquet, handed a check with the
proceeds to the Chinese Red Cross Foundation.
Other stars, including mainland singer Vicki Zhao Wei, Hong Kong
singer Eason Chan, and Taiwan rock star Chang Chen Yue, lit up the
night with live performances.
Mainland pop singer and new mother Na Ying also showed off her
voice.
The Smile Angel Foundation was established in 2006 shortly after
the birth of Faye Wong and Li Yapeng's first child, Li Yan, who
suffers from a cleft lip. The foundation has ever since been
helping children with cleft lips whose families cannot afford
treatment.
Hong Kong actress Carina
Lau attends a charity banquet for the Smile Angel Foundation in
Shanghai on Saturday, December 8, 2007.
Chinese mainland
singer/actress Vicki Zhao Wei performs at a charity banquet for the
Smile Angel Foundation in Shanghai on Saturday, December 8,
2007.
(CRI December 10, 2007)
