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Jet Li: From Kung Fu Star to Charity Hero

Moments in history summon men and women of their time. Answering the call, Li on April 19 in Beijing announced the creation of the “One Foundation,” a charitable organization created to assist people suffering from the after effects of disasters. The foundation will engage in emergency response operations and rescues; post-disaster recovery, rebuilding, and disease prevention; and will provide long-term support, especially psychological and post-trauma support for survivors and especially children.

In creating the foundation, Li emerges in response to tragedy, much as with a character Li plays in the film Fearless, a biopic about China's 19th-century kung fu master Huo Yuanjia. In Fearless Huo is shocked when he returns to his home in Tianjin and finds the streets filled with westerners lambasting the Chinese as “Asia's sickly people.” Enraged, he sets out to defend his country's honour by entering an international competition: he is killed in the process, but becomes a national hero at age 42. In real life, Li is the same age as Huo, and by reaching out in cooperation with the Red Cross of China, he risks becoming a real hero via the work of One Foundation.

"One plus one plus one equals one (1+1+1=1)," Li repeated at the opening ceremony for One Foundation. “The whole world is actually a big family.”

This ideal has emboldened Li to ask people to donate 1 yuan (13 US cents) per month to build a fund that will be used to assist people in urgent need. He has been planning the project ever since the tsunami.

“Anyone can donate 1 yuan per month. Making donations is not exclusive to rich people,” Li asserted.

He said, “In 2004, my family and I narrowly survived. I had a close brush with death during the tsunami. Fortunately, my family and I were able to escape. We are all right and in good health, but the experience of surviving the chaos and witnessing the devastation caused by this natural disaster has changed me forever.”

During the recovery period in the Maldives, he said he was deeply moved to see that everyone who was able pitched in to help willingly. “Never once did anyone ask anybody else, ‘Where are you from?’ or ‘What nationality are you?’ I wondered: was it possible to keep that spirit alive and transcend traditional boundaries to help humanity at large? Deep in my heart, I sensed the urge to act, to do something more.”

He said long-term support is necessary and of utmost importance. “My daughters were with me during the tsunami; I can already see that they are experiencing post-traumatic symptoms, as they have developed a fear of the ocean and water. Seeing this, it struck me that the deep mental scars and psychological effects that result from any large disaster can be just as devastating as the physical destruction. Feelings of loss and grief persist over time and are difficult to assuage. Long-term support is crucial in helping disaster victims cope with their losses and to help them towards rebuilding normal lives.”

Since then, his film career has played second fiddle to his charity work. But for a film star like Li, it is not easy to set up a permanent charitable foundation.

“The preparations took me two years,” he said. “The effort I made during those two years for the foundation was much more than that for my 20-year acting career.”

As a good-will ambassador for the China's Red Cross, Li works with members of the organization, but he also tries to persuade directors, actors, and investors to make donations to the foundation whenever engaged in a film project. He urges his celebrity friends to assist in promoting the One Foundation campaign. “I seek the help of anyone I know who might participate in the foundation.”

Creating the foundation was unlike anything he has ever done before. The Chinese martial arts superstar has been a champion since the age of 9 and has won numerous national wushu championships in China. He has been making movies since the 1970's, and burst onto the international scene with his surprise hit Shaolin Temple. Sequels to that film followed and so did success for the young star. In 1998 he made his Hollywood debut alongside Mel Gibson in the fourth episode of Lethal Weapon. When he joined director Zhang Yimou’s martial arts epic Hero, Li became a heroic figure.

“Usually action films have a formula. For instance there might be a guy, his father and mother who are all masters. He learns martial arts to seek revenge and to kill the bad guys,” he said. “But I want to talk about more than that. I am not just a fighter.”

Li said, “Because I am a follower of Buddhism, I sometimes I feel bad about children—when they see me walking on the street-––shouting ‘Jet Li’ (he mimics a few fighting actions). In the beginning, of course, I was happy to hear that, but after a while, I began thinking that I have the responsibility to the young, to the teenagers. I need to talk more about the Chinese culture, because it is about more than just the martial arts, the physical part. We have deep, strong philosophy and culture. I want to share some information, tell the worldwide audience who the Chinese people are. I don’t want them to say you look like Bruce Lee, with them thinking that everybody knows martial arts and how to beat up others only. The Chinese are so much more.”

But, to fulfil his plans for the foundation, Li also had to channel is passion and change in some ways. He realized the foundation could not be built on his passion only; it requires the efforts of many other people.

“I never said so much as “Hello,” to actress on my own initiative before,” he said. “But I have to change myself for the foundation.” He invited actress Xu Jinglei to join in One Foundation when they met for the first time. “I knew that many people visit her blog, so I thought it was a good way to spread the idea of the foundation.” When he appeared in the premiere of director Zhang Yimou’s Curse of the Golden Flower, he also persuaded everyone in the crew, from the director to the janitor, to participate in the foundation. “I asked them to tell everyone they know about One Foundation; this is going to be a long-term project.”

He also sought the advice and counsel of experts knowledgeable in establishing and running foundations and not-for-profit organizations. “I studied the management of foundations in developed countries and got advice from medical professionals, lawyers, bankers, politicians, and anybody else who was willing to help. I know the film-making industry, but I knew nothing about foundations so I have had to learn everything about it. The need is unquestionable; the time is now.”

Li said, “Many times, people use the word ‘love’ but do not understand what it means. They will say ‘I love this car’ or ‘I love these shoes,’ but that isn't love. You don't love those things. Instead, you ‘want’ them, even the ‘love’ referring to a girl or a boy. You want to own them, but true love is a gift. In Buddhism, the highest level of love is selfless, unconditional giving. That is why Buddhists meditate: to understand themselves.

“My feeling is that ‘true love’ is synonymous with giving. If you are willing to give up everything, like wealth, position, even your life, for someone else, while seeking nothing in return, that is true love.”

Li didn't reveal how much money he has personally donated to the foundation; he has said a heart of love is an immeasurable quantity. Many celebrities are similarly busy with charitable work, such as the “Smile Angle Foundation” established by Asian pop diva Faye Wang and her husband, mainland actor Li Yapeng. While some may question whether such activities are merely ploys to enhance a star's profile, Li said that it is unnecessary for him to do that.

“I have experienced the fear of death. I could have died at any moment during the tsunami. At that moment, I realized that although I am so prestigious, rich and incomparable, I had had no dealings with death. So, if I do not fear of death, what else shall I be afraid of? Support, agreement, doubt and criticism will always follow you, no matter what you do in this world. And your doubt can only be eliminated with long-term public credit. Take, for example, me, Jet Li, only with the earnestness and sincerity that I earned from the global film circle over the past 27 years, could I establish this foundation and win so many supporters. It is unnecessary for me to promote my popularity at present.”