The courtyard of Yuhu Elementary School in the UNESCO World Heritage site in Lijiang, Yunnan, that Li Xiaodong designed.[Photo provided to China Daily]

As with some of the greatest ideas, it all began in the most mundane of circumstances, a class reunion. It was 2010, and Li Xiaodong was meeting old friends in Jiaojiehe, a village in the mountains north of Beijing.

Li, taken by the warmth of a friend's courtyard, then happened on an idea that would allow him to advance a cause close to his heart: helping the less well off－in this case local villagers－with practical action. As with many great ideas, too, the genesis was a problem that needed a solution. In this case it was that locals, and especially children, lacked study resources, and Li felt he could marshal his architectural skills to remedy that.

He then gained the support of Lu Qianshou Trust Fund in Hong Kong to the tune of 1 million yuan ($160,000) and set about planning his solution: a library.

Because Jiaojiehe Village is close to many scenic spots such as the Mutianyu section of the Great Wall, Li reasoned, many tourists would pass by here, so not only locals but also tourists from far and wide would visit the library.

The Liyuan Library that many admire today, and the planning that went into it, all fit perfectly into Li's ethos regarding architecture.