This Former Actor Went Bankrupt Saving Kids — Then the Internet Refused to Let the Hospital Die

If one story truly defined China’s internet in 2026, this was it.

Former actor Li Yapeng revealed that Beijing Smileangle Children’s Hospital, whose official Chinese name is 北京嫣然天使儿童医院, was facing forced eviction after owing more than 26 million RMB in rent and property fees.

The hospital had been operating under a so-called “charity-rate” lease. In reality, rent increased every two years. When the original 10-year lease expired, the landlord reset the price to full market level — effectively doubling the rent. With a hospital unable to relocate overnight, the situation escalated quickly. Workers were sent to remove the hospital’s signs and logo from the building, leaving Li with no time, no buffer, and no real choice.

Still, Li never attacked the landlord. Instead, he blamed himself.

Standing outside the hospital, he said quietly:

“Beijing Smileangle Children’s Hospital may become history, but we will stand our post until the very last shift.”

And later, even more plainly: “My ideals outweighed my abilities.”

What many people only learned then was why this hospital mattered so much.

Back in 2006, Li and Wang Fei launched the Smile Angel Foundation after their daughter was born with a cleft lip and palate. In 2012, Li personally raised funds to open Beijing Smileangle Children’s Hospital — China’s first private, non-profit hospital dedicated exclusively to cleft treatment.

Over 16 years, the hospital:

Completed 16,000+ cleft surgeries,

Provided 7,000+ surgeries completely free,

Offered screenings or outpatient care to over 500,000 children,

Never closed for a single day — even during Chinese New Year.

After their divorce, Wang Fei quietly continued to support the hospital, donating over 30 million RMB anonymously to cover administrative and operating costs.

Then came the internet’s response.

Donations flooded in.

An elderly man traveled an entire day from Hulunbuir to donate in person.

A construction worker from Henan gave his day’s wages.

A company in Kunshan, Jiangsu offered a free new hospital location.

Another business in Shandong volunteered rent-free medical space.

Li may not be a successful businessman.

But in 2026, millions decided that protecting a place this rare — one built on long-term kindness, not profit — was something worth doing together 🫶✨