Despite a 20 million donation from Faye Wong, Li Yapeng’s hospital faces closure crisis

(Beijing, Jan 21) Beijing Yanran Angel Children’s Hospital—an initiative associated with singer Faye Wong and her ex-husband Li Yapeng—has recently been thrust into the spotlight amid a rent arrears crisis. The hospital reportedly owes more than RMB 110 million (about RM64 million) in unpaid rent, property management fees and related expenses, and has been ordered by the court to vacate its premises, raising concerns over possible eviction or closure.

Founded in 2012, the hospital has long positioned itself as a non-profit medical facility focused on cleft lip and palate treatment. Li previously said the hospital has completed around 11,000 surgeries and served more than 500,000 patient visits in total, including about 7,000 children who received full subsidies. In a recently released, half-hour on-site video, Li looked back on the hospital’s 14-year charity journey and said it may soon “become history.”

In the video, Li described a rent hike—reportedly a doubling of the rent—as the “final straw” for an already financially strained non-profit operation. The video triggered widespread public discussion, with some netizens accusing the landlord of opportunistic increases. A donation drive followed, and by the afternoon of the 16th, contributions reportedly exceeded RMB 10 million (about RM5.83 million). The Yanran Angel Foundation later thanked donors via its official social media account, stating that the budget target had been reached and fundraising projects would be gradually paused, with donation channels to reopen after compliance filings are updated.

Landlord’s response: “Helping out turned into raising a tiger”
The landlord, identified as Mr Zhang, strongly rejected the allegations, saying the video blurred key facts by portraying a “return to market rent” as the main cause of the hospital’s predicament, which he claimed severely damaged his reputation. He argued that what began as goodwill support eventually became a case of “raising a tiger that turns on you.”

According to the landlord’s assistant, the hospital had been offered a “public welfare rent” at roughly 50% below market rates for years. When the lease was renewed in 2019, rent was adjusted from about RMB 5 million to RMB 10 million annually—described as ending long-term concessions rather than a sudden spike. The assistant added that during the pandemic, the landlord reduced monthly rent to about RMB 800,000 and reportedly covered more than RMB 20,000 per month in property fees and utilities, arguing the landlord was the party that suffered from prolonged non-payment.

The landlord’s side also said Li had signed the contract and assumed unlimited joint liability, but the video’s vague framing implied the rent adjustment was the trigger, which they called an attempt to leverage public sympathy. The landlord reportedly demanded a public apology and signaled no willingness to compromise otherwise.

Faye Wong criticized—then anonymous donations revealed
As the hospital’s situation worsened, some online criticism shifted toward Faye Wong, accusing her of staying away from management after the divorce and not stepping in during the financial crunch. Later, netizens circulated claims that Wong had, from 2013 to 2023, made anonymous donations totaling RMB 32.68 million (about RM19.05 million) to the Yanran Angel Foundation. The donations were allegedly discovered only after the foundation introduced greater financial transparency reforms in 2023.

The report also highlighted Li’s close relationship with Wong’s daughter, Leah Dou (Dou Jingtong), noting that their bond remained strong even after the divorce. Amid renewed attention on Li’s debts and the hospital’s arrears, Dou recently appeared in Li’s tea livestream and casually addressed him as “Dad,” a moment that reportedly drove viewership to 500,000 and generated more than RMB 5 million (about RM2.91 million) in sales within two hours, helping him clear a large volume of inventory.