Young celebrity to lend a hand to those in need
Yi Yangqianxi may be a member of popular Chinese boy band TFBoys but he has also been moving beyond the youth celebrity set to take on a global role to present a positive and progressive image of his generation.
The singer, dancer and actor, also known as Jackson Yi, turned 17 in late November.
A month before, he gave a speech in Geneva as one of the four youth leaders from China at the invitation of the World Health Organization, calling for the elimination of AIDS discrimination. Shortly after, he, together with the rest three, was awarded the title of WHO China’s special envoys for health.
In his speech on “embracing difference and eliminating discrimination with care”, he said: “The only thing we need to fear is the lack of proper knowledge and information.”
Yi says people with HIV/AIDS deserve to be well educated and to speak out when faced with discrimination.
“In fact, people and children living with HIV are no different from any other person coping with anoth- er illness. People need to protect themselves and treat others the right way,” he says.
Yi’s birthday is three weeks after that of his teammate Wang Yuan. At Yi’s birthday party, he sang two popular English songs — Nothing to Lose and Unpredictable.
He recently released the two songs, working with top international producers including US songwriter Harvey Mason Jr. and some artists from the late pop icon Michael Jackson’s team. The dance routines and singing skills were higher than what was expected of Yi’s age, mirroring his rapid development in the past few years.
Yi started on his road to stardom when he was 5, taking part in a number of talent shows.
During a previous interview, he said he did not want to live a “normal life” and would like to work toward a “better self” on the path he has chosen.
In 2012, he took part in the Hunan TV reality show Up Young and was among the top 100 candidates, attracting the attention of the Time Fengjun Entertainment group.
He got invited to an audition, which led him to TFBoys the following year.
In September, the China Founda- tion for Cultural Heritage Conservation named Yi as the first “image ambassador and protector of the Great Wall of China”. Earlier this year, he was made a tobacco control envoy for WHO to help keep young people away from the harmful effects of smoking and work together to create a clean and healthy environment.
Since March, Yi has also been an ambassador for the World Wildlife Day, a campaign by the United Nations Environment Programme, International Fund for Animal Welfare and the Nature Conservancy; charity ambassador of the China Children and Teenagers’ Fund, as part of a project to help poor children realize their music dreams; and Danish tourism ambassador in China, in conjunction with the Danish-Chinese Tourism Year of 2017.
During an interview with China Daily, when he was asked about his growth as a musician, Yi gave a short answer: “I just want to do what I like and what I think is right.”
“The image of China’s youth is full of positive energy and sunshine. The world is getting to see and understand us more and more, and I’m sure the image will grow in the future,” he says.
As a senior middle school student, Yi has his feet firmly on the ground. But he also thinks beyond his immediate surroundings.
“I’d like to do something for the world; for instance, to call for people to protect the environment. Still, the most important thing for now is to study hard,” he says.
During his birthday concert, Yi announced the establishment of the Yi Yangqianxi Love Fund.
Its first phase will help raise 1.5 million yuan ($227,000) to support a charity program for the China Foundation for Poverty Alleviation to help more than 2,000 rural, “leftbehind” children, whose parents have moved to urban areas to earn a living with temporary jobs.
Li Ruixue, a senior student at Sun Yat-sen University in Guangzhou, capital of Guangdong province, is one of Yi’s fans.
“He gives me the power to aim higher,” she says.
Li says she was first inspired by her idol’s decision to donate his pocket money to help support a child with a disability in a village in Sichuan province for three years.
“His love and kindness push more people to do their part for the needy,” she says.