When Li Weiping’s son had a heart attack and was in urgent need of a transplant operation, and her husband had passed away a few years ago, her world almost collapsed.

It was a heavy blow for this Harbin, Heilongjiang province native who is in her late 50s, being the family’s only breadwinner, but then she decided to offer all her beloved art work to raise the money to save her son’s life and found comfort in her paper-cuttings which helped to pay his bills.

One of Li’s paper-cuts inspired by the classic, Water Margin. [Photo/my399.com]

Li is an award-winning paper-cut artist who has a piece of art on display in Singapore’s embassy in Beijing. Most of her art is inspired by Chinese classics such as Water Margin and Dream of the Red Chamber, and her thoughts and ideas on the meaning of life.

"They are my brainchild and will go wherever there is someone to cherish them,” Li said, adding, “Hopefully, they can save my son’s life.”

And the paper-cuttings attracted a lot of attention at a charity auction, on March 29, in Harbin, where they brought in 262,700 yuan ($42,386).
Liu Xi making a 100,000 yuan bid at the charity auction, in Harbin, on March 29. [Photo/my399.com]

One work, Water Margin was purchased by a local company CEO who offered a bid of 100,000 yuan, hoping to give her a hand.

Taking a deep breath, she concluded, “I feel more comfort this way than receiving donations for no reason.”